German Culture

All about Germany

Sauerkraut Recipes

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Sauerkraut is probably the most well known German food. Sauerkraut is finely sliced green cabbage that has been fermented by lactic acid bacteria. The fermentation process (also known as pickling) gives the cabbage a distinct sour flavor, which is where it gets the name Sauerkraut (sour cabbage).

In Germany, sauerkraut is often flavored with juniper berries. Traditionally it is served warm, with pork (e.g. Eisbein, Schweinshaxe, Kassler) or sausages (smoked or fried sausages, Frankfurter Würstchen, Vienna sausages, black pudding), accompanied typically by roasted or steamed potatoes or dumplings (Knödel or Schupfnudel).

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Salads

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Light salads like lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers often accompany a meat dish in Germany. Some salads are a dish on their own, like famous German Potato Salad. German salad recipes can vary greatly from region to region. Although many of these recipes have a vinegar and oil base, the addition of a few tablespoons of sour cream to any of them can provide an quick but significant change. Give them a try both ways.

Keep in mind that the term “salad” has a somewhat different meaning in most European countries. Germany and Austria are no exception. Unlike the lettuce-laden salads that are so often served as a starter course in the US, German salads are almost always served with the entrée, and serve more as garden-fresh side dishes. If you don’t typically serve cold salads along with your meal, try it. The crisp coolness of a bite of fresh salad can serve as an excellent contrast in texture and temperature between bites of your hot dishes.

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Main Dishes

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Traditional German cuisine is rich and hearty, but it is also extremely delicious. German cuisine also differs widely during the year. Mushrooms, game, vegetables, they all have their season. It is the secret of many German dishes that they are cooked with local and fresh ingredients.

Germany is famous for its variety of bread and sausages – they are very often the alternative for meat in daily meals. Weisswurst is a typical Bavarian specialty. It is available from butcher shops everywhere in Germany these days, but you will hardly find a restaurant outside Bavaria that serves Weisswurst. Although Currywurst was invented in Berlin, it is now a favorite fast food throughout Germany.

Spätzle, Maultaschen and Black Forest Cake are the top hits in Baden-Württemberg. Rheinischer Sauerbraten (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate), Thuringian Bratwurst and Handkäs mit Musik (Hessen) are well-known in Germany’s central states.

In the northern states seafood abounds, but there are also famous meat dishes like Königsberger Klopse and Grünkohl mit Pinkel. Labskaus consists of corned beef, potatoes, beetroot and herring.

Soups play an important role on the German menu. Light soups as a starter, or hearty soups and stews as the main dish, Germans love their soups.

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Halloween Recipes

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While this celebration of all things ghoulish and creepy isn’t celebrated on such a grand scale as it is in the United States, Halloween has become increasingly popular in Germany over the past decades. German children have discovered the delights of dressing up in funny or spooky costumes to practice the fun tradition of trick-or-treating. They yell “Süßes, oder es gibt saures!” which means, loosely translated, “Sweets or there’ll be something sour.” Same concept. Same consequences!

Prior the 1990s, Halloween was not commonly observed in Germany. The fright fest with Celtic roots was a uniquely American party. Then in 1991, when Karneval festivities in February were abruptly canceled due to the start of the first Gulf war, the producers of costumes, candies and toys had to think of other opportunities to sell their wares to the party-minded folks. Halloween in October was a perfect opportunity and the ghoulish celebration is now (almost) as popular as Oktoberfest,  especially among the party circuits in clubs and discos.

While too old to trick or treat, the adolescent crowd likes to throw Halloween parties similar to those in the US. Popular beverages that are served on Halloween are hot apple punch and cold “blood punch” made out of grape juice, rum and lemon juice served in a carved out pumpkin. Like many other countries around the world, Germans have their own special Halloween snacks and dishes for example spicy deviled eggs or pumpkin soup.

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Easter Recipes

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Easter is a fascinating time when you can use your kids’ help and imagination in coloring eggs, creating funny bunny shapes, and finally turning it into delicious food for your festive table!

For Christians all over the world, the week before Easter is the most important week in the religious calendar. In Germany, as in other countries, the Easter season is marked by traditional dishes, cakes and confectionery. Here’s a collection of recipes for each of the most important days of Easter week, namely Maundy Thursday (Gründonnerstag), Good Friday (Karfreitag) and Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag).

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Desserts

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Desserts in German cuisine are as diverse as the rest of the cuisine. Popular desserts include cakes, pastries, cookies, egg-based dishes, crepes, fruit (including fresh, baked, and cooked), creams, quark-based dishes, chocolate, and candies.

Ice cream is also a popular dessert of Germans. This love of ice cream began in the 1920’s when Italian immigrants in Germany began opening ice cream parlors. This tradition continues today throughout Germany with each small town having its own local Italian ice cream parlor, usually within walking distance.

Very often, a German dessert wine, such as Eiswein or Trockenbeerauslese, will be served after a meal. These wines are rich, as well as fruity and sweet. Likewise, a sweet liquor may also be served for those who don’t care for sweet wine. Another favorite beverage after a meal is a cup of coffee. The caffeine in the coffee helps alleviate the drowsy feeling after a heavy meal. Tea is another beverage enjoyed after a meal – its caffeine has the same effect.

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German Christmas Recipes

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zimtsterne-cinnamon_starsIt is that time of the year again! The nature is deep in winter, and December days are passing by inevitably, getting us nearer to Christmas. This holiday is the best time for cooking something special, something delicious and absolutely festive.

The traditional German holiday meal consists of duck, goose, rabbit or a roast, accompanied by German delicacies such as apple and sausage stuffing, red cabbage, and potato dumplings. Even the American fruitcake was adapted from one of the most famous German delicacies, Stollen. Since 1329, this unique “fruitcake” has been considered one of the most precious Christmas pastries in the world. The most famous kind of Stollen, which can be found at many local supermarkets, is called Dresdner Stollen, originating in the city of Dresden. This tasty version bursts with nuts and fruit and is sure to change your mind about the term “fruitcake.” Stollen is shaped with tapered ends and a ridge down the center, symbolizing the Baby Jesus in swaddling clothes, in which it was customary to wrap newly born children.  So let’s get started!

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Baking

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Black Forest Cake

A wide variety of cakes and tarts are served throughout Germany, most commonly made with fresh fruit. Apples, plums, strawberries, and cherries are used regularly in cakes. Cheesecake is also very popular, often made with quark. Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cake, made with cherries) is probably the most well-known example of a wide variety of typically German tortes filled with whipped or butter cream. German doughnuts (which have no hole) are usually balls of yeast dough with jam or other fillings, and are known as Berliner, Pfannkuchen (only in the Berlin area), Kreppel or Krapfen, depending on the region. Eierkuchen or Pfannkuchen are large (usually around 20–24 cm in diameter), and relatively thin (~5mm) pancakes, comparable to the French crêpes. They are served covered with sugar, jam or syrup. Salty variants with cheese, ground meat or bacon exist as well as variants with apple slices baked in (called Apfelpfannkuchen -> apple pancakes), but they are usually considered to be main dishes rather than desserts. In some regions, Eierkuchen are filled and then wrapped; in others, they are cut into small pieces and arranged in a heap (called Kaiserschmarrn, often including raisins baked in). The word Pfannkuchen means “pancake” in most parts of Germany.

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