German food is tasty. It’s also popular, with its own set of dishes and simple recipes. This article will give you some insight into the cuisine of Germany.
Many different German foods are worth trying, including traditional dishes like schnitzel and kuchen and more modern creations like currywurst or spaghetti bolognese with ham.
The only thing you need to know is that it all tastes good! So go ahead – dig in! And enjoy the wide variety of flavors available in this culinary tradition from across Europe’s largest country.
Let’s get started!
7 Must-Try German Food
What’s not to love about Germany? The food is fresh, the people are friendly and there’s plenty of it on tap. We’ve got a list for you below with our top 7 must-try dishes in this country that will leave your mouth watering from start till finish!
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is cabbage fermented in salt water with the help of lactic acid bacteria or other bacteria like “Leuconostoc.” The Sauerkraut is made by adding shredded raw cabbage to saltwater and sitting for some time, most often three days or more for taste.
Linsen mit Spätzle
Linsen mit Spätzle is typically served in the North-Rhine Westphalia area in Germany. This dish includes lentils with fresh egg noodles called spätzle. The dish typically includes:
- Liquid broth or stock.
- Vinegar or lemon juice.
- Herbs like parsley or thyme.
- Lard or oil.
Kartoffelpuffer
Kartoffelpuffer is a type of dish that has long, thin strips. The person who prepares it traditionally uses raw potatoes as their main ingredient but can also include grated onions and other spices like nutmeg or cardamom to give the food more flavor if desired! This side item typically goes great with applesauce as well since both ingredients taste similar in nature–plus. They’re perfect partners when eaten together on crackers at lunchtime.
Rouladen
Rouladen is beef rolled around a pickled cabbage leaf, bacon, and onion with marjoram, pepper, salt, and mustard powder, then browned in cooking fat or oil. After being cooked, the dish can include carrots, celery root, parsnips, or turnips which are then cooked in a beef broth mixed with red or white wine.
Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)
The cake includes chocolate spongecake layers with whipped cream and cherries between the layers and on top of the cake, with kirsch – a clear cherry brandy – poured over the cake before serving. The cake also includes cherry juice, liqueur, and food coloring to make the outside layer of the cake black.
Apfelküchle
Apfelküchle is apple fritters that are typically eaten in autumn around harvest time in Germany. The batter can include sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla sugar, or vanilla extract.
These ingredients are mixed with flour, eggs, milk, and salt, then the dough is formed into logs, and sliced apples are placed in the center of the logs. The dough is then wrapped around the sliced apple to form a ball in the center before being fried in oil or shortening.
Zwiebelkuchen
Zwiebelkuchen is an onion cake that is typically made with yeast dough and simmered over low heat. It is topped with thinly sliced onions, then baked until golden brown and crisp on top with the onions caramelizing as they cook and serve in thick slices.
German Food Recipes
German cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in Europe, and for a good reason. With three authentic German recipes that everyone will love (and maybe even crave), you can experience this great tradition yourself!
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is a popular dish in Germany. It’s warm and tasty, with the option to cook it up alongside some awesome bratwurst or schnitzel! For anyone who likes their food on top of tradition-rich cultures-Sauerkraut also tastes great when paired with spuds like potatoes too.
Here are three recipes for cooking Sauerkraut:
- 1 kg of sausage (or any kind of cut) (meat or game)
- 1 small cabbage (about 1.5 kg)
- 10 apples (round and sour)
- 4 large onions (or more if you like them as an ingredient in cooking food).
- Salt, pepper, and ground cloves for seasoning
- Bay leaves for flavor
- Water to cover the ingredients.
Instructions:
- Chop the cabbage in fine pieces and place it in a pot. You cut into small squares except for the sausage. Pour water to cover all these ingredients. Boil for about 5 minutes on high heat, then remove from heat and drain off the liquid you have used above.
- In another pot, put the sausages and apples cut into small pieces along with onions. Add water to cover the ingredients well. You use salt pepper, ground cloves, and bay leaves for seasoning.
- Boil on high heat until all ingredients are cooked; then lower the heat, add drained cabbage and continue cooking until you get the taste you like.
- Serve hot with boiled potatoes or bread to dip in the sauce.
Linsen mit Spätzle
Ingredient:
- 500 grams of beans
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 cup bread crumbs.
- Salt and pepper for seasoning.
- Baking powder for thickening the sauce. Use two teaspoons of baking powder if you have normal or coarse bread crumbs, but use only one teaspoon if your bread crumbs are very fine.
