country Essentials · 15 foods
Germany Essentials
A considered first route through Germany: the foods that carry its everyday habits, celebrations, ingredients, and memory.
Explore all Germany foods →THE
ESSENTIALS
The complete shortlist
15 foods to know.
Each selection includes the reason it belongs here—so this is a guide, not just a pile of names.
Germany
Bratwurst
Grilled pork sausage with marjoram and nutmeg, the defining sausage of every German grill season.
Germany
Sauerbraten
Beef marinated for days in vinegar and spices, slow-roasted into Germany's classic Sunday roast.
Bavaria, Germany
Bavarian Pretzel
Bayerische Breze
Shiny, salt-crusted lye dough with a soft middle, the essential companion to Bavarian beer.
Germany
Apple Cake
Apfelkuchen
Yeast or shortcrust apple cake under streusel, served warm in German cafés through apple season.
Germany
Sauerkraut
Hapukapsas
Naturally fermented cabbage, the sharp side dish that anchors pork and sausage plates across Germany.
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Black Forest Cake
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
Chocolate sponge layered with cherries, cream and kirsch, named for the Black Forest region.
Berlin, Germany
Currywurst
A Berlin invention — sliced sausage under curried ketchup, eaten standing at an Imbiss.
Germany
Tree Cake
Baumkuchen
Batter layered on a turning spit until it forms tree rings, Germany's festive cake.
Munich, Germany
White Sausage
Weißwurst
Munich’s pale veal-and-pork sausage, traditionally served warm with sweet mustard before midday.
Berlin, Germany
Boiled Pork Knuckle
Eisbein
Berlin-style cured pork knuckle boiled until tender and served with sauerkraut and potatoes.
Hesse, Germany
Hessian Apple Wine
Hessischer Apfelwein
Dry Frankfurt cider poured from patterned stoneware jugs, a defining drink of Hesse.
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Swabian Maultaschen
Schwäbische Maultaschen
Swabian pasta parcels filled with meat, spinach, and herbs, often served in broth or browned.
Germany
Labskaus
Northern German sailor’s mash of corned beef, potato, beetroot, and pickles, topped with herring.
Berlin, Germany
Döner Kebab
Berlin’s layered meat sandwich, a German street-food invention with Turkish roots and enduring local identity.
Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurter Sausages
Frankfurter Würstchen
Slim lightly smoked pork sausages from Frankfurt, traditionally served with bread, mustard, and potato salad.