By Kumiko Matter
Compared to French haute cuisine and Italian nonnas’ secret family recipes, German food doesn’t seem like a force in the culinary world. But don’t dismiss German cuisine. It’s delicious! Forget braised cabbage and steamed potatoes, and you’ll find a country flowing with beer and comfort food! Fill your plate up with these tips on how to find the best, absolute must-try dishes in Germany.
More about Germany: Must-See German Festivals | Getting around Germany
Regional Specialties
Each region of Germany has a dish that they are well known for. In Hessen, where Frankfurt am Main is located, Gruene Sosse (Green Sauce) is a popular mix of local herbs and yogurt that is poured onto foods like schnitzel, beef, boiled eggs or potatoes. While Black Forest Cake is a popular dessert in general, it is made with special cherry liquor, called Kirschwasser, from the southern German region called the Black Forest. You’ll be able to tell a real Black Forest Cake from others from the black cherry decorations on top. While most of Germany is landlocked, you’ll find more seafood dishes in the northern regions, especially in the port city of Hamburg.
Wurst is Best
German sausage is a popular food eaten at festivals and a satisfying meal for dinner. They are often served in hamburger-style buns, which is confusing to most Americans who are used to hotdog-style buns with their sausages. If anything, wurst buns act as the handle, which allows a better grip to fully devour the sausage! To complement the bun, you’ll find popular sausage flavors like pork and garlic knockwursts, veal weisswursts (identifiable by their white color), pork frankfurter wurstchen, and spiced pork and beef thueringer sausage. A special adaptation on German sausage is the curry wurst, a fantastic curry sauce-doused snack to have while touring around Berlin. You can try it out at Curry 36, the original restaurant that started the phenomenon, in the Kreuzberg area.
Beer
Germans love beer, as shown by their ranking as second to the Czech Republic in the highest consumption of beer in the world. Light beer, such as Beck’s, is popular in Germany, and most Germans drink it at room temperature. The best time for beer lovers to visit Germany is definitely during Oktoberfest, which runs from September to early October around Bavaria. At Munich’s Oktoberfest, you’ll want to reserve a spot online in advance if you want a table at one of their 14 beer tents. Avoid the Hofbrau tent if you want to sit amongst locals instead of other tourists. Oktoberfest is not as popular in other regions, however beer is found everywhere in Germany. If you want to be daring, try Bananaweizen — a mixture of German Hefeweizen beer and banana juice!
Turkish Doener Kebab
After a surge of Turkish immigrants moved to Germany, the doener kebab was adapted to suit German tastes. It typically consists of chicken, veal, or lamb sliced from a grilling spit with a variety of veggies in a flatbread with yogurt sauce poured on top. If you do not specify what meat or veggies you want, you might be surprised with what the waiter chooses for you. However, you may end up loving the surprises — which include ingredients like grilled eggplant or pickled chilies! Unlike many restaurants and stores that close early at night and all day on Sundays, doener stands are open late into the night and are perfect for when you need a midnight snack!
Photo credits:
Doner Kebab: Alex Kehr via Flickr
Curry Wurst: gniliep via Flickr
Oktoberfest Beer: ines saraiva via Flickr