German Food: 25 Traditional Dishes of Germany
Germany is a country in Western Europe, bordered by nine countries: Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.
A lot of German cuisine is influenced by ancient Germanic and rural traditions, particularly revolving around agriculture. The cuisine has also been influenced by neighboring countries, which introduced new spices and cooking methods to Germany.
Traditionally German cuisine is centred around meat, potatoes, vegetables and bread (brot). Pork is one of the most common meats used in German recipes. There are variations in the traditional German cuisine depending on the region.
There are real similarities with the cuisines of neighboring Eastern European countries in that the main ingredients can be heavy yet hearty and warming.
Schnitzel
Schnitzel is a breaded and fried meat cutlet, this dish can be made with tenderized pork, chicken breast, soya meat or turkey.
There are several versions of this dish the most popular being Wiener schnitzel. The Wiener schnitzel is prepared by covering a thinly sliced piece of veal with egg, flour and bread crumbs. The veal is then deep-fried in butter for a few minutes until it turns brown on the outside.
This tender and crispy meal is very popular everywhere in Germany and is often served with potatoes, sauce and green salad.
Currywurst
Currywurst is a type of German sausage which is prepared by grilling a sausage, usually a pork sausage, then slicing it and topping with curry-flavored ketchup. Currywurst is often served with chips or a bread roll.
This sausage is so popular that close 800 million of them are consumed in Germany each year. There is even a museum in Berlin, where this sausage originated from, that gives the history of currywurst.
Currywurst can be found as a street food dish across Germany.
Blutwurst
Blutwurst (or blood sausage) is a type of sausage prepared from pigs blood, milk (sometimes with the addition of cream), fat, onions, salt, pepper, nutmeg, marjoram and cinnamon.
Flammkuchen
Flammkuchen which is the German version of pizza. This dish is made by rolling a dough into a rectangular shape then topping with ingredients such as thinly sliced onions, cheese, lardons, mushrooms, vegetables. The dough is then placed in a wooden oven to bake.
Bratwurst
Bratwurst is beef, pork or veal sausages which are usually grilled or pan-fried, placed in a bun, then served with ketchup and mustard.
This dish is a very popular street food in Germany, and is a popular choice at street food markets or famous Christmas markets.
Spätzle
Spätzle is a vegetarian dish which resembles pasta; this dish is made with flour, salt, eggs, and fizzy water that fluffs up the dough. Spätzle can be enjoyed alone or as a side to a meat dish like schnitzel.
Melted cheese can be added to Spätzle to make what is referred to as German macaroni and cheese.
Bavarian Cream
Bavarian Cream is a custard dessert dish that is enriched with whipped cream, solidified with gelatin and garnished with sweet sauce and fruits.
This dish is considered to be both a German and French dish; invented in the 1700s, Bavarian Cream was considered to be a culinary feat owing to the fact that it was served at a very low temperature in an era before refrigerators existed.
Rouladen
Rouladen is made by rolling up a thin slice of beef or veal with bacon, ham, onions, mustard, and pickles inside, then roasted in a special sauce for a couple of hours using an oven.
Spargel (White Asparagus)
Spargel is white asparagus, which is usually boiled or steamed. During the 3 month period known as spargelzeit (asparagus time) the average German consumes this vegetable at least once a day.
Restaurants across the country create special asparagus menus which include meals such as asparagus salad with a vinaigrette and asparagus with butter, ham and hollandaise sauce.
Hackepeter
Hackepeter is a raw meat spread made from fresh, finely ground pork which can be flavored with salt, pepper and spices like garlic or caraway. The most popular way to eat Hackepeter is on bread topped with raw onions.
Knockwurst
Knockwurst is a sausage made from a blend of ground pork and beef seasoned with spices like garlic, pepper and nutmeg, and encased in natural hog casings.
It is typically made by blending ground pork and beef with seasonings and then stuffing the meat into casings which are twisted or tied into sausages.
