As progressive as we Germans are, I’m sure we seem a bit foreign to the average traveler. So, I’ll help you figure out the simple nuances of eating like a German — even if you’re not eating traditional German cuisine.

Your first test is when you arrive at the eatery. You’re going to have to find your own seat (exceptions apply). Second, it’s not unheard of some stranger to come sit with you if the restaurant’s crowded — it’s an efficient use of space.

Don’t worry about making small talk — that’s definitely not the German way. Just eat your food and be on your merry way.

Next, see that basket of bread on the table? First rule of Economics applies here — no such thing as a free Mittagessen (that’s lunch in German), so chances are you’ll have to pay for what you ate. Just ask if you’re not sure.

You’ll even pay for condiments (ketchup, mustard, etc.) in fast-food joints. Although traditional fast-food in Germany is the Döner Kebap (served in a pita) — and never once have I seen ketchup on it. So eat that — and you’ll be fine.

All right, your food’s arrived, now what? Um, good manners say that you don’t eat until everyone has their food. Also, eating with your fingers — use forks & knives to eat pizza, will you?

It’s not bad form to eat “American-style” (that’s with the fork in your right hand, cutting with the right while switching the fork to the left) — it’s just not the most efficient way to eat.

And we know how much that makes a Kraut crazy, right? ;-)

Want to see a German get really indignant? Ask for a glass of tap water with or before your meal. You’d think you had just sprouted a third eye and a turned purple. Actually, I think that would garner less of a reaction. Do yourself a favor, if you want water drink Mineralwasser (sparkling water like Pellegrino or Perrier).

You’re fed. You’ve got your drink. Now it’s time to pay the bill. I sure hope you’ve asked if the restaurant took plastic beforehand. That’s right, even the best restaurants don’t always take your Master, Visa, or AMEX card.

And, never, never, never, leave your tip on the table for your server. It’s customary to round up your bill (usually 5-10%), telling your waitress or waiter what you’ll pay, then give it to them.

Just don’t ask ‘em to wrap up your leftovers in a Doggy-bag. That’s almost as bad as asking for that tap water. ;-)

Throughout the reigning years of the Third Reich, Germany’s Jewish population suffered and many of their buildings were destroyed.

But, I’m here to tell you that Germany’s Jewish population is again on the rise (just over a hundred-thousand people)—and many of the country’s big cities have enough to see if you’re looking for a Jewish Germany.

Let’s start at the capital, shall we?

Berlin

In what was once part of East Berlin you can see the Old Jewish Quarter and the New Synagogue Museum (the synagogue is thought to be one of the most beautiful in the country). Also in Berlin is the German History Museum with an entire Hitler exhibit—and the city is home to the Berggruen Museum, an art museum filled with works donated by a Jewish art collector.

Frankfurt

Frankfurt’s Jewish community lived in a ghetto-like area known as Judengasse from around the mid-15th century. Its West End Synagogue is one of the very few to have survived the anti-Jewish Kristallnacht in November 1938. At the Old Jewish Cemetery you’ll find the names of every Jewish Frankfurter deported; and the Jüdisches Museum highlights the history of the Jewish community from medieval times right up to the 20th century.

Heidelberg

Yes, Heidelberg was once a hotbed of Nazi activity. However, the city was home to a Jewish community since medieval times. 13th century scholar, Rabbi Meir came to live here. Today you can see one of the best preserved Jewish Quarters on the European Continent.

Worms

Ah, the city of Worms—this is home to Germany’s oldest synagogue (which is also known as Rashi’s Chapel), built in 1034. It did have to be rebuilt a few times over the last millennia—the last being after it was destroyed on November 10, 1938.

Dresden

Dresden’s New Synagogue was built using parts of the original 19th century Semper Synagogue—that was left in ruins after the infamous Night of the Broken Glass.

Augsburg

The Swabian town of Augsburg has a beautiful Art Nouveau Synagogue and its own Jewish Museum.

Munich

There’s a whole lot of Jewish history in the big city chic of Munich, and part of a visit to it means heading towards the city of Dachau, and the infamous Dachau Concentration Camp. Guided tours are available of the camp 9am-5pm, Tuesdays through Sundays.

Within Munich itself, its synagogue finally reopened sixty-eight years to the day after the original was destroyed by the Nazis. You’ll even find Jewish manuscripts in the State Library—and a place that serves a kosher Weisswurst.

Hey, after all this touring around a new Jewish Germany—you’ve got to be hungry, right?

I’ll be the first one to sing the praises of fine German cuisine from the rooftops. But, bugs? That’s a bit much for me.

It isn’t, however, for a man by the name of Thomas Knack. He decided to sell all sorts of (dare I say it?) bugs for sale on his German website Braidy Snack.

