There are a few Jamaicans of German descent and many German expatriates also reside here. With this in mind, I thought it would be apt to write about one of the world’s famous food and drink festivals taking place right now.

The largest fair in the world, known as Oktoberfest, takes place each year in Munich, the capital of Bavaria in Germany, two weeks before the first Sunday in October. It has already begun and this year it began on the 22nd of September and continues until October 7th. This celebration began when Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxony Hildurghausen in 1810. Today, the main park where it is held is called Theresienwiese, named after the princess. Many German communities internationally celebrate at this time of year, and our island is no exception, as each year the Jamaica German Society puts on an event.

Millions of people descend on Munich each year for a big feast which comprises loads of beer and tons of food. The beer in question must only come from the region. There is a specific style to the beer which must be slightly darker, more amber in colour and with a stronger alcohol content than normal, called the Marzen method. The beer is served in a stein called a mass (spelt MaB in German) which has a one-litre capacity. The main breweries are Augustiner Brau, the oldest one dating from 1328, Lowenbrau, Paulaner, Pschorr, Hofbrauhaus, and Spaten Franziskaner Brau. Sekt, a type of sparkling wine, is also served.

In the Bierzelt, the tents whose grandiose size can hold up to tens of thousands, each caters to a specific age group or type of beer and music. The food which is normally served are spit-roasted chickens, oxtail dishes, sauerkraut (a fermented tangy cabbage dish), spaetzle “little sparrows” which are small noodles made of flour, egg, water and nutmeg and is a common German side dish and most famously are the sausages such as bratwurst, liverwurst and more. These sausages are typically made with pork, veal or beef and seasoned with herbs.

Traditionalist men will wear lederhosen, and the women dirndl, but the vast majorities do not. Another tradition is the folk music of the “oom pah” bands. There is a popular German proverb “Im becher ertrinken mehr als im Meer” which translates “More drown in the cup than in the sea”. Of course, with the copious amounts of beer consumed, a casualty is lots of drunken people known as bierleichen, otherwise known as beer corpses. Special medical tents are provided for these emergencies.

If you plan to host a party in the coming weeks, why not try an Oktoberfest celebration of your own? Keep it simple with an assortment of sausages, breads such as rye or pumpernickel and condiments such as mustard with lots of your favourite chilled beer. In your local supermarkets you can find Hamilton’s Smoke House or Caribbean Passions sausages as well as some overseas brands. Mac’s Deli in Kingston also carries a wide range of sausages.

Have fun, but do not go overboard with your drinking. Cheers! Or as we are in German mode today, tell your friends Prost! Or Zum Wohl, which means Bottoms Up!