German Food Recipes: 23 Classic Dishes (2024)

FAQs

What is Germany's national dish? ›

Sauerbraten (pronounced [ˈzaʊ̯ɐˌbʁaːtn̩]) is a traditional German roast of heavily marinated meat. It is regarded as a national dish of Germany, and is frequently served in German-style restaurants internationally.

First of all, we'll take a look at Germany's three main meals in the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The main meal of the day is das Mittagessen, or lunch. The tradition is to have a hot meal during lunch. Sauerbraten, snitzels, Frikadellen (German meatballs), potatoes (such as Kartoffelsalat), green beans, soups, and stews are frequently served for lunch.

But the breakfast is pretty basic. Bread rolls (we call them Kaiser rolls in New Jersey, ha-ha), cheese, cold cuts, butter, a boiled egg and coffee. There's also marmalade, quark, Nutella, liverwurst and jams for the bread. There's also müesli if you prefer.

Lunch in Germany

Lunch (or Mittagessen) is the most important and filling meal of the day in Germany and is usually warm. This typically includes some sort of meat, served with the country's favorite side dish: potatoes and vegetables.

Abendbrot (“evening bread”) is the typical German supper. It is a light meal eaten usually between 18:00 and 19:00 and – like breakfast – consists of full grain bread and rolls, fine cheese, meats and sausages, accompanied by mustard and pickles.

Among the favorites in German cooking are potatoes, various types of cabbage, carrots, spinach, peas, asparagus, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and various types of salads. Onions are mainly served with meat dishes or as ingredients in many recipes. Sauerkraut is also a favorite throughout Germany.

In Germany, the most consumed meat is pork. Germans are known for their love of pork, and it is a staple in many traditional dishes. Some popular examples of pork dishes in Germany include schnitzel, which is a breaded and fried pork cutlet, and bratwurst, a type of sausage made from pork, veal, or beef.

But in Germany, the traditional dinner time is much earlier: you'll find many German households having their evening meal between 5 and 7 pm.

What is a normal meal in Germany? ›

Normally, a meal will include a type of meat served with vegetables or salad and noodles, rice, potatoes, or bread rolls. Some common home-cooked meals that Germans enjoy for lunch include Schnitzel or Wurst. These are served with a salad and bread or potatoes. Other alternatives would be Spätzle or Kartoffelpuffer.

Specialities of German origin that have become part of American food culture include bratwurst, sauerkraut, frankfurters and Vienna sausages (hot dogs), hamburger, pretzels, lager beer, potato salad, cheesecake, cream cheese, meatballs, Berlin pancakes and various cookies.

But in Germany, the traditional dinner time is much earlier: you'll find many German households having their evening meal between 5 and 7 pm.

Saumagen ([zaʊ̯ˈmaːɡŋ̩], "sow's stomach") is a German dish popular in the Palatinate. The dish is similar to a sausage in that it consists of a stuffed casing; however, the stomach itself is integral to the dish. It is not as thin as a typical sausage casing (intestines or artificial casing).

There are so many reasons why Germany is famous, ranging from their iconic festivals like Oktoberfest and Christmas Markets, to their car production in brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as their sporting success with icons like Michael Schumacher being German.