Kartoffelsalat

Potato salad spread across German-speaking Europe in the 18th century, after the potato itself was forced into wide cultivation by Frederick the Great's edicts (Prussia, 1756 onward). The mayo-bound northern style emerged in the 19th century when commercial mayonnaise became available; the older broth-and-vinegar Bavarian style predates it and reflects pre-mayonnaise dressing logic — fat plus acid plus stock for body.

Two parlors split by the Mayn river: south uses hot beef stock, mustard, vinegar — no mayo; north uses mayo with pickle and apple. Slice while still warm — cold potato repels dressing, warm potato pulls starch into a slick gloss.

Two parlors. The southern German/Bavarian-Swabian version: warm sliced waxy potatoes dressed with hot beef stock, vinegar, mustard, and oil — shiny but no mayo, eaten lukewarm. The northern version: cold potatoes folded with mayonnaise, pickles, sometimes apple and egg. Both lean acidic; both prefer waxy potatoes that hold a slice. The Bavarian version is the one that goes alongside Schweinshaxe and Bratwurst.

Use waxy potatoes — Sieglinde, Linda, or in the US a Yukon Gold or red — never russet, which falls apart on slicing. Slice while still warm; warm potato absorbs the dressing, cold potato repels it. For the Bavarian version, the broth must be hot when poured: it pulls starch off the slice surface, and that starch thickens the dressing into the slick gloss the dish is known for.