Fahrenkamp

Fahrenkamp is a boutique delicatessen in Germany where the scent of mustard and dried herbs reaches you before the shelves do. Glass jars, small bottles and tins crowd the displays. The stock is drawn from many countries, full of specialities you would not find on every corner.

Tasting is treated as part of the shopping here, so whoever walks in should look, sniff and try. The mustards from Gourmet Leon's give grilled cheese, sauces and crackers a kick all their own. Beside them sit wasabi and horseradish spreads, intended for fish and meat. Italian herb blends share the space with the Wela range of sauces, soups and broths. Then comes something rarely seen elsewhere: spice blends for making your own dip. Three teaspoons of spice go into a hundred and fifty grams of sour cream, and you stir the lot.

The finished dip then spends a full hour in the fridge, and only afterwards does the flavour unfold completely. Patience runs through the whole place, whether a mixture is maturing in the cold or a visitor is wandering slowly between the jars. Entry costs nothing, the browsing stays quiet, and a rainy afternoon suits the shop as well as a bright one. No one will hurry you past the mustard.