A lifestyle expat travel blog about culture, history, Brexit, the Royal Family, travels around the world, Europe, and being British in Berlin!
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:
Yay!
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!
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?
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Please note that there are now affiliate links (for the very first time) connected to this post. Please consider using the links, because every time some sort of accommodation or travel insurance is booked via my links, I get a little percentage, but at no extra cost to yourself!
A win-win for all!
Thanks a million!
Love the German sausages..nothing like it..and with mustard I get that zingy feel on my tongue. Yum! My mouth is watering already.
Thanks so much Caroline!
Yep! ‘Love German sausages too! I love ’em all, except for the white sausage (Weißwürst) with sweet mustard. Ugh! 😉
Love German food, but almost all are so unhealthy! Plus, I don’t eat any meats, chicken or pork products anymore, not since Feb 2016. I am so much healthier for it!
Thanks very much Phil!
I love German food too! It’s tue that German food tends to be of a stodgy nature, and certainly, the best ones are Haw! Haw! 😉
However on a more serious note, the largest organic supermarket in Europe is in Germany, and the first all vegan shop, and 100% vegan supermarket in Europe, is also in Germany. And better, right on the very street that I live in! Yep! The first vegan supermarket is on my street, so you’ll be spoilt for choice. Good on yer’ Phil! 😀
I went there went it first opened of course, but I can’t actually eat most of the products they sell, as they have nuts in them! 🙁
Sauerkraut is my favourite German side dish to eat. Agree though about their stodgy food. I ate ways better while living in England eons ago! Have a good start to 2018!
Thanks very much @Foos Rule!
Sauerkraut if cooked the right way, sure can be tasty! Haw! Haw! I don’t think the Germans would agree, as they love “trying out” British food, but find it to be somewhat “too interesting” for a second go! 😉
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I still havent tried that cake but it looks amazing. Schnitzel has grown on me in recent years. I dont think I will EVER get on board with the currywurst, but I looooove white sausage!
No way! You should do that right now Anna! Ha! Ha! Ha! You’re a very nice girl so I’ll let the fact that you don’t like the Berlin god – currywurst – go! And white sausage. Eugh! 😉
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