Let’s talk about foods of Germany. What do typical Germans eat? Some of you may be familiar with the food in Germany, but there are also some dishes special to certain regions that you may not have heard of.
Lots of Germans enjoy their meat dishes, but vegetarian and vegan dishes are also becoming more popular. No matter what type of dish you order, you can be assured that if you order from a quality German restaurant, the dishes will be tender and succulent, with amazing flavor and just the right amount of seasoning. Most Germans who are cooks have gone to cooking school in order to become chefs. This means that their dishes reflect the years of training and experience that they have.
All over Germany, one of the most popular dishes is schnitzel, a lightly breaded cut of thin and tender meat, usually veal or pork. This is typically served with a salad and some type of potato.
My mom and I having schnitzel and salad on the dock in Düsseldorf
Another popular dish is bratwurst, a beef or pork wurst that is grilled (if you are lucky, it is grilled on a wood fired grill) and is served on a fresh bun. It is quite delicious, and for us Wisconsinites, a tradition that we can experience in the states as well.
A half-eaten Bratwurst with ketchup and mustard
Furthermore, German bakeries are quite common. There is one on virtually every street corner, and they have some of the best bread I have ever tasted in my life! Germany has over 300 types of bread, which come from mixing different amounts of wheat with spelt and rye. Each bakery usually has an assortment of white, dark, crusty, and soft bread, not to mention the assortment of rolls, pretzels, croissants, and other goodies! (I highly recommend your next trip to Germany include a trip to the bakery, to get my favorite: a Schokocroissant: a nutella-filled croissant).
The various assortment of breads one can find at a German bakery. Here is Hinkel’s in Düsseldorf.
Schnitzel, bratwurst, and breads are popular all around Germany, but what about regional dishes?
Northern Germany is located along the Northern and Eastern Seas, which means there is unlimited access to fish and these regions are heavily dependent on the fishing industry. In these regions, you can find pickled or breaded fish sandwiches, which are served with tartar sauce.
If you are in Essen, the Ruhrpott area, or basically the western and middle regions of Germany, a popular breakfast is Mettwurst. Mett is a raw beef/pork mixture, usually served on a fresh baked roll. It is quite a treat and must be produced according to certain quality standards, so you can be assured that you should not pick up any type of salmonella or e coli from eating Mett.
Mett on a plate, waiting to be put on a roll and enjoyed
Middle Germany (the Rhein/Ruhr region) and Berlin: Another popular dish is currywurst, a beef or pork wurst with curry sauce, which is something like a slightly spicier version of ketchup. This can be a quite tangy dish, and is usually served with a fresh bun or french fries.
Berlin also features the popular “Berliner” doughnut, filled with jam or sprinkled with powdered sugar.
A window-display at a German bakery, filled to the brim with Berliners!
Southern Germany, or Baden-Württemberg, is famous for its spätzle, a handmade noodle dish that is served plain, or with toppings like cheese, meat, or even lentils. The noodles are made of eggs and flour, and have just enough salt to make them tender and satisfying.
The Southernmost region of Germany, Bavaria, is famous for their beer and pretzels, and various types of dried, cured meats. There is also the Weißwurst, or the white wurst, a white sausage.
Don’t take a photo of me when I’m about to indulge in a Bavarian pretzel!
The south-western region of Germany, or the Rhineland region, is famous for its Sauerbraten. This is basically a beef pot roast, and is served with potatoes and/or vegetables.
If you are interested in dining at a restaurant with German cuisine, I recommend looking for German restaurants with a zur/zum in their name. I do not know why, and I don’t think that other German restaurants have bad food, but these have proved time and time again to be some of the best restaurants that stuck out in my mind.
My recommendations: I can recommend Zur Sonne in Marburg, Germany, as well as Bückingsgarten (see, not a “zur/zum” restaurant). In Essen, I recommend Zur Kluse, Zum Brenner, and Zum Blücherturm. There is also one of the best currywurst houses in Bochum, Germany, Bratwursthaus. This place is special because they hand-make their sauces, and you can order a variety of different levels of spice. These are the restaurants that stand out from where I have lived in Germany.
My grandfather at Bückingsgarten in Marburg- he loves his Spargel (asparagus) and Schnitzel!
For dessert, I recommend trying any kind of ice cream in Germany. The ice cream vendors have some of the freshest, creamiest, and most flavorful ice cream of any ice cream I have ever had (and this is saying something, because I am from Wisconsin, where Cedar Crest ice cream is basically like a religion to us). Mövenpick is one of the creamiest flavors that you can find in the grocery stores in Germany, but there really isn’t any bad ice cream. Popular flavors include vanilla and chocolate, but they also have stracciatella, a chocolate chip flavored ice cream, as well as whiskey ice cream and others.
My friend, Iman, and I get ice cream in Marburg
One unique type of ice cream dessert is Spaghettieis. Spaghettieis is basically just what it sounds like- vanilla ice cream that is in the form of spaghetti noodles with strawberry sauce on top and around it, to look like tomato sauce.
Aside from ice cream, German bakeries (did I mention German bakeries again?!) have desserts and cakes available in addition to breads. There is often a type of Apfelkuchen or apple pie, no matter where you are in Germany. Aside from apple pie, there is often strawberry torte, which usually has a cake or doughy bottom, and a creamy, pudding-ish filling with strawberries on top. There are treats with pudding, treats with fruit, and treats with cake. Most of these are sold in rectangular bar forms, but you can also find other more “cakey” shapes as well.
My ultimate favorite dessert from the bakery is a Quarkini, a doughnut-hole that is creamy and flavorful- a bite of pure happiness!
Lesson: When in Germany, eat as the Germans do! Make sure to treat yourself to some of their cuisine, and baked goods. You won’t regret it!
“IF YOU’RE TWENTY-TWO, PHYSICALLY FIT, HUNGRY TO LEARN AND BE BETTER, I URGE YOU TO TRAVEL – AS FAR AND AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE. SLEEP ON FLOORS IF YOU HAVE TO. FIND OUT HOW OTHER PEOPLE LIVE AND EAT AND COOK. LEARN FROM THEM – WHEREVER YOU GO.” – ANTHONY BOURDAIN
Even the pigeons prefer goods from German bakeries!