Messing in the Mensa

Welcome back! Since I last wrote to you two weeks ago I have had some great experiences. There is always so much to do when you travel abroad! Between traveling, befriending locals, and of course academic work, it is easy to keep yourself busy. However, today I wanted to stay on theme and discuss another avenue of experiencing German food: Die Mensa.

First, allow me to explain to you my desire to focus on the different cultural foods and dishes of German cuisine. Simply put, I am a very picky eater, or at least I have been/was. Throughout my entire childhood I was never the person to try new foods, drinks, or anything like that. I stuck to what I knew and everything else either looked gross, smelt gross, or felt gross. Yup, you probably guessed it, buttered pasta was probably my favorite and most common meal. You might also think I wanted to break this pattern after a few years but if I’m being honest I probably didn’t expand my diet until my first year at HWS, so… last year. It’s ironic, and maybe a bit sad and embarrassing, to think that I pushed off so many different dishes and foods for so long, yet to try them now and taste something better than my normal meals. However, focusing this back on Germany, the main reason I want to discuss food is because in my writing you will be witness to a genuine experience. Not only have I never had any German cuisine before, but there are so many spices and tastes that I have never sampled. Additionally, I wanted to chose a topic that was actually meaningful and personal to me, and trying new foods has been an important goal I have pushed myself to pursue for the past year plus. I am hopeful to redevelop my palette while I am here and bring back a broader diet once I return home.

Now, let me tell you about German Mensen. In English there is no direct translation, although it is essentially a dining hall. Before I begin it is important to understand die Universitätscampus in Germany are very different than those in the US, especially Universitäten in cities. Instead of having a central location enclosing all academic buildings, student dorms, and athletic facilities in a particular section of the city these three different elements are spread all over the city. Currently I am writing this from the main campus library in Zentrum, which is about a half hour walk from my student dorm and the physics department or 25 minutes via bus or tram, which are currently on strike. I mention this contrast to HWS to help you understand why there are eight Mensen and four Cafeterias across the city dedicated to the students of Universität Leipzig. The Universität is so large and encompasses so much area that it is necessary to have more than several options available for the students. I myself have only visited three Mensen, and only know where one more is. The smallest I have seen is roughly half the size of Saga, and the largest almost double, including a second floor and an outside patio/entertainment plaza. Unfortunately, the operation hours are not reflective of their imposing state. The largest Mensa in Zentrum is open from 11am until 6:30 pm, meanwhile the smaller Mensen close at 2 pm. Usually, I find myself making the trek over to the main campus Mensa, Mensa am Park, in Zentrum, because I finish class almost everyday around 2:30, or later, and the smaller satellite Mensen closer to the physics department have closed by then. And the long walk only fuels my desire for the delicious meals. Additionally, you may think it odd that the Mensen do not officially serve dinner as they close at 6:30, however, keep in mind that being in a city means there are hundreds of restaurants to chose from, and additionally each flat in your Studentenwohnheim is equipped with its own miniature kitchen.

The three Mensen that I often find myself sampling German cuisine at are: Mensa am Park, Mensaria am Botanischen Garten, and Mensa und Cafeteria am Medizincampus. Thus far I am unsure if I could proclaim a favorite, although Mensaria am Botanischen Garten is the closest. All Mensen work in a similar fashion as cafeterias in the US. There are multiple stations offering different foods including, Fleisch, Fisch, Pizza, Pastateller, Vegeanes Gericht, Dessert, Salat, Smoothie, and of course many different coffee drinks. Unlike HWS, instead of having a prepaid meal plan that decides how often you can access the dining facilities, Universität Leipzig has nothing. Instead you pay for every meal individually by loading cash onto your student ID. Additionally, the food in Mensen is pretty cheap, usually a full meal (a food item, drink, and desert or smoothie) will cost around 10 Euros. I must say, I prefer this option to that at HWS where I continue to use the dining facilities less and less frequently. Almost everyday there is a new menu, and the food is served hot and fresh. I still have yet to repeat a meal and its already been 4 weeks! Some of my favorite dishes so far are:

• Gelbe Paprikaschote mit Rinderhack gefüllt; Couscous; Tomatensoße (a stuffed pepper filled with Beef on top of couscous and tomato sauce)

• Rinderfrikadelle mexikanische Art mit Kidneybohnen; Thymian-Kartoffeln (some type of Mexican beef alongside regional Kartoffeln and beans)

• Buntes Wok-Gemüse mit Basmati Reis (mixed vegetables and rice).

• Hähnchen Cordon bleu mit Putenschinken & Käse gefüllt; Erbsen; Kartoffelpüree (Chicken Cordon Bleu with Peas and mashed potatoes)

• Schweinerückensteak mit Zwiebeln und Käse überbacken (Pork steak topped with peeled onions and melted cheese)

(I will continue to add food to this list the more I visit the Mensen and remember to write down my meals)

I genuinely love what they serve, and I’ve never heard of or seen half of these things before. I don’t mean to brag but I would recommend doing this program just for the food. There are so many unique dishes that you would not be able to taste elsewhere, especially as a student, and I honestly didn’t expect to ever find a decent meal served by an institution.

Not only are the Mensen important for the food and drinks they offer, but they also provide an area for recreation, relaxation, and social bonding. They are a very popular location to hang out at and they reflect an important part of a university student’s day. It is truly interesting to see because there is a constant whirl of motion, much different to that of the dining facilities at HWS which I usually find dead outside of the strict lunch and dinner hours. In all fairness die Universität does have a population of approximately 35,000 students which absolutely dwarfs the meager population of HWS, although you still find people in the Mensen all day long.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to investigate this cultural niche of German cuisine and push myself to personally experience the culture while I am here. And of course the added benefit that the food tastes INCREDIBLE!

April 28th 2023