German health officials kind of had a cow (do you blame them?). Yet to be fair, to Herr Knack dung beetles, scorpions, grubs, and spiders have long been sold in places like exotic Thailand, as well as plenty other towns & cities across the Pacific, Asia, and South America.

Mr. Knack and scientists state that bugs are full of vitamins and plenty of protein. Bamboo worms are said to taste like ham. I say, why not just eat the ham? And grasshoppers have a flavor like chicken. Again, give me the chicken.

You don’t have to order your grubs online; you can stop in at the Weinkeller on Linienstrasse 147, Berlin—just in case you can’t wait for your, aack, insecty treat to arrive in the mail.

Ugh, I can’t believe I’m writing this. ;-)

Doesn’t a fine Cannibal Sandwich (meat, onions, mustard on rye bread) sound better? Yeah, I’ll take that over some grass moth munchies any day of the week.

It’s no wonder that Mr. Knack has had a hard time getting local folks to try his wares. This is a land of Black Forest Ham and Black Forest Cake (made with delicious cherries, not crunchy cooties).

I’m also pretty sure that Andrew Zimmern on his Bizarre Foods Blog didn’t mention all these crawly delicacies when he came to Germany. I’d like to think I would have remembered that. But, I could be wrong, since I’m so inclined to tune out when bugs are involved.

What do you think? Does the bug treat thing sound like it could make its way into German cuisine?

Nah, bug (I mean, but) good luck to Mr. Knack for trying.

So where’s the place that piqued my culinary interest this time?

Bavaria, my friends, good ol’ Bavaria.

Bavaria is a pretty big place, and it’s known for three types of regional dishes—Franconian, traditional Bavarian, and Swabian.

Since Swabia encompasses parts of Baden-Württemberg, I’m only going to give you the scoop on some of the best of Franconia and traditional Bavaria.

Franconia

It’s not uncommon to see both Rotkraut and Weisskraut served as a side dish to schnitzel or potato dumplings. Rotkraut (that’s the red stuff) is a bit sweeter than the white (I mean green cabbage), so expect it when you eat it.

Spargel (asparagus) is also common in Franconian cooking; and you’ll find it on a menu from April to June. It’s chocked full of vitamins and minerals, so not only is the “king’s veggie” delicious—it’s good for you too.

The Knieküchle isn’t all that great for you (it’s a deep fried sweet bread), but oh is it simply divine. A nice way to end a meal, I must say.

Traditional Bavarian Cuisine

Sure, you’ve heard of the pretzel—well thanks to Bavaria, this has become a modern day snack. However, that’s not the only contribution the region has given to the world.

Ever heard of apple strudel? Of course you have! This is a yummy dessert made with apples, cinnamon, and often rum. Oh, that’s why I like it so much. ;-)

But, before you have dessert you got to eat something normal, right? Try Wiener Schnitzel or Schweine (pork) Schnitzel. My Italian-American friends call it a cutlet, but I ain’t splittin’ hairs, OK?

For a starter, try the simple yet delicious Kartoffelsuppe, a potato soup made with bacon, onion, celery, and carrots.

If you’ve come to Munich you might have heard people talking about Weisswurst. This is a sausage that has its own set of “rules” to eat it by—never after noon (and I mean precisely at noon), never consumed with a knife & fork (use your hands), and mustard is generally the only acceptable condiment. Although…

I am one of those who willingly and frequently dismisses these rules…

If I wasn’t hungry before, I certainly am now. I think I better go get a schnitzel and some apple strudel before I eat my keyboard.

And the next time I get hungry—I’ll bring you another blog post on German cuisine, OK?

Oh boy, were they mad.

What’s the big deal about foie gras? Isn’t it a luxury food like caviar?

Yeah, except the practice of making geese or ducks binge eat like they got bulimia (without the evacuating part of it) to fatten their livers is now a heated debate.

Lots of people out there don’t eat certain meats because of handling practices (one person I know doesn’t eat veal because of how they’re treated).

But, whether our French friends are up in arms over whether foie gras was allowed or not, rest assured that there are a variety of other food festivals and shows that don’t include eating fat duck liver.

Food Fairs & Festivals in Germany

January is a big month for food shows. One of the biggest is the International Green Week in Berlin. Actually, it’s a food, agriculture, and horticulture show (2012 date: January 20-29).

Just as Berlin’s show ends, the Sweets & Biscuits Fair kicks off in Cologne, which is all about new trends in confectionery delights. Who cares, bring on the chocolate—FAST!

Berlin’s at it again with the Freshconex Fair, that’s all about the juiciest, freshest, yummiest produce (salads, juices) you can find. I guess you better go if you want a healthy option after hittin’ up the sweets fair.

