• 20th February 2019

Mouthwatering stuff

Felix Kunert picks some traditional favourites amongst Germany’s regional recipes

Germany is one of the most underrated countries in the world when it comes to food. The general public assumes that we all eat sauerkraut on a daily basis, but our cuisine has a lot more to offer than that. Each region has its own speciality, and here are some examples to make your mouth water.

Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein:

During the winter there is nothing better than Grünkohl mit Pinkel, which is a very hearty and flavourful dish that consists of kale cabbage with a variety of local sausages, smoked pork and potatoes. Another really famous Northern German dish is Birnen, Bohnen und Speck, which translates to pears, beans and bacon. It is usually also served with potatoes and mustard. The sweetness of the pears combined with the fatty bacon make this an unbelievably tasty meal.

If you happen to visit the Baltic Sea or North Sea coast, you will find a large number of small fish stalls selling Fischbrötchen (fish sandwiches). You can basically choose your favourite type of fish and it will be served inside a bread roll with a bunch of onions. No trip to the coast is complete without stopping off for a freshly cooked herring, sprat or mackerel in soft bread!

Bavaria:

Munich is the capital of Bavaria and home to the famous Oktoberfest. Typical Bavarian dishes are usually very meat-based and include Schweinshaxn (grilled knuckle of pork) with sauerkraut, and Weisswurst (literally white sausage) with sweet mustard. There will always be Brezeln (pretzels) around.

Swabia:

This southwestern area, a mix of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, is home of the Käsespätzle, which is an insanely delicious meal that is made of a typical German pasta shaped by hand with lots and lots of cheese and fried onions, all mixed in together.

Berlin:

No list is complete without including Berlin’s local specialities. While the restaurant scene here is heavily based on Turkish and Arabic kebab and shawarma places as well as many Asian restaurants, the Berlin residents still love their Currywurst with fries. The Currywurst is a tasty fried pork sausage that is cut into small pieces and covered in ketchup and topped with curry powder. It may sound a bit unusual, but you should absolutely give it a chance!
Also very famous in the city’s streets are the Bouletten, which are very large meatballs with onions and usually served with a bread roll and mustard.

So which dish are you craving today?

For more inspiration you can also check out Felix’s list of 100 typical German dishes