Food in Germany: 5 of the Best Ever!

Hello Everyone!

Did you over-stuff your belly with Christmas Day delights?

Did you manage to get through the Christmas festivity without shouting, screaming, or bursting into tears?

Jolly Good!

I love writing about food!

I consider myself a respectable foodie.

But most importantly, I like writing about countries and regions that have been overlooked such as the following:

• Croatian food: Croatia – a basic guide to food!
• Czech food: I didn’t kiss a girl but I ate fried cheese in the Czech Republic. And I liked it!
• Danish food: Top 9 reasons why Danish food isn’t just smørrebrød, seasonal berries & herbs, but can be awfully tasty!
• English food: Have you ever been to Bristol – Let’s eat & drink ’till the cows come home!
• Eating on a budget in London: London Calling: How to eat and drink for under £25 or $30 a day (including the service charge)!

• Estonian food: A simple guide to Estonian food and Russian beer!
• French food: 10 reasons why Nord-Pas de Calais otherwise known as Northern France, is more than just stinky cheese and a paté made from goose!
• Finnish food: Helsinki is the capital of Art Design so how was it that I went to Finland, and ended up with sushi!
• Dutch food: Dutch food & waffles: what to eat in Holland!
• Hungarian food: If you’re looking to go to a new European city then Budapest is surprisingly nice. And the food is Hungarian but really Turkish. And Italian too!

• Latvian food: The magic drink of Latvia is Balsam and I drank it!
• Lithuanian food: We had a pig’s ear in Lithuania and it was chewy!
• Luxembourg food: How to eat cheaply in Luxembourg!
• Polish food: The food of Poland and how much I have to eat!
• More Polish food: The secret of eating & drinking in Warsaw – How to make pierogi and eat it!

• Portuguese food: 7 remarkable things to eat & drink in Portugal!
• Scottish food: Haggis, Tatties and Neeps: 10 things to do in Edinburgh!
• Slovakian food: 9 traditional East European things to eat in Slovakia!
• Slovenian food: How to visit Slovenia: Introducing Kamnik – A town stuffed with mountains and cheese!
• Or more Slovenian food: Slovenia – a basic guide to food!

• Spanish food: Spanish food & how to eat it! Spanish plonk & how to drink it!
• More Spanish food: Oh what fun! Tapas, Sangria and a food walking tour in Madrid!
• Swedish food: When in Sweden, you’ve got to try Swedish food. Hand me my meatballs!
• Swiss food: Why you should visit Switzerland, and eat cheese!
• Taiwanese food: Taiwan: Food to eat and a place to lay your head: A first-time experience – Part I

• More Taiwanese food: Taiwan: Food to eat and a place to lay your head: A first-time experience – Part II
• Thai food: Thai food is going to kill you: Eat it or die!
• More Thai food: Thai food is going to kill you: Cook your own!
• Austrian food: ‘Just because I don’t drink coffee. ‘Doesn’t mean I can’t have coffee culture with hot chocolate, in Vienna!
• And of course, German food: 10 surprising reasons why food in Germany isn’t just grit and stodge but is pretty awesome, in my opinion!

• More German food: A 5 minute guide to German food. On the Baltic Sea beach!
• More German food: An introduction to the international kitchen of Berlin. Go on. You know you want to. Go on. Go eat the world!
• More German food:  A sticky bun isn’t a stollen: going to a German Christmas Market
• Even more German food: Food in Germany: 10 delicious best German meals to try out in Berlin – Because German food isn’t as rustic as you think!

Yay!

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CHRISTMAS MARKET TRADITIONS

As we’re a British-German family, we mix our traditions in order to make our lifestyle as British and German as possible!

One of those traditions is eating out, and going to a Christmas Market!

The Christmas Market in Germany, isn’t just any old market.

Oh dear me no!

The German Christmas Market is a way in which people can socialize with their friends, hang out, and just have a fine old time.

The Christmas Markets isn’t Disneyland or some sort of recreational park, it’s a German tradition of browsing at skilled crafts, shopping, eating traditional German Christmas streetfood, and drinking to the heath of one and all, with hot mulled wine, otherwise known as Glühwein.

And for those with a far stronger alcoholic tendency than my own, trying out the “Feuerzangenbowle.”

It can reduce a grown man to tears if care is not taken…!

Ouch!

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FOOD IN GERMANY: 5 OF THE BEST EVER!

When people think of German food, you can’t blame them when their impressions tend to lay on the stodgy side of things.

I mean, when you think about it, German food doesn’t sound exciting!

Just greasy!

However living in Germany has shown me that yes, German food does lie a little on the heavy side, since it was originally designed for working class peasants, but you know, the modern-day German isn’t a peasant anymore!

Well, not all of them…

So you can get lovely food such as roast goose, home-made dumplings, home-made gravy, and red cabbage!

Yum-my!

In fact most Germans are intelligent, tolerant, internationally minded, and open to different life experiences, and that is reflected in the food.

In fact, in Berlin where I live, you’d be hard-pressed to find “real” German food!

Austrian food. Yes.

Berlin food. Oh yes!

But German food. Eeeh! Umm!

Not quite.

“Typical” German food has a hard, long reputation of being rather stodgy and boring.

Pretty much like British food actually!

So let’s see what we can find.

Shall we get started?

1.  THE NUMBER ONE FOOD ITEM IS THE SAUSAGE!

The very highlight of a typical German day is the sausage.

All hail the almighty S!

Germany has loads of different sausages and each comes with its own unique taste.

I find the white sausage with sweet mustard or Weißwürst quite disgusting personally, even though I’ve tried it every which way.