Schweinebraten
Schweinebraten is a roasted pork dish. Classic recipes often include a large cut of pork, vegetables, broth, a marinade and a gravy.
The pork is marinaded for several hours before it is seared or fried. The vegetables are placed into a roasting pan along with the broth and the pork is slow roasted at a low temperature. The drippings are used to make the gravy.
Leberkässemmel (Mit Süßem Senf)
Leberkässe translates as ‘liver cheese’, made out of corned beef, pork and bacon which is stuffed into a bread roll.
The meat is topped with süßem Senf (sweet mustard) which is a common condiment found particularly throughout Bavaria.
Maultaschen
Maultaschen is a Swabian dish made with pasta dough that is stuffed with several ingredients including spinach, beef or pork, onions, and bread crumbs.
The pasta dough is usually shaped into small squares or rectangles before being boiled or fried.
Weisswurst
Weisswurst are white sausages made from minced veal and bacon, seasoned with parsley, lemon, onions, ginger, and cardamom. They are traditionally eaten for breakfast with sweet mustard, pretzels and a beer in Bavaria.
Weisswurst are cooked in water (not boiling so as not to split the skin), and then served in the bowl still full of warm water.
Presskopf
Presskopf is one of the more unusual foods eaten in Germany. It is a type of sausage made from the internal organs and meat of a pig or calf, set in a gelatin and sliced.
It is also commonly known as Head Cheese and is typically eaten cold, with a beer or in a sandwich.
Rindsgulasch mit Brezenknödel
Rindsgulasch mit Brezenknödel translates as beef goulash with pretzel dumplings.
Goulash is widely popular in Eastern and Central Europe so it’s not unique to Germany by any means, but it is particularly popular in Bavaria and indeed across Germany.
Beer
Another thing Germany is known for apart from its love for sausages is beer. Germany has a wide variety of quality beers and the Germans drink beer in large quantities too.
There are many different varieties of beers available in Germany, Pilsener is the most popular of the German beers.
Zimtschnecke
Zimtschnecke is a sweet cinnamon bun prepared using flour, cinnamon, sugar and butter. The dish is known by several other names, such as cinnamon roll, cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail. It is popular throughout Scandinavia and other parts of Northern Europe.
Lekach (Honey Cake)
Lekach is a cake that is spiced with nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon and then sweetened with brown sugar and honey.
This cake originates in Germany’s Jewish culture, where it is a centerpiece of Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, celebrations.
Schweinshaxe (Pork Knuckle)
Schweinshaxe is a dish of pork knuckle seasoned with a spice rub then cooked until tender, usually slow roasted or simmered. The roasted version is well liked for its crispy skin.
The spice rub includes caraway if roasted, but bay leaves and cloves if simmering. Most recipes also call for German beer.
Braunschweiger
Braunschweiger, a variety of liverwurst, is a traditional German sausage made from liver. It is smooth, smoked, and can be spread onto bread or used as a filling in a sandwich.
Braunschweiger always contains only pork liver, while other types of liverwurst use a variety of different livers such as beef or chicken. The liver sausage is traditionally flavored with garlic, salt, and pepper.
Toast Hawaii
Toast Hawaii is simply a slice of bread with ham and a ring of pineapple that is topped with melted cheese, and often a cherry. This is a popular sweet and savory dish that first became popular in Germany in the 1950s.
Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen are a traditional Jewish, triangular shaped pastry consisting of a sweetened dough with a filling. They can have a wide range of fillings, usually sweet, including jams like apricot, strawberry or raspberry, mashed fruit like cherries or apples, spreads like chocolate or nut based.
The traditional fillings are mohn and lekvar. Mohn is a pasty poppy seed filling. Lekvar is a pureed dried fruit filling, usually made with prunes.
Gulasch
Gulasch is a stew of beef and vegetables flavored with paprika spice, which is popular in many countries throughout Europe. The ingredients are slow cooked until the meat becomes tender. It is eaten as a main meal and sometimes served with noodles or bread.
