Two kinds of "Hörnla"

Two specialities bear the name "Bamberger Hörnla": a fine skinned, waxy potato and a flaky butter pastry crescent, similar to a croissant.

The traditional Bamberg potato - voted "potato of the year 2008" - has a thin skin and a nutty aroma and is most widely sold at farmers' markets or farm shops. The variety probably came to Franconia's fields from the prince-bishops' flower gardens, surviving in the region's light sandy alluvial soil. The waxy, full-flavoured potatoes are particularly tasty in a potato salad. Tossed in butter or lightly fried, they are used to accompany regional dishes such as asparagus, fish and meat.

Many like to dunk their croissant-like Bamberg crescents into their coffee during coffee break. Legend has it that the croissant came from Vienna and commemorated the siege of the Turks in 1683. But 300 years earlier, a Bamberg baker was already baking this speciality. The "original", which was awarded the Golden Prize of the German Agricultural Society, has been made here since 1878.