| German Cuisine |
Article Index for German |
Website Links For German |
Information AboutGerman Cuisine |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GERMAN CUISINE | |
| german cuisinegerman cuisine | |
| cuisine by nationality | |
| european cuisine | |
| german culture | |
| cuisine | |
|
EATING HABITS Breakfast ''(Frühstück)'' commonly consists of bread, toast, and/or Bread Roll s (''Brötchen, Semmeln, Broodje, Schrippen, Wecken or Rundstücke'') with jam, Marmalade or honey, eggs, and strong coffee or tea (cocoa for children). Deli meats, such as Ham , Salted Meats and Salami , are also commonly eaten on bread in the morning, as are various cheeses. A variety of meat-based spreads such as Leberwurst (literally ''liver-sausage'') can be found during breakfast as well. Muesli and cereals such as cornflakes are also popular. Oily fish is a staple of the German diet with eel, tuna, haring and sardines being very popular Traditionally, the main meal of the day is lunch (''Mittagessen''), eaten around noon. Dinner (''Abendessen'' or ''Abendbrot'') is a smaller meal, sometimes only consisting of a couple of sandwiches. MEAT Pork , Beef and Poultry are the main varieties of meat consumed in Germany, with pork being the most popular by a substantial margin. Among poultry, Chicken is most common, although Duck , Goose , and Turkey are also well established. Game Meats , especially Boar , Rabbit , and Venison are also widely available around the year. Lamb and Goat are also available, but for the most part are not very popular. Horse meat is regarded as a speciality in some regions but consumption is sometimes frowned upon. Meat is usually Pot-roasted ; pan-fried dishes also exist, but these are usually imports from France . Throughout Germany, meat is very often eaten in Sausage form. There are more than 1500 different types of sausage in Germany. An all-time favorite in Germany is Schnitzel , which is commonly made from pork. The original variety comes from Vienna and is made from veal. FISH Trout is the most common freshwater fish on German menus, although Pike , Carp , and Perch are also frequently served. Seafood was traditionally restricted to the northern coastal areas — except for the once-ubiquitous pickled Herring . Nowadays many seafish like fresh herring (also as Rollmops ), Sardine , Tuna , Mackerel , and Salmon have become well established throughout the country. Prior to the industrial revolution and the ensuing pollution of the rivers, however, salmon was so common in the rivers Rhine, Elbe, and Oder that servants complained about being served salmon too often. Freshwater fish are often served grilled. Other seafood is not often served, but Mussel s and North Sea Shrimp — which unfortunately are very expensive nowadays compared to imported shrimp — can be found sometimes. VEGETABLES Vegetables are often eaten in Stew s or vegetable soups, but can also be served as a side dish. Carrots, turnips, spinach, peas, beans, and many types of cabbage are very common. Fried onions are a common addition to many meat dishes throughout the country, although they are almost unknown in Bavarian cuisine. Potato es, while a major part of the diet, are usually not counted among vegetables by Germans. Asparagus , especially white asparagus, is particularly enjoyed in Germany as a side dish or as a main meal. Sometimes restaurants will even devote an entire menu to nothing but asparagus. However, consumption of fresh asparagus is traditionally limited to the time before St. John's Day (June 24th). SIDE DISHES Noodles are usually thicker than Italian pasta and often contain Egg Yolk . Especially in the southern part of the country, the predominant variety of noodles is Spätzle which contain a very large amount of yolk. In recent years, however, Italian-style pasta has very nearly supplanted the traditional varieties, and even Spätzle are often made with durum wheat and no egg yolk. Besides noodles, potatoes and dumplings ( Klöße or Knödel ) are very common, especially in the south. Potatoes entered German cuisine in the late 18th century and were almost ubiquitous in the 19th and 20th centuries, but their popularity is currently waning somewhat in favour of noodles and rice. Potatoes are most often served boiled in salt water, but mashed and fried potatoes also are traditional, and French fries have now become very common. DRINKS Beer is very common throughout all parts of Germany, with many local and regional breweries producing a wide variety of beers. In most of the country Pils is predominant today, whereas people in the South (especially in Bavaria) seem to prefer Lager or Wheat Beer . A number of regions have a special kind of local beer, for example the dark Altbier around the lower Rhine, the Kölsch of the Cologne area, which is light but like Altbier uses a more traditional brewing process than Pils, and the very weak Berliner Weiße , often mixed with fruit syrups, in Berlin. Beer may also be mixed with other beverages; pils and lemonade, known as Alsterwasser or Radler , is a popular example. Wine is also popular throughout the country. German Wine comes predominantly from the areas along the upper and middle Rhine and its tributaries; the northern half of the country is too cold and flat to grow Grape vines. Riesling and Silvaner are among the best-known varieties. Traditionally, white