Donnie shared his German Butter Potatoes recipe, prepared by his mom in years past to feed their large family. To the delight of many, Donnie now prepares the dish while carrying on his proud German heritage (file photo).

Perhaps it’s due to the lineage of my maternal grandmother, Laura Kleinpeter, that I have a real fondness for bratwurst, schnitzel, and crisp apple strudel.

I have especially enjoyed the strong German influences and cuisine found in travels to Fredericksburg Texas, and the Lower East Side and East Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City.

One doesn’t have to travel those distances, however, to enjoy authentic German cuisine and culture.

On a recent visit to the German Fest, held on the first weekend in October at Robert’s Cove, I was immersed in German culture, cuisine, and music.

Located just north of Rayne, Louisiana in Acadia parish, this family-oriented festival has been welcoming over 12,000 visitors annually to the small community of Robert’s Cove since 1995.

Here, centered around St. Leo IV Catholic Church, the German heritage of its people is celebrated in folklore, music, dancing, and food, along with a large selection of German beer on tap.

In addition to the Catholic Church located on the grounds of the festival, there is the German Heritage Museum which was built to preserve the history and heritage of the people.

A tour of the museum chronicled the arrival of German families in 1882 when a New Orleans priest, Father Peter Thevis, a native of Germany, made two trips to his homeland to recruit members of his family and friends to start a settlement in this new land.

Pictures and family trees of those first settlers were found on large, swing-out panels bearing the names of those families.

As the years passed, descendants of these original families moved out into Southwest Louisiana. Some of these families, whom we now call friends and neighbors, bear the names of Habetz, Hensgens, Thevis, Gossen, Zaunbrecher, Leonards, Frey, Schlicher, Jacobs, Meyer, Cramer, Dischler, and Detweiler, to name a few.

Opening ceremonies on Saturday consisted of tapping of the keg, followed by performances of the Auf Geht’s Band, the Robert’s Cove German Fest Fok Singers and dancers, and other German-themed performances.

Demonstrations of threshing, sauerkraut making, old time swine processing and a tour of the church from the pew fully immersed spectators in the authentic German the culture. An outdoor Mass began the day on Sunday for this deeply religious Catholic community, and the sunny, cool day added to the festivities.

German cuisine was in abundance and enjoyed by families and young children under a large tent while horn bands, singers of all ages, and dancers provided lively entertainment for the many in attendance.

Being intent on sampling all the German food to be found, I indulged in the Sampler Plate.

It consisted of smoked sausage and fresh bratwurst on top of potato stew and beef stew. A side of sauerkraut was included, along with a dessert of apple kuchen, which is like apple cobbler.

My curiosity was piqued by the German doughnuts being served, and a sampling of these did not disappoint. The fried squares of dough sprinkled with powdered sugar were a sweet treat similar to fried canned biscuits. Zucker Platzchen, a German sugar cookie, and fried sweet potato spirals were also much sought-after treats.

As visitors come from all parts of Acadiana and beyond, my husband and I were happy to see a neighborhood family, the Hensgens, enjoying the day with their children and grandchildren.

In past conversations, Donnie Hensgens and his sister Darlene Hensgens Barras have recounted childhood memories of their German ancestry which were cultivated by their parents, who were both from Robert’s Cove.

During visits to their aunts and uncles houses on December 6th, the feast day of St. Nicholas, they would be visited by a family member or friend, usually tall and of large build, with identity hidden, dressed in the traditional robes of St. Nicholas. Portraying this third century saint, known for selling all his possessions and giving to the poor, he would question them as to whether they had been bad or good, and leave them with a piece of candy.

Donnie shared the following dish, prepared by his mom in years past to feed their large family. To the delight of many, Donnie now prepares the dish while carrying on his proud German heritage.

DONNIE’S GERMAN BUTTER POTATOES

Ingredients:

½ to 1 cup of sugar

5 lbs. of red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Butter, or margarine of choice

Cajun seasoning of choice, to taste

Directions:

Place potatoes in a pot of water with water covering potatoes by approximately 2 inches

Pour sugar into water with potatoes and stir to combine. (You may add enough sugar to your desired sweetness.)

Bring potatoes to a boil in sugared water, being careful not to stir and break up potatoes. Cook till potatoes are fork tender.

Drain potatoes and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. You may also sprinkle with more sugar if desired.

Top with several pats of butter or margarine and stir till lumpy, but not mashed.

Enjoy!