Trivia Advent Calendar

[Eva Elisabeth]

Good guess, Dave, it is indeed one of the largest sequoia trees in the world, but it was given a different name. I didn't know there's also a tree by the name "Lincoln" - maybe it stands in the same area as this one?

Hint #1: The tree's environment and it's history is hiding behind today's window.

(12-06-2014 08:34 PM)L Verge Wrote:  I also clicked on the video about traditional German Christmas food. The main tradition seems to be the Christmas goose. Although I have been chased by some geese that should have ended up on someone's table, I have never tasted goose. Is the flavor similar to turkey? I had pet ducks as a child, so please don't tell me that they taste like duck!

Yes, since turkey is native to North and Central Amerca and AFAIK hadn't been bred here before the late 19th century, goose is the Xmas traditional bird as well as for St. Martin's Day (Nov.11) - also because it's a very rich bird compared to turkey and duck. Despite the taste is somewhere in between the latter two. Not as "wild" as duck but still stronger than turkey. Now that, due to lacking hard labor, rich food isn't compatible with many people's lifestyle anymore, turkey has become popular, too.

(12-06-2014 08:34 PM)L Verge Wrote:  One more thing: I have always thought that marzipan (which is wonderful!) was a French creation, but the more I hear of it, Germany appears to be the point of origin?

Marzipan originated in Persia and to have been introduced to Europe through the Turks or via Andalusia (which makes sense because of the main ingredients: almonds and rose water).

However, the two European countries where marzipan is a well-known speciality with a long tradition are certainly Italy and northern Germany. In 1193 Sicily already it was known as "panis martius" or "marzapane", i.e., March Bread. In Germany, the most famous and traditional marzipan comes from two cities at the Baltic Sea: Lübeck marzipan, which consists 100% of almond paste (thus two thirds almonds by weight) and no sugar, and has been manufactured since 1407, and Königsberg marzipan, first produced in 1409, which is golden brown on its surface and embedded with jam at its center. (Königsberg, of course, is nowadays Kaliningrad and belongs to Russia.)