Munich is not to be outdone—their response is the Starkbierzeit (Strong Beer Week). Yes, I’m aware that this 2-week festival (kicking off around March 19) in the middle of Lent is about the beer. But, I did have to give it an honorable mention.

And don’t confuse this with Bavarian Beer Day that’s the official start to Bavarian Beer Week.

Now do you understand why I make jokes about Bavaria and beer all the time?

Anyway, Bavarian Beer Day kicks off on April 23 in honor of the date that a Bavarian Duke decreed the Beer Purity Law in 1516.

One of the biggest festivals is the Bad Dürkheim Sausage and Wine Festival in Bad Dürkheim. It might seem like it’s all about the wine (150 varieties available) but the Wurstmarkt is about the sausage. This festival is so popular (with fireworks) it takes place over 2 weekends (2nd & 3rd weekends in September). Make new friends while you’re sampling some great vino at a Schubkärchler, a small wine stand.

It’s back to Bavaria for one of the biggest food festivals in the country, Oktoberfest.

Stop laughing! Oktoberfest might be where more than 7 million liters of beer are consumed during the 16-day festival, but lots of local specialties are eaten during the event too. Try some Hendl (it’s chicken so don’t be alarmed), some roast pork dishes, Kasspatzn (cheese noodles), Weisswurst, and/or Obatzda.

Look, you better eat while you’re drinking—otherwise you’ll be what we call a Bierleiche (a “beer corpse”), all passed out in an Oktoberfest Beer Tent.

Who’s laughing now? :-)

No rainy weather for me, so until the mercury drops to a preferred level I’ll have to live vicariously by writing about the cold temperature season. ;-)

Now some of you might prefer the warmer weather, so consider this a jump on your Christmas shopping list.

And anyway, the Christmas season starts about a month before the actual date of Christmas — so I’m only two months ahead of myself, instead of three.

With over 2,000 Christmas Markets in Germany, it might take a while to figure out which ones you’ll want to go to. Plan ahead, that’s my motto!

Chances are whatever Christmas market you’re going to will have all the traditional fixings of a proper German Christmas (or just a dandy good time).

You’ll certainly eat great since there’s everything from German sausages to fresh baked bread, and the delicious Glühwein to drink. In most places you can keep the glass as a souvenir, or clean it out & re-gift it.

Oh, I can’t believe I suggested such a thing… never mind!

Weihnachtsmärkte bring out the very best craftsmen (and women) and artists to sell their wares. You’ll have no trouble at all finding the most unique and original gifts for your family and friends back home.

And fruitcakes are really popular in Germany — not so much in America. Maybe you’re better off bringing home Lebkuchen (gingerbread cookies) or Plätzchen, which are traditional Christmas cookies.

I really love the Christstollen, which looks like a loaf of bread but is filled with raisins and marzipan. Top it with powdered sugar, and you can feel your teeth hurt. It’s so yummy, so it’s worth it.

That’s it. I really like the cold weather with the Christmas markets, the traditional food and romantic white snow that come with the season.

Merry Christmas, three months early!

We all know Germany’s famous for its world-renowned beer, and its fantastic wines. I also think that it’s about time its schnapps be held in higher esteem.

When talking about the American version of what our friends on the other side of the pond call schnapps, for us this would be liqueurs such as the quite famous Jägermeister. Ever heard of it?

Yeah you have, if you ever tried a Jäger Bomb (that would be Jägermeister and Red Bull).

Today, though, I ain’t talkin’ about American schnapps or liqueurs but German Schnapps or German Liquor. So…

For my American friends, keep this in mind: The sugary schnapps you buy in the liquor store (root beer, butterscotch, banana, lemon, etc.) aren’t true German schnapps. Nope, the real German stuff is generally made with apples, pears, plums, and cherries; and is about 80 proof (which is about 40% alcohol by volume).

OK, and the occasional raspberry, but that makes something called Himbeergeist. It’s also meant to be drunk cold.

Confused? Don’t be, I’ll help you navigate your way around this clear, fermented, fruit-flavored drink. I already told you the typical flavors and proper drinking temperature, didn’t I?

Schnapps or liquor isn’t always listed as “Schnaps” on the label. You might see bottles with names like Kirschwasser (a cherry water made with morello cherries & served cold) that’s often drank either as an aperitif (before dinner) or a digestif, which would be an after dinner drink.

Kümmel is also a fine German schnapps made with caraway, cumin, and fennel. And while technically a schnapps, Steinhäger is a German gin that’s only allowed to be made in the Westphalian town of Steinhagen.

Even if you’re keen on drinking schnapps before or after a delicious German dinner, I still think it’s high time to create an entire schnapps or liquor festival.

But, if I totally dropped the ball and there is one out there, can someone let me know so I can come & have a good time?