wine was more popular than red or rosé (except in some regions), and sweet wine more popular than dry, but both these tastes seem to be changing. Coffee is also very common, not only for breakfast, but also accompanying a piece of cake in the afternoon. ''' Tea ''' is more common in the Northwest. East Frisians traditionally have their tea with cream and rock candy ("Kluntje"). Apfelsaftschorle , apple juice mixed with sparkling mineral water, is a common beverage. Spezi is a soft drink made with cola and lemonade. In Southern Germany and Austria , Spezi a generic term for a mixture of cola and Fanta (or a similar orange soft drink). In some regions (Emsland) spezi is a mixture of cola and Schnapps . Germans are unique among their neighbours in preferring strongly carbonated Bottled Water s to non-carbonated ones. SPICES AND CONDIMENTS Mustard is a very common accompaniment to sausages and is usually very hot. In the southern parts of the country, a sweet variety of mustard is made which is almost exclusively served with Bavarian specialities such as Weißwurst and Leberkäse . Horseradish is also commonly used as a condiment. Garlic was long frowned upon as "making one stink" and thus has never played a large role in traditional German cuisine, but it has seen a rise in popularity in recent decades due to the influence of French , Italian , Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, and Turkish cuisine. Generally, with the exception of mustard for sausages, German dishes are rarely hot and spicy — the most popular herbs are traditionally Parsley ,cardamom Thyme , Laurel , and Chives , the most popular spices are Black Pepper (used in small amounts), Juniper berries and Caraway . Other herbs and spices like Basil , Sage , Oregano , and hot Chilli Pepper s have become more popular in recent times. DESSERTS A wide variety of Cake s and Tart s are prepared throughout the country, most commonly made with fresh fruit. Apples, plums, strawberries, and cherries are used regularly on cakes. Cheesecake is also very popular and almost always made with Quark (food) . German Doughnut s are usually balls of dough with jam or other fillings inside, and are known as '' Berliner '', ''Pfannkuchen'' or '' Krapfen '' depending on the region. A popular dessert in northern Germany is "Rote Grütze", red fruit jelly, which is cooked from black and red currants, raspberries and sometimes with strawberries or cherries. It is traditionally served with cream, but also common with vanilla sauce, milk or whipped cream. "Rhababergrütze" (rhubarb jelly) and "Grüne Grütze" (gooseberry fruit jelly) are variations of the "Rote Grütze". Ice Cream and Sorbet s are also very popular. Italian-run ice cream parlours were the first large wave of foreign-run eateries in Germany, becoming widespread in the 1920s . BREAD With regard to Bread , German cuisine is more akin to Eastern than to Western Europe. The country boasts at least 300 different types of bread, ranging from white Wheat bread to grey bread (''Graubrot'') and "black" (actually dark brown) Rye bread (''Schwarzbrot''). Most types of bread contain both wheat and rye flour (hence ''Mischbrot'', mixed bread), and often wholemeal and seeds (such as Linseed , Sunflower seed, or Pumpkin seeds) as well. Pumpernickel , a Westphalia n black bread, is not baked but steamed, and has a unique sweetish taste. Bread is a big part of the German diet, and usually eaten for breakfast and as sandwiches in the evening, not as a side dish for the main meal. The importance of bread (''Brot'') in German cuisine is also illustrated by words such as ''Abendbrot'' (supper, literally ''Evening Bread'') and ''Brotzeit'' (snack, literally ''Bread Time''). In fact, one of the major complaints of German Expatriates in many parts of the world is their inability to find acceptable local breads. Bread rolls Bread Roll s, known in Germany as ''Brötchen'', ''Semmel'', ''Schrippe'', ''broodje'',''Rundstück'' or ''Weckle''/''Weckli'' depending on the region, are common in German cuisine. They are typically cut in half, and spread with butter, margarine or mayonnaise. Cheese, meat, fish or preserves is then placed between the two halves, or on each half separately, known as an open sandwich. SPECIALITIES BY REGION Baden
Bavaria (''Bayern'')
Bremen and Lower Saxony
Franconia (''Franken'')
Frankfurt Am Main and Hessen
Hamburg
Palatinate (''Pfalz'')
Rhineland (Rheinland)
Saarland
Swabia (''Schwaben'')
Thuringia (''Thüringen'')
Westphalia (''Westfalen'')
Other famous dishes
FOREIGN INFLUENCES With the rising influx of foreign workers after World War II , many foreign dishes have been adopted into German cuisine — Italian dishes like Spaghetti and Pizza have become a staple of German cuisine. Turkish immigrants have also had a considerable influence on German eating habits — Döner Kebab , a meat sandwich invented by Berlin turkish immigrants, is Germany's favourite fast food, selling twice as much as the major Burger chains put together. Chinese and Greek food are widely available and popular. Indian , Thai and other Asian cuisines are rapidly gaining in popularity. Many of the more expensive restaurants used to serve mostly French dishes for many decades, but they are increasingly turning to a more refined form of German cuisine since the 1990s . EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|