It’s a Cincinnati thing, and if you are not a Cincinnatian, you wouldn’t understand. But the roots of Goetta run deep in our families. It’s truly a comfort food. We made a batch today so we’ll enjoy some this evening and for breakfast for the next few days. It will evoke strong connections to our families as well as delights for our tastebuds and our tummies!
Stavanger, Norway
Our walking tour through the historic heart of Stavanger gave us insight into the canning and maritime industries that fueled this community as well as some tasty tidbits.
I’m not from Cincinnati, so what exactly is Goetta?
It’s a porridge of steel cut oats cooked up with ground meat, onions, and seasonings then chilled, sliced, and fried to get a crisp crust on the outside. It has been a staple in Cincinnati German households for well over a hundred years. There is a local manufacturer or two but it’s never been marketed outside the greater Cincinnati area. When we first moved to Florida our mothers couldn’t even get the steel-cut or pinhead oats to make it. So when relatives came to visit they were asked to bring the essential ingredient and we’d cook up a batch. So it now is often a part of family gathering celebrations. And it’s on the secret menu at at least one Frisch’s Big Boy
Restaurant in Cinci.
Goetta is so popular here in Cincinnati they have a whole festival, on the shores of the Ohio River, dedicated to it. Dozens of vendors mix goetta into everything they can; but the best way remains the simplest — fried (with ketchup). Yum.
It’d be fun to go to the Goetta Festival someday and witness the myriad presentations of goetta. But we’re with you. Fried crisp! We’d never tried it with ketchup though.
I think Mom and Dad introduced it to us with a side of ketchup for dipping so we kids would eat it. Talk about feeling like a kid again; this brings back memories. Luckily, I stumbled across a vegetarian burger mix that reminds me of goetta, so I can still get a goetta fix (phoney as it may be).