Sure Sandra was only talking about “German” potato salad; but there are a bazillion other recipes that calls for this pantry staple. How could there not be, Germans eat an average of 70kg of them a year.

Potatoes are eaten with just about anything in German cuisine, although what (and how) might be a regional thing.

For example, potato pancakes are served throughout the country; but the buttermilk variety are primarily made (and eaten, ha-ha) in Saxony’s Ore Mountain region.

Also made in Saxony (and Saxony-Anhalt) is Sauerkrautpuffer, another type of potato pancake made with (as its name suggests) sauerkraut. It also has a dash of cayenne pepper in there for extra zing. :-)

I’m a big a fan of potato pancakes as well as potato soup (Kartoffelsuppe). You’ll find all kinds of yummy goodness in a bowl — carrots, bacon, celery.

Great, now I want some. ;-)

In all fairness, and going back to Sandra’s topic, I should bring up potato salad (Kartoffelsalat). It’s not uncommon throughout Germany to find everything in the salad except the kitchen sink. Depending on who’s making it, you’ll get potato salad with either mayo or vinegar, cabbage or bacon, or cucumbers or leeks.

As if something made with mayo is the healthiest choice, wait until you try Kroketten. This potato recipe calls for frying up mashed potatoes until a they’re golden and crispy. This dish is usually served as a side-dish for some saucy meat dish, but ain’t that another blog altogether…

Not a heart healthy choice, but OHHHHHH so delicious.

I don’t want to leave out Kartoffelklöße, a potato dumpling that’s popular in Bavaria, Thuringia, and the Rhineland. The trick is not to leave them to chill in the fridge for longer than 4 hours, otherwise they’re too “moist.” When cooked (thrown into salted water) they float to the top. This way there’s no overcooking. How easy is that?

So, in case I’ve left you hungry, here’s a recipe for the Sauerkrautpuffer (thanks to our friends at GermanFoodGuide.com):

Sauerkrautpuffer

1 – 1 1/2 lbs Potatoes
8 oz Sauerkraut (ready-made in a glass jar or can)
2 Eggs
1 tablespoons Bread Crumbs
1 tablespoon Flour
Salt
Fresh Pepper
Pinch of Sugar
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Oil or Butter for frying

Wash & peel, then shred the potatoes into a bowl. Drain potato juice. Mix in the Sauerkraut, eggs, bread crumbs, and flour. Add seasoning to taste.

Heat oil or butter in a frying pan. Using a large spoon, add spoonfuls of batter to the pan forming pancakes. Brown on both sides. Remove from oil and allow to drip on paper towels briefly. Serve hot.

© Copyright German Food Guide

If you make these, give me a shout and let me know how they turned out!

—Marcus

This got me to thinking about other Swabian culinary delights.

Soups are real popular in Swabian cooking, as are potatoes. Try the Schupfnudeln (cooked mashed potatoes) and Kartoffelkuchen, a potato pancake topped with egg.

Of course, if you want to try some true German wurst, Swabian cooking can hook you up there, too. Not all of them are served hot, so you’ll find them in salads or sliced as cold cuts. Hmmmm…

I probably should not be writing this when I’m hungry… ;-)

Here are a few other dishes that’ll wet your appetite while traveling around Swabia.

Gaisburger Marsch — A beef and veggie stew, also made with carrots as well as potatoes and Spätzle.

Maultaschen — This is a ravioli kind of stuffed pasta filled with everything from bacon to onions, bratwurst to spinach generally served in beef broth.

Leberklöße — For those of you who don’t like liver, this dish served with onions might not be for you. But, try it anyway! You actually might not taste the liver part at all.

Hefezopf — Slather this sweet braided bread with butter, and you’ve got a seriously special Swabian supper side dish.

Krautkrapfen — Yeah, that’s right, sauerkraut. Did you really think you could try to eat German food and not find sauerkraut in there somewhere? Don’t worry, it’s not all about the sauerkraut, there’s caraway seeds, onions, and bacon in there, too.

Great, now I’m really hungry.

So besides touring your way around Germany’s scenic routes and looking at all the medieval castles and and palaces, make sure to eat your way around the country too — starting with all these Swabian delights! :-)

—Marcus

Most people will be looking at Southern Germany right now, with the big Canstatter Wasen in Stuttgart and the opening of Oktoberfest in Munich (as mentioned in the G-ZINE). However, if you are looking to visit Germany this month, you may want to include Frankfurt am Main on your itinerary.

Frankfurt has quite a business reputation — we Germans sometimes refer to it as Bank-furt or even die heimliche Haupstadt, our secret capital. Yet underneath that fine patina of high commerce, there is much more to than meets the eye.