Ah well!

The grilled pork sausages with mustard, ketchup or both, otherwise known as Bratwurst can be decisively delicious.

My favourite German sausage however, is the currywurst.

The currywurst is Berlin’s most famous sausage.

Currywurst!

Currywurst is beef or pork sausage grilled and chopped up, then smothered with a spicy ketchup and curry powder. It’s eaten with a pile of chips and a slice of bread or a bun.

It’s such a famous icon that it even has its own Currywurst Museum where you can learn how currywurst is made, smell it, watch a film about it, attempt to sell it, and play around with the french fries and chips.

You can sometimes even have chocolate and curry ice-cream!

Currywurst can usually only be found in Berlin everywhere you look.

My two favourite places however, are the 1930’s East Berlin historical establishment called Konnopke’s Imbiß in my own area of Prenzlauerberg, and the 1980’s West Berlin trendy establishment Curry 36, in my old neighbourhood of Kreuzberg!

p.s. They speak English in both places, so no worries if you don’t speak German!

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2.  THE MOST EXQUISITE VEGETABLE IS THE ASPARAGUS!

Eek!

It’s true you know, so let’s talk vegetables!

The thing that Germans all rave about is…

Wait for it…

Asparagus!

I know!!

Asparagus, especially white asparagus, otherwise known as Spargel, is a popular summer dish especially in season.

It’s a pretty short season of just two (2) months, so we all run around, looking for the nearest farmers market, so that you can get can the freshest produce possible.

Luckily for us, we have two (2) farmers markets in my neighbourhood, and one of them is less than one (1) minute away from my house!

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3.  THE MOST RECOGNISABLE, BUT STILL TASTES WEIRD, IS THE GERMAN MEATBALL!

Eek!

Some might even go as far as to call them burgers!

In Germany, they’re called all types of different things.

In Berlin, these German meatballs are huge pan-fried minced balls of beef, pork, or lamb and are known as Boulette.

In fact, so much so, that when I first came to Germany, I didn’t know what they were, so I didn’t eat ’em! Imagine my shock when I discovered that they were actually meatballs!

I wasted two years not eating them!!

In other parts of Germany they are smaller and known as Frikadellen, Fleischkühle, Fleischpflanzerl or Königsberger Klopse!

They are not normally eaten with a tomato sauce, but with bread! As you can see above, these meatballs are small, topped with apple mousse, accompanied by sliced brown bread sprinkled over with tomato, salmon, and mustard & cress, or sliced brown bread topped with cream cheese, sliced radishes, with more mustard & cress.

In fact they were quite delightful, so I scoffed the lot!

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4.  THE BEST GERMAN TREAT IS THE SCHNITZEL!

I’m sure you heard of schnitzel!

Schnitzel is a variety of meat such as veal, mutton, chicken, beef, turkey, reindeer, or pork that is lightly pounded flat with a rolling pin, until it’s quite thin!

The meat is then rolled in flour, whipped eggs, and bread crumbs and pan-fried!

But let me tell you a secret.

The best type of schnitzel to have is not actually the German variety, but the Austrian Viennese veal cutlet, otherwise known as Wiener Schnitzel!

You can usually tell which is which as Wiener Schnitzel is made only from veal, and the others could be made out of anything at all!

It’s usually served with a garnish of sliced lemons, boiled potatoes, chips, potato salad, a sprinkling of parsley, berries, and some sort of side salad.

Either way, it’s always a treat, and quite delicious.

Oh yeah!

Yum!

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5. THE MOST POPULAR CREAMY DESSERT IS THE BLACK FOREST GÂTEAU!

Scrummy desserts can be found all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as the cake shops are lovely.

One of the most famous, and certainly most recognisable, is the Black Forest Gâteau, otherwise known as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte!

The Black Forest Gâteau is a very rich chocolate layered sponge cake, with a cherry and whipped cream filling, strawberry jam, double cream, and decorated with more whipped cream, dark red or black cherries, and grated chocolate shavings or curls!

The cherries can either be sweet or sour.

In Germany, a Black Forest Gâteau is traditionally filled with sour cherry fruit brandy, otherwise known as kirschwasser, some other sort of spirit.

Or a good dollop of rum!

In fact, without the brandy or kirschwasser, the cake cannot be labelled as either a Black Forest Gâteau or a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte!

Hic!

That’s it from me.

See you next year!

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FOOD IN GERMANY: 5 OF THE BEST EVER!

This article isn’t sponsored and all opinions and most delicious food items, are my very own!

I have so much to share with you.

I went on a press trip to Hamburg. Watch out for the details!

I’ll be continuing my last visit to the UK next year!

In January, I’ll be visiting Belgium!

I’ll be at the British Shorts Film Festival taking place between 11th – 17th January, 2018. If you’re an aspiring film-maker submission is free of charge, so hurry!

I’ll be at Berlin Fashion Week taking place between 16th – 18th January, 2018

I’ll be at the 33rd British Council Literature Seminar – #BritLitBerlin taking place between 25th – 27th January, 2018. If you want to attend or join in, registration is now open!

Save the Date!

I’ll be there. Will you?

If you’re not in Berlin next year, no champagne for you!

January is going to be exciting!

Have a great festive season, and a stunning New Year!

Watch this space!

Note! I never travel without insurance as you never know what might happen.

I learnt my lesson in Spain. And obviously, in countries like Qatar, where technically the risk is higher, I can’t imagine going that far beyond WITHOUT INSURANCE. No siree! You can get yours here, at World Nomads!

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A win-win for all!

Thanks a million!