Hasenpfeffer
Encyclopedia
Hasenpfeffer is a traditional German
stew
made from marinated rabbit
or hare
, cut into stewing-meat sized pieces and braised with onions and wine in a marinade thickened with the animal's blood. Hase is German for hare and Pfeffer is German for pepper, although here it refers generically to the spices and seasonings in the dish, as with the German ginger cookies Pfeffernüsse. Seasonings typically include (besides pepper): salt, onions, garlic, lemon, thyme, rosemary, allspice, juniper berries, cloves, and bay leaf. In the North American pioneer era, German immigrants frequently cooked squirrel in the same manner.
cartoon Minnie the Moocher opens with Betty's German father scolding her at the dinner table for not eating her hasenpfeffer.
The 1962 Bugs Bunny
cartoon Shishkabugs
makes repeated reference to hasenpfeffer.
The word hasenpfeffer can also be found in the opening theme of ABC's long-running hit sitcom Laverne and Shirley. At the beginning of the theme song "Make All Our Dreams Come True", main characters Laverne and Shirley are seen skipping down the street chanting "...5, 6, 7, 8, Schlemiel, Schlimazel, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated" immediately before the theme music begins.
"Hasenpfeffer" is one of the words given to a speller in the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
. The song "Magic Foot" is structured around the word's spelling.
As well, the dish is referenced in the song "Don't Be the Bunny", in the musical Urinetown
.
This was also one of the words Jamie Hyneman
of MythBusters
chose to use as a non-swear word in the episode "No Pain, No Gain", although it was misspelled on his whiteboard.
The dish is referenced in the song, "G.I. Blues
," written by Sid Tepper
and Roy Bennett
for Elvis Presley
, who performed it in the film and album of the same name. The second verse of the song begins, "We get hasenpfeffer and black pumpernickel for chow."
In the 2011 Animated Movie "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil", the Big Bad Wolf asked, "Who's up for hasenpfeffer." while he and Red Riding Hood were interrogating Boingo the Bunny in the London Bridge Asylum.
German cuisine
German cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of Germany. It has evolved as a national cuisine through centuries of social and political change with variations from region to region. The southern regions of Germany, including Bavaria and neighbouring Swabia, share many dishes....
stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
made from marinated rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
or hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
, cut into stewing-meat sized pieces and braised with onions and wine in a marinade thickened with the animal's blood. Hase is German for hare and Pfeffer is German for pepper, although here it refers generically to the spices and seasonings in the dish, as with the German ginger cookies Pfeffernüsse. Seasonings typically include (besides pepper): salt, onions, garlic, lemon, thyme, rosemary, allspice, juniper berries, cloves, and bay leaf. In the North American pioneer era, German immigrants frequently cooked squirrel in the same manner.
In popular culture
The 1932 Betty BoopBetty Boop
Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
cartoon Minnie the Moocher opens with Betty's German father scolding her at the dinner table for not eating her hasenpfeffer.
The 1962 Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
cartoon Shishkabugs
Shishkabugs
Shishkabugs is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short directed by Friz Freleng, and starring Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam. The title of the short is a play on shish kebab, a type of grilled meat....
makes repeated reference to hasenpfeffer.
The word hasenpfeffer can also be found in the opening theme of ABC's long-running hit sitcom Laverne and Shirley. At the beginning of the theme song "Make All Our Dreams Come True", main characters Laverne and Shirley are seen skipping down the street chanting "...5, 6, 7, 8, Schlemiel, Schlimazel, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated" immediately before the theme music begins.
"Hasenpfeffer" is one of the words given to a speller in the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley...
. The song "Magic Foot" is structured around the word's spelling.
As well, the dish is referenced in the song "Don't Be the Bunny", in the musical Urinetown
Urinetown
Urinetown: The Musical is a satirical comedy musical, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, and municipal politics...
.
This was also one of the words Jamie Hyneman
Jamie Hyneman
James Franklin "Jamie" Hyneman is an American special effects expert, best known for being the co-host of the television series MythBusters. He is also the owner of M5 Industries, the special effects workshop where MythBusters is filmed...
of MythBusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
chose to use as a non-swear word in the episode "No Pain, No Gain", although it was misspelled on his whiteboard.
The dish is referenced in the song, "G.I. Blues
G.I. Blues
G.I. Blues is a 1960 Elvis Presley musical motion picture played as a romantic comedy. It was filmed at Paramount's Hollywood studios, with some pre-production scenery shot on location in Germany before Presley's release from the army. The movie reached #2 on the Variety weekly national box office...
," written by Sid Tepper
Sid Tepper
Sid Tepper is an American songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.-Biography:...
and Roy Bennett
Roy C. Bennett
Roy C. Bennett is an American songwriter known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley...
for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, who performed it in the film and album of the same name. The second verse of the song begins, "We get hasenpfeffer and black pumpernickel for chow."
In the 2011 Animated Movie "Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil", the Big Bad Wolf asked, "Who's up for hasenpfeffer." while he and Red Riding Hood were interrogating Boingo the Bunny in the London Bridge Asylum.