One element that makes Frankfurt very inviting is that it is not actually very big. Only about 660,000 people live here, which allows Frankfurt to maintain a small town feel that surprises many visitors. For all its fancy skyscrapers — we call the skyline here Mainhattan, naturally — there is a tight-knit community under all that steel and glass.

Wandering down the Zeil, one of Frankfurt’s main shopping avenues, you will find that you can be warmly greeted just as though you were in a smaller town. Sit out in the square in front of the Römer, and you might think you’d slipped back into a medieval village.

You can get even more of a feel for the historic side of Frankfurt riding on the Ebbelwei Express. It’s an old tram car and a bit kitschy, but the rides are cheap at 6 euros and the tickets include a salt biscuit snack and some of the region’s famous Apfelwein or apple juice if you like (hence its name Ebbelwei, Frankfurt’s slang for Apfelwein).

To properly end a day out in Frankfurt, you have to go out for a decent meal. It’s a good thing locals like to work hard all day, or they’d never burn off the calories from the more than 3,000 Frankfurt restaurants. Executive Travel Magazine’s July issue named Gargantua as one of the best restaurants in the country, which of course you will have to test for yourself!

September is also a time of year when the weather in Frankfurt is very good. Why fight the crowds elsewhere?

Come to an easily explored and historically inviting destination of Germany this month to experience Frankfurt’s softer side for yourself.

—Marcus

Naturally, it’s all wrong, since wurst is correctly pronounced with a hard “v” sound, but while the jokes may be terrible, the sausage is still legendary.

In fact, one type of wurst is considered by so many to be the best that now it has its own museum near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Currywurst, a spicy snack popular throughout the country, is being elevated to its own special cultural attraction in a building on Schützenstraße 70 called Deutsches Currywurst Museum, open from 10 am to 10 pm daily with an entrance cost of 11 euros ($14 USD).

Shockingly, we Germans are taking down an estimated 1,500 of these currywursts per minute. I’m not kidding — that’s 800 million currywursts consumed annually, and I pull down my fair share.

Most currywursts are sold on the streets, with the largest concentration of currywurst vendors located in Berlin. Many also believe that the formulation for the special tomato curry sauce was invented by a Berliner, Herta Heuwer. This makes it no wonder that the German Currywurst Museum is located at the very heart of the city.

Inside the museum, visitors are greeted by displays dedicated to all of the many varieties of currywurst. You can see displays of the different meal combinations, such as sliced sausage drenched in sauce with a bit of potato salad, or a hefty currywurst hot dog jutting out from its deliciously soggy bun.

You will also find that you are very hungry as you pass through the exhibits, because the museum has something for all of your senses. There is an audio track of sizzling sausages echoing overhead, and a scent machine infuses the air with the odor of fresh currywurst.

It’s all a bit over the top, which is why you absolutely have to see it all to believe its real. Go, see, buy a snack, and be sure to send me a copy when you get your photo taken in the life size currywurst truck in the final element of the museum!

—Marcus

Summer beers tend to be lighter on the tongue than winter beers, and some of them are designed with specific taste pairings in mind. There are even German summer beers that rely on sweetened fruit syrups added by the drinker to achieve their ideal flavor!

To find the German summer beer that will be your new favorite, I’ve compiled a list below to help guide you in your tastings based on what’s popular now in the last summer days of 2010. Feel free to disagree with me on what’s best (why else do we have hundreds of different sorts!), but be sure to sample each beer generously before making your decisions! ;-)

• The Premium Pilsner by Bitburger is heavy with hops for a light, dry finish. As Germany’s originators of the Pilsner style, this Bitburg based manufacturer is hugely popular in the German market and exported abroad. If you can’t find the Bitburger, the Tannenzäpfle Pilsner by Rothaus is also an excellent choice from the Pilsner category.
• Kölsch beers are brewed in Cologne, made using yeast that is aged in a lager style. The Mühlen Kölsch by the Malzmühle Schwartz brewery in Cologne is a delicious example you’ll want to try this year.
• Berliner Kindl offers a distinctive sour tang. Summer fans can request seasonal fruit syrups to add to the beer, allowing for some fun finding your perfect personal version. I’ve also found that the slightly bubbly nature of the beer helps make it a smart summer choice.
• Finally, no summer German beer review would be complete without including a Hefeweizen. As a beer garden staple, this light wheat beer is good with or without food but please, eat something. ;-) Then you can have more Hefeweizen like the excellent Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier by the world’s oldest brewery, Weihenstephan brewery in Freising.

To summer, and to your health!

—Marcus

However, demand and supply for honey in Germany is a little interesting. Although there are more than 85,000 beekeepers in Germany, most supermarket honey is imported. This is because the majority of German beekeepers are hobbyists or small family operations not much interested in a big marketing push.

To get the fine local honey we really want, in the past we had to hunt it down at farmers’ markets. Now, a new company has worked to unite local beekeepers and make our delicious domestic honey available online.

