Word of the Week

As children around the world roast the last of their summer marshmallows, German children are savouring this year's final Stockbrot. "Stick bread" is a thin strip of dough wrapped tightly around a twig and roasted over a campfire. With patience, the yeasty concoction slowly browns and rises around the branch held close (but not too close!) to the flame.

Recipes abound for enriching your Stockbrot with hunks of cheese and bacon or sweetening it up by rolling the dough in sugar. Trying out different doughs is also part of the fun.

However you like your Stockbrot, just be sure to heed common wisdom: Always use "the branch of a non-poisonous tree" for roasting, and never, ever burn your Stockbrot.