Glühwein Recipe

One of the best things about the winter period has to be the traditional Christmas market.

The seasonal cold and darkness, usually a signal to retreat indoors and hibernate until Spring, is offset by the gentle throng of crowds relaxing among the warming glow of the chalet-style pine stalls, from which waft the intoxicating aromas of sizzling sausages, gingerbread and glühwein.

The first recorded Christmas market was the Krippenmarkt in Vienna in 1298. Open-air street markets then spread across Germany in the Middle Ages, prompted by the religious reforms of Martin Luther who encouraged gift-giving as a way to honour the birth of Christ. Today Christmas markets can be found all over Europe and the world, from Berlin and Brussels to Strasbourg and Singapore.

One of the best Christmas markets is in Cologne, on the banks of the Rhine in western Germany. Cologne actually has several markets, including Neumarkt, Heumarkt and Chocolate Museum. The biggest and most popular however is in front of the huge gothic Cologne Cathedral on the Roncalliplatz, beneath which are over 150 red-roofed stalls, bound together by thousands of Christmas lights which fan out like a bright wintry web from the giant Christmas tree in the centre of the square.

After enjoying the Cologne market, head to the Früh am Dom, the city's most famous brauhaus, from which can be enjoyed some hearty German food and Kölsch - Cologne's trademark light beer served in small cylindrical glasses. The traditional Köbes waiters drift in and out of the tables on every floor, providing fresh glasses of Kölsch to anyone with an empty glass, whether requested or not, and striking beer mats with pencils to keep tabs. This is winter food and drink perfection.

Ingredients (4 people)

1 bottle dry red wine

100g white or brown sugar

Juice of 2 oranges

1 orange (slices)

1 lemon (slices)

1 thumb ginger (peeled, roughly chopped)

10 cloves

10 juniper berries

2 star anise

1 stick cinnamon

Preparation (30min)

1. In a saucepan on medium heat, add the sugar, juice of two oranges, cloves, juniper berries, star anise and cinnamon. Reduce for 15min until it forms a syrup.

2. Reduce the heat to low. Add the wine, sliced orange, sliced lemon and ginger. Heat the wine until steaming but not simmering or boiling (about 15min).

3. Serve piping hot in a mug or pre-heated glass. Pass the glühwein through a sieve to avoid any unwanted cloves in your drink!

TIP 1: In addition to Cologne, great German Christmas markets within shooting distance of Belgium are Aachen, Monschau, Cochem and Trier.

TIP 2: Examples of dry red wine suitable for glühwein are Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Montepulciano, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Tempranillo.

TIP 3: If you don't have star anise or juniper berries, great aromatic alternatives are allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, peppercorns, rosemary and honey.