Regional German Food: Grüne Soße is typical for the Hessen-Kassel/Frankfurt region of Central Germany. The Frankfurt version is made from 7 fresh herbs, namely parsley, chives, chervil, borage, sorrel, garden cress, and salad burnet together with sour cream, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and hard boiled eggs. Variants of other local areas, often based on seasonal availability, include dill, shallots, lovage, lemon balm, even spinach. In more frugal times, daisy leaves, broad plantain leaves, and dandelion leaves were also used. While both Grüne Soße and mayonnaise have an egg base, there are differences. In Grüne Soße, the eggs are hard-boiled, then sieved or pureed before being mixed with sour cream to form the creamy sauce base. Freshly chopped herbs are then added. Some variations use buttermilk, quark, or yogurt instead of sour cream. In Kassel, a combination of sour cream and Schmand is used.
The sauce is served cold with peeled boiled potatoes or bread, as an accompaniment to either hard-boiled eggs or beef brisket. It may also be served with fish, roast beef, or barbecue. A local schnitzel specialty — Frankfurter Schnitzel — is always served with green sauce and apple cider (Apfelwein). Green sauce was supposedly Goethe’s favorite condiment; a legend that his mother invented it is likely apocryphal. In some Hessian families, the sauce is part of the traditional meal eaten on Maundy Thursday, relating to its German name Gründonnerstag (literally Green Thursday).
