Germany’s cuisine has been affected not just by the country’s agricultural heritage, but also by the many immigrants who have settled in the country throughout the years.
It’s more than just a beer, sauerkraut, and sausage concoction.
Today’s Germans value well-prepared, well-served meals just as much as they do a fast nibble on the road. Culinary markets, beer gardens, wine festivals, food museums, and high-end restaurants abound in this nation.
1. Königsberger klopse
This delectable meal of meatballs in a creamy white sauce with capers, named after the old East Prussian city of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad in Russia), is cherished by grandmothers and chefs alike.
Traditional meatballs are created using minced veal, onion, eggs, anchovies, pepper, and other seasonings. The capers and lemon juice in the sauce give this satisfying comfort meal an unexpectedly sophisticated finish.
To prevent any allusion to its namesake, which had been taken by the Soviet Union, officials in the German Democratic Republic renamed the dish kochklopse. Today, königsberger klopse may be found in most German foods restaurants with its original name.
2. Maultaschen
Maultaschen is a popular dish in southern Germany.
Maultaschen from Swabia are similar to ravioli but larger. They are generally palm-sized, square pockets of dough filled with savoury, sweet, meaty, or vegetarian contents.
Minced beef, bread crumbs, onions, and spinach seasoned with salt, pepper, and parsley are a typical combination. For a softer, creamier delicacy, they’re generally boiled and served with broth instead of sauce, but they’re sometimes pan-fried and buttered for added richness.
Maultaschen may now be found all throughout Germany (even frozen in shops), although they are most widespread in the south.
The tasty dumplings have grown so popular in this region that the European Union designated Maultaschen as a regional specialty and the meal as valuable to Baden-cultural Württemberg’s heritage in 2009.
3. Labskaus
Labskaus is not the most physically beautiful dish, but it is a wonderful mess that embodies northern German foods nautical traditions like no other. Ship supplies were largely preserved cuisine in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the pink slop of labskaus was a great method to prepare them.
Salted beef, onions, potatoes, and pickled beets are mashed together and served with pickled gherkins and rollmops (see below). It has long been a favourite of sailors in the Baltic and North Seas.
Today, the dish is popular throughout northern Germany, particularly in Bremen, Kiel, and Hamburg. Even though contemporary ships have fridges, it is still popular as a hangover remedy.
4. Sausages
Of course, sausages are included!
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There is no such thing as Germany without sausages.
There are several cured, smoked, and other kinds available throughout wurst-loving Germany, but for this list, we will concentrate on some of the greatest German foods street: bratwurst, or fried sausages.
There are around 40 different types of German bratwurst. Fried on a grill or in a skillet, then eaten in a white bread roll with mustard on the go, or with potato salad or sauerkraut as the ideal companion to German beer.
5. Currywurst
Currywurst has been almost associated with German cuisine since 1945, thanks to Herta Heuwer, a Berlin lady who, in 1949, obtained ketchup and curry powder from British soldiers, mixed them together, and served the result on grilled sausage, thus establishing a German foods street staple.
Today, boiled and fried sausages are utilised, and currywurst remains one of Germany’s most popular sausage-based street snacks, particularly in Berlin, Cologne, and the Rhine-Ruhr, where it’s typically served with chips and ketchup, mayonnaise, or a bread roll.
But there is one filling street snack that was formed out of need and that Germany is still crazy about: 800 million are devoured each year.
6. Döner kebab
Döner kebab was brought to Germany by Turkish immigrant labourers in the 1960s and 1970s. Kadir Nurman was one of the first street vendors, delivering döner kebab sandwiches at West Berlin’s Zoo Station in 1972, where the meal initially caught both West and East Berlin by storm, and then the rest of Germany.
From its humble Berlin roots, when a döner kebab just had meat, onions, and a little amount of salad, it has evolved into a meal with plenty of salad, veggies, and a variety of sauces to pick from.
Veal and chicken spits are popular, as is the ever-popular lamb, while vegetarian and vegan options are becoming more popular.
7. Schnitzel
Whatever its roots, schnitzel is a hugely popular dish.
Some may claim that schnitzel is an Austrian dish rather than a German one, yet its origins are actually Italian.
This debate, however, has not prevented breaded and fried pork cutlets from becoming popular throughout Germany. While the Austrian or Vienna schnitzel must be cooked with veal by law, the German foods variant, which is produced with tenderised pig or turkey, has become a mainstay of most traditional eateries.
Unlike in Vienna, where schnitzel is served plain, Germans enjoy ladling a variety of sauces over their schnitzel. Jägerschnitzel is accompanied by a mushroom sauce, zigeunerschnitzel by a bell pepper sauce, and rahmschnitzel by a creamy sauce.
8. Käsespätzle
Spätzle originated in Baden-Württemberg. The noodles, which are essentially a type of pasta, are made with eggs, wheat, salt, and sometimes a splash of bubbly water to fluff up the dough. It is traditionally eaten as a side dish to meat meals or put into soups, but it may be spiced up by adding cheese: the käsespätzle variety is a popular dish in southern Germany, particularly in Swabia, Bavaria, and the Allgäu area.
Hot spätzle and shredded granular cheese are alternately piled and finished with fried onions. After adding each layer, the käsespätzle will be placed in the oven to prevent cooling and to guarantee that the cheese melts.
9. Rouladen
Rouladen is a delectable combination of bacon, onions, mustard, and pickles wrapped in sliced beef or veal. Although vegetarian and alternative meat versions are now readily available, the genuine thing is rinderrouladen (beef rouladen), a traditional meal in western Germany and the Rhine area.
This dish is a favourite for family gatherings and special occasions. They’re typically accompanied by potato dumplings, mashed potatoes, and pickled red cabbage. A red wine gravy is an absolute must to complete the meal.
10. Sauerbraten
Sauerbraten is considered one of Germany’s national foods, with regional variants in Franconia, Thuringia, Rhineland, Saarland, Silesia, and Swabia.
This pot roast takes some time to make, but the end result, which is commonly served as a Sunday family supper, is well worth the effort. Sauerbraten is typically made with horse meat, although beef and venison are becoming more popular.
The meat is marinated in a combination of red wine vinegar, herbs, and spices for many days before cooking. Sauerbraten is traditionally served with red cabbage, potato dumplings, and a dark gravy prepared with beetroot sugar sauce and rye bread to counteract the sour taste of the vinegar.
