Mmm, ich habe Hunger!

In Germany, when we think of May, we think of asparagus season, or Spargelsaison or Spargelzeit in German. We are not talking about the flimsy green strings wrapped in bacon, but real white asparagus smothered in Hollandaise sauce. In Germany asparagus harvest reaches its peak in the weeks of May and June. So when you guys arrive in Germany, the season will be in full force. During this time, Germans eat more than their fill of asparagus - nearly everyday - and eventually get sick of it. Actually, 118 000 tons of white asparagus are consumed in Germany each year - almost all during six weeks! Be open minded and give it a try. Remember, that this is a great opportunity to share your wants with your host family. What would you most like to eat? Love to try? Suggest making traditional family or German dishes for you to taste. Maybe you can familiarize yourself with your own family's traditional recipes, so you can share some American culture with your host family. Make cooking one of your first family activities! We all love to eat!

Check out the following websites for some ideas as to what foods you might encounter while abroad.

On asparagus:

http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/spargelzeit.cfm
http://germanfood.about.com/od/introtogermanfood/a/cropsciasparagu.htm
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gem%C3%BCsespargel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spargel

On foods in North Rhine-Westphalia (That is the federal state, in which Krefeld is located):

Sauerbraten! One of the most popular and famous German foods in America!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerbraten
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westf%C3%A4lische_K%C3%BCche

German food in general.

http://germanfood.about.com/
http://www.chefkoch.de/