Share a Sunday morning snack with Hamburg’s clubbers

In a country renowned for its sausages, a fish sandwich might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of breakfast in Germany. But at the weekly fish market in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, you wouldn’t want to order anything else.

A cultural institution as well as a popular tourist attraction, the 300-year-old fish market forms part of the large, sprawling fresh produce market held by the River Elbe every Sunday. It’s here that Hamburg-born fish trader Dieter Bruhn has had a stand here since 1959. A local institution himself, loved for his loud, jovial approach to auctioning his wares, 82-year-old Dieter specialises in smoked salmon and eel. “A fish sandwich first thing on a Sunday morning is the classic fish-market snack,” he explains.

The humble fischbrötchen has been sustaining the residents of Germany’s coastlines for many years, and its origins come down to practicality. “You can put anything on a bit of bread,” explains Dieter. “So at some point, a fisherman put a bit of fish on it.” The classic Hamburg version involves “soused or pickled herring, fishcakes, smoked salmon or brown shrimp”, the latter often mixed with mayonnaise and dill. Other options, which Dieter describes as “a little more refined”, include pollock and smoked eel. The fish, shrimps or patties are sandwiched between two halves of a crusty white bread roll, often with a frilly lettuce leaf, pickled gherkins, pieces of raw red or white onion, a slice of tomato and even a lick of creamy remoulade.

Starting at 5am during the summer months and a few hours later in winter, the market is a lively affair. The air fresh and the atmosphere cheerful, the harbour is not only busy with locals haggling for salmon and eel, but those out for a bracing morning walk. The market is also popular with partygoers making their way home after a long night out. “It’s a broad mix of people,” says Dieter. “But that’s part of what makes the market unique.” Here, fischbrötchen aren’t only a snack for early shoppers, but also a cult hangover dish. As to why they appeal to both early birds and night owls, Dieter reflects for a moment. “Soused herring with raw onions? Well, it just tastes very good.” ALTERNATIVE: Traditionally made

Bavarian weisswürste (‘white sausages’) are never eaten past midday. Made from minced veal and bacon, with onion, lemon, parsley and ground spices, they’re served in pairs in their cooking water, often alongside a soft salty pretzel, a dollop of mustard and a glass of wheat beer. The classic way to eat a weisswürst is to split open its skin and suck out the sausage meat.

Above: Hamburg’s fish market in the morning Right: Tamagoyaki (traditional Japanese rolled omelette) with fresh chives Previous page, from top: An eggs benedict variant with mushrooms at The Modern Pantry, London; Jean-georges at London’s The Connaught; eggs sardou at Brennan’s, New Orleans