Dresdner Christstollen

Appearance & taste

The stollen has an even shape, is suitably browned and evenly buttered and sugared. The crumb is well aerated, and the fruit is evenly distributed in it. The specification describes its smell and taste as pure, aromatic and rounded. A stollen weighs at least 500 g.

The main identifying feature on the top of the packaging is the lettering “Dresdner Stollen”, “Dresdner Weihnachtsstollen” or “Dresdner Christstollen”, together with the applicant’s quality seal with the producer’s control number. The producer’s name must be visible but less prominent; a retailer may only be named on the sides or the underside.

Production

It must contain at least wheat flour (type 405 or 550), whole milk or whole milk powder, granulated sugar, butter or clarified butter, candied orange and/or lemon peel, sultanas, sweet and bitter almonds, lemon zest, table salt, icing sugar and spice. Relative to the flour, 50 % butter, 65 % sultanas, 20 % candied lemon and/or orange peel and 15 % almonds are prescribed. Artificial flavourings, directly added additives and margarine are prohibited.

The stollen are shaped by hand, cut as a loaf or torn, or rolled or folded. They may not be baked in tins or linked baking frames. The entire production takes place in the area. Packaging and labelling follow immediately afterwards, at the latest before transport or sale, so that above all the buttered and sugared surface is not damaged.

Origin & history

The area comprises the city of Dresden and the towns of Moritzburg, Radebeul, Arnsdorf, Ottendorf-Okrilla, Radeburg, Coswig, Pirna, Wachau, Freital, Radeberg, Weinböhla and Heidenau.

According to the specification, the tradition of baking stollen goes back to the 15th century. At the Dresden Striezelmarkt, first mentioned in records in 1434, the bake was called Striezel; in 1530 a document in the Dresden council archives calls it “Christstollen”. Around 1490 Pope Innocent VIII, with the so-called “Butterbrief”, lifted the ban on baking with butter during Advent for the Dresden bakers. From 1727 the stollen was served at Christmas at the court of Augustus the Strong; in 1730 he had a “giant stollen” of 1.8 tonnes baked for the Zeithain pleasure camp with 24,000 guests. The recipes, some of them from the Middle Ages, are passed on within the businesses.

According to the specification, at the time of the application about 2 million stollen from the area were sold worldwide each year. In 2002 the Federal Court of Justice confirmed that “Dresdner Stollen” is a geographical indication of origin.