Heimathonig (in German) provides an online marketplace for honey and beekeepers. It does all the marketing and coordinates the placement of online orders. However, it keeps some farmers market elements by letting you order online and pick up directly from the beekeeper if you are in the area.

For me, the best thing about this site is that I now have access to honey grown in different parts of Germany that would never appear at my local market. There are also honey varieties that are quite rare, like acacia, white fir, blueberry, organic cherry blossom, and seasonal forest flowers.

The prices are very reasonable, too — the typical jar of all natural, locally grown honey is less than 10 euros. A sampler of mini jars in different flavors is just under 8 euros, and the Heimathonig blog announces when new varieties are available.

Heimathonig is also searchable. You can look for beekeepers by zip code, or by the type of honey you would like. This can help you search out the rare varieties, like Black Forest honey, and also control what is in your honey if you like a specific taste.

Even just exploring the site will make your mouth hunger for a taste of something sweet!

I’m off to get my own little honey pot, and happy to say good bye to imported supermarket stuff in favor of local — and delicious — German honey.

—Marcus

Germany’s underground dining scene is growing. In fact, worldwide, pop up restaurants, supper clubs, and invitation only private dining events are becoming more and more popular. Locals and travelers alike enjoy a bit of novelty and of course, really good food.

In the spirit of keeping you all informed, I’d like to share a few more of the secret supper clubs I’ve found operating around Germany:

• In Düsseldorf, there is Sunday’s Dinner Party. It is hosted from 7 – 10 pm on the first Sunday of each month, in a restored 19th century farmhouse. The suggested contribution is 20 euros, and you need to confirm your reservation 48 hours in advance.
• In Berlin, the Loteria Supper Club held its first dinner in February 2010. They are now holding weekly dinners, with a limit of 12 guests per table, near Boxhagener Platz. Of course, they launched with a feature in the iHeartBerlin dining pages, so they are not so terribly secret, but the food is reported as very tasty! Suggested donation for dinner is 50 euros.
• Also in Berlin, in the Friedrichshain area, is the Palisaden Supper Club. The dinners there are held once a month in the middle of the month, and you reserve through email. Suggested dinner price is 25 euro, and they have been operating since February of 2009, so a bit more organized than some.
• For less formal events and pop up restaurants in Germany, you can check the listings at Tafel Zeit (German), which operates mainly in Berlin, Cologne, and Hamburg.

There are also a number of Germans with Ghetto Gourmet sites, leveraging the American started underground dining community format, meaning that those willing to do a bit of research will be sure to uncover a great meal and a truly memorable experience.

—Marcus

German bread is famous around the world for its flavor and texture, but did you know that there are more than 200 recognized varieties?

Pumpernickel is the most famous internationally, but there is so much more to German bread! Experimenting with flavors and textures will let you move beyond the basic loaf and explore other mouthwatering options in every category.

Weißbrot is the basic white bread, although most Germans prefer the more nutritive darker breads. Weißbrot is often used for rolls, like the popular Käsesemmel, which is baked with cheese on top.

Graubrot, while literally meaning gray bread, refers to the bread that are neither black nor white. Sourdough and rye breads fall into this category, as do the delicious sunflower seed (Sonnenblumenkernbrot) and pumpkin seed (Kürbiskernbrot) breads.

Schwarzbrot is the black bread that has made German bakeries famous. It generally has a 90% rye content with a hard crust hiding a dense, moist center. The super grainy Vollkornbrot is a part of this group, as is the renowned Pumpernickel.

Eat your bread with cheeses, creamy spreads, and sliced meats. A mild cheese with small holes is very popular to go with the bread, as is Hüttenkäse, a seasoned cottage cheese. For using jams many foreigners toast it, although the chewy bread really doesn’t need it.

To learn more about German bread, its history, and its role in daily life in Germany, you can even visit a museum dedicated to bread in Ulm. The Museum of Bread Culture covers 6,000 years of the history of bread. Opened 10 am – 5 pm daily and until 8:30 pm on Wednesdays, it has 18,000 works related to bread in its collection.

It is also conveniently located near some cafes where you can snack after you’ve worked up a bread craving looking at the displays ;-)

—Marcus

Of course, we Germans are hardly going hungry. In fact, we do quite well with our German food. Our secret? It’s our four meals a day. ;-)

Breakfast is known as Frühstück, and traditionally served cold on a specially carved board. Often this is shaped like an animal, and these boards are usually bought from local artisans in the town markets. A typical German breakfast consists of bread (of course!) with cheese, yogurt, fruits, a boiled egg, or muesli. Coffee, milk or tea is more common than juice.