Instructions:
- Wash the beans and place them in a pot with cold water to cover. Boil for about 15 minutes to remove excess fat from the surface of the beans, then drain off the liquid.
- In another pot, put finely chopped onion and pour enough water to cover all ingredients well. Add salt and pepper for seasoning.
- Leave on high heat to boil until the ingredients are well cooked, lower heat, and add drained beans to continue cooking until you get the taste you like.
- Now it is time to turn up your oven’s heat to about 200 degrees Celsius or 400 Fahrenheit degree.
- Take a deep pot with high edges, put in the beans with the sauce, add bread crumbs, and 4-5 tablespoons of water. Add two teaspoons of baking powder if you have normal or coarse bread crumbs, but use only one teaspoon if your bread crumbs are very fine.
- Turn on heat to medium while constantly stirring to mix all ingredients well. The sauce will thicken, and the beans will come out of the pot if you stir too much, then turn the heat down to low and stop stirring.
- Leave the pot on a corner of your oven for about 30 minutes to roast without stirring until it gets a brown color similar to coffee’s color, which is the desired color for this dish. Serve hot with boiled potatoes or bread to dip in the sauce.
Kartoffelpuffer
Ingredient:
- Four large potatoes (cut in cubes)
- 150 grams of flour (1 cup minus two tablespoons)
- 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
- Pinch of salt
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
- Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes to the eggs and stir well to coat with egg mixture.
- Mix all ingredients except for oil in a bowl, then add oil to fry over medium heat on the stovetop for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Mix two finely grated potatoes with one finely chopped onion, salt, pepper, and ground cumin for seasoning.
- Fry in a large frying pan with oil. When each side is brown, remove from heat and serve hot to dip in honey or jam.
- This dish tastes great when it is cold. It can be stored for a long time without refrigeration if there are no eggs added.
- You can also add one tablespoon of baking powder before frying the pancakes to make them more fluffy.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What kind of bread is specific to Germany?
The most common type of bread in Germany is rye. The Germans eat a lot of rye. However, the German population has become more Americanized and now eats more wheat than in previous years.
There are many different loaves of bread specific to this region, including dark rye, sourdough, wheat, fruit, rye-wheat mix, millet, barley, and spelled.
2. What types of sausage are popular in Germany?
The most famous sausages that the Germans eat are bratwurst, Currywurst, and döner kebap. Bratwursts are usually made from beef or pork and flavored with salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and parsley.
Currywurst is fennel flavored with curry, cloves, and bay leaves. Döner kebap is a Turkish dish made of lamb or chicken cooked on a vertical rotisserie.
3. What condiments do Germans eat with sausages?
The most popular condiments in Germany to eat with sausage are ketchup, pickled gherkins, onions, and mustard. In Hamburg specifically, they also eat pickled red cabbage with their sausage and horseradish cream sauce.
4. What is the most popular soup in Germany?
The most famous soup from Germany is Schupfnudel, a type of potato dumpling mixed into a broth made with veal, beef, or pork. Other types of German soups include Gurkensuppe, which is cold cucumber soup with sour cream and dill.
Kohlsuppe is cabbage broth made with potatoes, cooked carrots, Kartoffelschmarrn, a potato pancake mixed into a sour cream sauce with applesauce, and Rotkohl is a red cabbage stew with carrots, apples, and onions.
5. What does Currywurst taste like?
Currywurst is a sausage cut into slices and covered in ketchup mixed with curry powder. The rest of the ingredients it contains are unconfirmed, as well as the origins of its name.
6. What is the average German diet like?
The average German diet is based on meat, potatoes, and sauces. Many dishes are vegetable-based. The most popular mealtime dish is potatoes with Sauerkraut, bacon, or stewed cabbage.
Germans also enjoy many different types of bread – rye pieces of bread are the most popular. Breakfast usually includes a sweet pastry or a slice of tart cheese with fresh fruit or jam.
7. Why do Germans eat their sausages with bread and ketchup?
Most German meals are eaten with bread, specifically the rye type. The reason why is because rye bread is hearty enough to get soaked through with sauce without falling apart, but not so heavy that it spoils your appetite.
Plus, it has a fresh flavor that goes well with both sweet and spicy dishes. Germans usually eat their sausages with ketchup or mustard for this same reason.
Conclusion
German food is a cuisine that has been influenced by the region’s local produce, climate, and geography. This means you’ll find regional variations in dishes across Germany.
German food can be very hearty, making it perfect for colder seasons like the winter, where there’s not much produce available to make fresh salads. We hope you will know more about German food and cook your German food at home after reading our article in 2022.