The Rhenish dish of marinated braised beef with raisins can be traced back to none other than Julius Caesar. On his march to Gaul, he stopped off in Colonia. But no sooner had he entered the town than he had left it again. Left behind was a wagon containing amphora of vinegar, some beef and a small bag of raisins – and that's where Rhenish Sauerbraten comes from.

Meat or vegetable, everything that goes into a Westphalian stew either stands in or grows in a field. Traditional versions include vegetable stew, swede stew, green bean stew, and pearl barley stew with bacon and beans.

Westphalians far from home often have cravings for a particular local speciality: pumpernickel. This dark bread is not baked in the oven. Instead, rye meal is mixed with a little yeast, malt and sugar beet syrup and then cooked in its own steam. The syrup gives it its dark black colour. And it stays fresh for a long time!