Lunch is the main meal of the day, and we take the Mittagessen very seriously. Eaten between noon and 2 pm, it usually consists of soup or salad followed by a main course and a light dessert of custard, fruit salad, or ice cream. Drink whatever you like with lunch, including alcoholic beverages, but save a bit of thirst for the strong coffee that traditionally closes the meal.

Later in the afternoon, it is time for the third meal, Kaffee und Kuchen. This is a sit down affair with coffee or tea and pastries. Eaten between 3 – 5 pm, all the rich cakes and cookies others might think of as desserts we take care to consume at our leisure well before the evening meal.

The final meal of the day is generally eaten at around 7 pm. Known as Abendessen (or Vesper in the south-west), it is traditionally a cold meal of bread, cheese, and meats eaten at home. Modern families having been shifting it to a large, hot meal as more and more German parents work.

Evening meals in restaurants, of course, will be hot, with multiple courses and large portions. After dinner liqueurs are common, or there is always to option of a little espresso to counteract the effects of a heavy meal.

As you can see, although we don’t have the same dining traditions as other countries, we Germans are certainly not starving. ;-)

Guten Appetit!

—Marcus

Also known as Christstollen, it’s a very rich cake — you may want to eat it with a dark coffee on the side to balance the sweetness. There’s butter, cream, sugar, raisins, spices, and a strong dash of brandy or rum. (Regionally there’s also marzipan in the middle.) The top is covered with a grainy white sugar icing, and I can never stop with just one piece! ;-)

Neither can most Germans — Stollen is addictively good. This is one of the reasons that bakeries all over the world bring it out at the holidays. Baked in long, low loaves, it is sure to have customers clamoring for more.

As a result of its popularity, Stollen even has its own festival! Hosted in Dresden at the Striezelmarkt (Dresden’s Christmas Market on Altmarkt) the Saturday prior the second Advent, the highlight of the Stollenfest is the baking of a giant Stollen cake. The locals are honoring the effort of August the Strong, who once ordered a 1.8 ton Stollen cake!

This was back in 1730, and I’ve no idea how his baker managed. For years, no one else tried, but gradually curiosity got the better of the locals. In 1994, the organizers of Dresden’s Christmas markets decided to bring the tradition back, and have been baking giant Stollen cakes each year since then.

The average “uber cake” now has 44 liters of Jamaican rum and weighs in at between three and four tons. Cut with a four foot (1.2 meter) silver knife by the Royal Master Baker, 500 gram pieces of the festival cake are then sold to attendees for about 3 Euro. With an average of 700,000 people turning out each year to enjoy the festival, it’s a good thing the cake is so large so that everyone can get a piece!

If you can’t make the festival, and your local baker doesn’t have any Stollen, you can also order it online from a number of traditional bakers, including the American based Dresden Stollen bakery.

However you manage, be sure you get a taste of Stollen this season, so you can see why so many people — including me, of course — adore this wonderful holiday cake. :-)

—Marcus

The vintage as a class was born in 1775 at the famous Schloss Johannisberg winery, when the harvest was unfortunately delayed by about two weeks — legend has it the field master had been kidnapped, and they couldn’t start until his release. The grapes were harvested reluctantly, and no one thought the wine would amount to much.

With low expectations, the first wine was tasted… and now they deliberately pick the grapes late!

Spätlese, which simply means “late harvest,” was such an instant hit that just three years later it was being handed out to visiting nobles and royalty as a gift. Thomas Jefferson raved so much about his 1778 bottles that the wine became the new American must-have vintage.

Spätlese, my personal favorite of all German wines, has several specific characteristics that make it unique and pleasant to drink. Since the grapes are fully ripened when they are picked, they give a fuller body and more intense flavor than other German wines like Riesling or Kabinett. The wine is also known for its long finish and pleasant aroma.

Available as semi-sweet, Spätlese wines are forbidden by law from being artificially sweetened. The quality of the vintage depends very much on the soil and the weather of each season. 2007 and 2008 were very good years, and the early tests on the 2009 grapes has vintners very excited about the potential of this year’s harvest.

You should be excited, too. Spätlese wines are excellent food pairings, especially with seafood dishes and spicy dishes. The complexity of the flavors with the long finish of the wine really enriches a meal.

Spätlese wines are meant to be enjoyed, rather than stored away for decades. You age a Spätlese for 3 -10 years, but they do peak at a relatively young age. Therefore, why wait to open a bottle? :-)

If you’d like recommendations, Terry Theise, one of the wine worlds leading sommelier’s, gave the 2008 Müller-Catoir Mandelring Scheurebe Spätlese (~$60 USD) a near perfect score. Other German wine houses making good quality Spätlese include Dönnhoff, Meulenhof Erdener, and Leitz Rüdesheimer.

