Gaseous water cooker
I'm originally from the Philippines and spent a year studying in Graz, Austria.
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ-sick for some of my native food, I decided I must buy a steamer, to make steamed dumplings. I walked into a tiny shop packed with cooking utensils and run by two elderly ladies. I had no idea what the German for "steam" was, so I said I wanted ein Topf, mit dem man gasförmiges Wasser kochen kann, meaning to say I wanted a boiling-pot that will cook with "gaseous water". I emphasised "not boiling water, but the gas from boiling water": nicht kochendes Wasser, sondern Gas. The one lady asked the other what it was I wanted, and the second replied, ein Kocher, der mit Gas läuft, a kettle that operates on gas.
Not knowing how to make it any clearer, I decided I would just browse until I found one. I left the shop empty-handed.
After discussing the incident later with my professor, I learned that 1) steam was Dampf, 2) I was looking for a Dampfkochtopf, and 3) steaming is a notion alien to traditional Austrian cookery.
Sent by: Martha
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