Typisch deutsche Küche! Guten Appetit!
Typical German cuisine outside the country is often associated with stereotypes such as Weißwurst, Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, but in fact it is characterised by its different areas of production and agricultural traditions.
While many fish and seafood are served in the north, in the east there are still typical GDR dishes influenced by Eastern Europe. In the south, on the other hand, we find not only the tasty Bavarian cuisine, but also the south-west German cuisine with typical regional dishes and a slight French touch.
From home cooking, tasty fish recipes to simple vegetarian potato dishes, everyone will find a German recipe to suit their taste. So immerse yourself in the world of German cuisine and you will soon discover that it goes far beyond sausages and sauerkraut! Yes there is a variety of rich, tasty and delicious dishes here in Germany!
Let’s start with an obvious – Wurst, the famous sausage.
There are an estimated 1,500 varieties of sausage in Germany; each with its own preparation, ingredients and unique mixtures of spices.
You will find them in street stalls almost all over the country. One of the most popular varieties is Bratwurst, a fried or roasted sausage made from veal, beef or pork.
Others include Wiener (Viennese), which is smoked and then cooked, and blood sausages, Blutwurst and Schwarzwurst. You’ll also find regional specialities like Berlin Currywurst (with ketchup curry on top) and Bavarian Weisswurst; a white sausage that you peel before eating with sweet mustard. Meanwhile, Nuremberg is famous for its grilled Rostbratwurst, which people eat with fermented grated cabbage (sauerkraut). And in the state of Thuringian, the local Rostbratwurst is made with distinct spices like marjoram and caraway.
Germans love their meat dishes, and Sauerbraten (which means ‘sour’ or ‘pickled roast’) is one of the country’s national dishes. You can make a pot roast using several different types of meat, which you marinate in wine, vinegar, spices, herbs, and then season for up to ten days. This recipe is also ideal for tenderizing cheap cuts of meat. Schweinebraten (which translates as ‘roast pork’) is a delicious Bavarian recipe that you will commonly find in beer halls. It usually comes with stewed cabbage or sauerkraut and dumplings (Knoedel) and goes down well with a cold Pilsner beer.
Great to eat as a side dish or snack, the Brezel (pretzel) is a type of baked dough that is made from dough commonly shaped into a knot. A Brezel is usually sprinkled with salt, but other spices include cheese, sugar, chocolate, cinnamon and different seeds. This is a popular German food to eat with beer and you will find it in bakeries, in front of theatres and operas, in fairs, or in street stalls all over the country.
They usually come plain, sliced and with butter (Butterbrezel) or with slices of cold meat or cheese.
Lecker!
Lined in breadcrumbs and often served with a slice of lemon, this thin, boneless piece of meat is an iconic part of German cuisine. You can choose a Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese style) made of veal, or a Schnitzel Wiener Art, with pork (Schwein). If you order a Hamburg-style schnitzel, it will come with a fried egg on top, while a Holsten-style schnitzel comes with an egg, anchovies and capers.
This recipe from Bremen is one of the region’s most famous specialities. Pinkelwurst is a kind of smoked sausage made from pork, bacon and oats is cooked with Grüunkohl which is something like cabbage, accompanied by Kassler and small potatoes, which are often caramelised.
The Grünkohl harvest starts after the first frost, so this is a typical winter meal. We find the Grüunkohl easily in the months of December at Christmas markets. It’s a very popular meal here in Berlin too.
The traditional German potato salad is really a dish that is on almost every meeting, get-together, barbecue, etc.
The recipes vary a lot, but something that doesn’t vary, which is quite typical German is the way and the time of cooking. Potatoes should be cooked with a pinch of salt for 20 minutes.
Rain, cold, sun, the most typical food in Berlin is the Currywurst!
It’s all over the city. So don’t visit Berlin without trying a Currywurst. And with beer, of course!
And even for those who don’t like meat, there are of course vegetarian versions of the dish!
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