—Marcus

You see, while Oktoberfest is a beer festival at heart, the soul of the event is the food. After all, you can’t very well enjoy fine German beers for hours without a little something to go along with it. So “traditional” food is brought out — sauerkraut, preztels, and sausage.

The mistake is in thinking that any sausage will do for Oktoberfest. Currywurst, bratwurst, kielbasa…

Wrong, wrong, and wrong.

To be truly authentic, you have to serve weisswurst.

Weißwurst is one of those delicious accidents. In 1857, Munich butcher Sepp Moser was out of his usual sausage making supplies. Forced to improvise, he invented the distinctive boiled veal sausage with the pig skin shell.

Now, more than 75 million weisswursts are made each year, and Munich butchers take the quality of their product very seriously. A good weisswurst should be white, like snow (OK, almost…), and you should be able to see small flecks of green seasoning through the casing. Faded gray sausages are imitations, and usually poor quality.

You can get good weisswurst from quality butchers all over the world, or in specialty import shops. Truly authentic sausages have a special seal indicating that they were made in Munich.

To further impress your guests, be sure to serve them correctly. Weisswursts are served in pairs. They are traditionally accompanied by sweet (!) mustard with puffy pretzels.

The taste combination is one that really invokes the spirit of true Oktoberfest. Once the weisswursts are ready, all that you need is some good beer to go with it. Purists will insist on weissbeer, but as long as you are serving the right food to go with it, I’ll toast you with any one of Germany’s excellent Oktoberfest brews! ;-)

—Marcus

It’s not that this restaurant is exclusive — in fact, it’s not a restaurant at all. It’s the home of a master chef in Berlin who prefers to remain nameless. Going as “The Shy Chef,” this culinary gem decided that the best way to share her amazing food is in the privacy of a real home, and started putting on dinners in early 2009.

Up to 6 people each evening of operation will be sent the location of the dinner. Space is limited, and the club is quite often booked out for a month in advance.

It’s a home in the Kreuzburg district, in a building that’s more than 100 years old. When you get to the location, you’re in on the secret spot, but so far not one of the guests has spilled the beans, so you’d better believe this blog won’t either!

The menu varies and is tailored to meet any dietary restrictions of the guests for the evening. In terms of specific dishes, you’ll be getting at least 5 courses, including a dessert. The Shy Chef’s Blog is known to shop for organic local fare. Your meal will be a unique taste of real German cooking with real German ingredients, served together with carefully selected wines and beers.

It’s certainly understated compared to some of Berlin’s trendier options, but if you want a rare insider experience this is certainly one to try for while you are in Berlin. Some of the past guests have indicated the meal is worth a trip to Berlin all by itself — but you’ll have to be the judge of that! ;-)

You can make your reservation by emailing The Shy Chef through her blog. Dinners are available mainly on Friday and Saturday nights, with some Sundays and Thursdays depending on the month.

As an underground supper club a suggested donation of 50 Euro per person to offset costs is suggested, but no official bill will be presented. After all, how can you price an experience this unusually good?

There are actually plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available to travelers in Germany. Admittedly, if you go to a traditional German restaurant and look for traditional fare, you will likely be offered a lot of meat dishes. Look beyond the stereotypical stuff, however, and you’ll find a lot of very good food.

In the summer, you will want to eat potato and asparagus, a popular combination plate due to Germany’s status as a leading producer of asparagus. Onion or mushroom stews in winter and crisp spring and fall salads are also on the menu at most restaurants. Going to specialty restaurants focusing on vegan and natural foods will give you an even broader variety.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from your hotel, guide or new friends. Just explain that you are vegetarisch (vegetarian) and most people will be able to direct you to a restaurant, even in the smaller towns. In a pinch, go for falafel or to a pizza house.

If you prefer to buy a few things on your own, you should look for a Reformhaus or a Bio Markt. “Bio” is applied to all things organic. Strict vegans should note that it doesn’t always mean purely natural, just that it meet EU organic standards. (Yup, we’re at it again… politics; one of the most beloved hobbies if we trust the TV news and various talkshows.)

Select Top Restaurants In Germany For Vegans

Here are few restaurants you can note down, but remember that there are many, many more! Happy Cow has 253 listings for vegetarian restaurants in Germany. So these are just a few that stand out for quality…

• Berlin: Hans Wurst Vegan Cafe (Dunckerstraße 2a, 10437), Veni Vidi Vegi (Pücklerstraße 32, 10997) and Yellow Sunshine (Wiener Straße 19, 10999)
• Munich: Prinz Myskin (Hackenstraße 2) and Zay Vegetarisch (Occamstraße 13)
• Frankfurt: Naturbar (Oeder Weg 26)

Also, if you read good German, you can visit the discussion boards at www.vegan.de for even more tips.

—Marcus