Tyska specialiteter i olika regioner - missa inte dessa

Writer: HELENA BERGSTRÖM

German specialities, what are they? German food varies from region to region, and there are many different delicacies and traditional dishes to try. We take a virtual culinary journey through Germany, and when the borders reopen, it's time to try the real thing!

Table of contents

German specialities - what comes to mind?

What German specialities have you tried? What comes to mind when you think of German food and drink? We probably think of beer, white wine, asparagus and various types of sausages. When we have travelled along the German coast, we have also eaten very good fish. One occasion we remember is when we were served super good pike-perch and cod at a cosy houseboat restaurant in Greifswald.

German specialities - region by region

Many German specialities are specific to a particular region. Here we list a number of Germany's federal states and their specialities.

Schleswig-Holstein: Lübeck marzipan

Raw marzipan is a delicacy made from almonds, sugar and water. Once upon a time, only kings and other powerful people had access to marzipan, but today, thankfully, everyone can buy and taste it. I Lübeck there are plenty of shops selling marzipan. Here are some interesting facts about marzipan from Lübeck:

Lübeck marzipan must consist of at least 70 % raw marzipan and no more than 30 % sugar.
Lübeck marzipan is still largely produced by hand.
At Café Niederegger you can buy marzipan, but also visit a marzipan museum.

Tyska specialiteter - marsipan — J. G. Niederegger GmbH & Co. © www.anibaltrejo.com / Anibal Trejo

Where? Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost federal state in Germany and borders Denmark. The capital of the state is Kiel.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn is an orange-coloured berry that grows on coastal shrubs, including in the German Federal Republic. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The berry is rich in nutrition and popular as a flavouring agent in many different products such as tea, juice, jam, sweets, wine and spirits. Interesting to know about sea buckthorn:

Sea buckthorn contains more vitamin C than citrus fruits.
The berry is also used in various beauty products.
You can visit one of Rügen's plantations at harvest time between September and October.

Where? Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a federal state in north-eastern Germany. The capital of the state is Schwerin.

Bremen: Coffee

Roasting coffee is a tradition with a long history in the area around the river Weser. The first coffee house here opened in 1673, and since then coffee production has only increased. Bremen is now considered the coffee capital of Germany, so if there's one place you shouldn't miss having a coffee, it's here! Interesting about the coffee from Bremen:

Every second cup of coffee drunk between the North Sea and the Alps originates in Bremen.
The process of making decaffeinated coffee originated in the area around the river Weser.

Tyska specialiteter - kaffe — Coffee with coffee bread © BZT Tourism Centre / Ingrid Krause

Where? Bremen is a federal state located in northern Germany. The capital of the federal state is also called Bremen.

Berlin: Currywurst

Currywurst is an important part of Berlin's food scene. Currywurst is a dish made from sliced bratwurst together with a tomato sauce and curry powder. For a truly authentic experience, head to Konnopke's Imbiss on Schönhauser Allee. Here, the dish is served with five different hot curry sauces from 'heavenly' (very mild) to 'hellish' (super hot), just as it has been since 1930. Worth knowing about currywurst:

Over 800 million curry sausages are consumed in Germany every year.
There even used to be a currywurst museum in Berlin, but this unfortunately closed in 2018.

Tyska specialiteter - currywurst — Currywurst © VisitBerlin / Phlip Koschel

Where? Berlin is located in eastern Germany. Berlin is both the capital of Germany and its own federal state.

Saxony-Anhalt: Harz cheese

Harzer Käse (Harz cheese) is a mature sour milk cheese made from cow's milk. The cheese is rich in protein, has a low fat content and is considered very healthy. Here are some interesting facts about Harzer Käse:

Harzer Käze was already produced industrially in the Harz in the 18th century.
The quality label "Typisch Harz" stands for quality from the Harz region.
In the Frankfurt area, a similar cheese called 'Handkäse' is often eaten as an appetiser or snack with a little cumin on it.

Where? Saxony-Anhalt is located in the centre of Germany, around the river Elbe. The capital of the federal state is Magdeburg.

Thuringia: Thuringian rostbratwurst

Thüringer Rostbratwurst is a medium-fine bratwurst produced in Thuringia. The sausage is made from pork and flavoured with marjoram, caraway and garlic. It is best eaten with locally produced mustard. Here are some interesting facts about Thüringer Rostbratwurst:

The recipe for Thüringer Rostbratwurst is 600 years old.
The exact recipe is and remains a secret known only to Thuringian sausage makers.
According to the EU regulation, the sausage must be at least 15 cm long.
Arnstadt has a bratwurst museum, documenting the popular sausage from 1404.

Tyska specialiteter - rostbratwurst — *Thüringer Rostbratwurst © Lookphotos / Ralf Shultheiss*

Where? The federal state of Thuringia is located in the centre of Germany. The capital is Erfurt.

Hessen: Riesling

Riesling is the dominant grape variety in the Rheingau and Bergstrasse wine regions of the federal state of Hesse. This grape variety, used for white wines, is sometimes referred to as the 'King of German Grapes'. Interesting to know about Riesling:

Riesling has been grown in Germany for more than 600 years.
The Riesling grape can be used for dry, semi-dry, sweet and sparkling wines, and is perfect for dessert wines.
Riesling wines can be aged for a long time while maintaining their flavour and quality.

Tyska specialiteter - vin — German wine © GNTB / Florian Trykowski

Where? Hessen is a federal state in the centre of Germany. The capital of the federal state is Wiesbaden.

Baden-Württemberg: Black Forest cake

Schwarzwälderkirschtorte (Black Forest cake) is a cake consisting of a fluffy chocolate base with a cherry interlayer and is garnished with cherries and cream. It is unclear whether the cake was created in Radolfzell in 1915 or in Tübingen in the 1930s, but it is clear that it comes from the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Here are some interesting facts about Black Forest cake:

The name of the cake may be a reference to the traditional clothing worn by women in the Black Forest: black dress (chocolate), white blouse (cream) and a so-called Bollenhut, a lady's hat with red balls (cherries).
28 March is Black Forest Cake Day.

Tyska specialiteter - schwarzvaldtårta — Black Forest cake © DZT / Lengmo

Bollenhut © Tourismus Marketing Baden-Württemberg GmbH / Duepper

Where? Baden-Württemberg is a federal state in south-west Germany, with its capital Stuttgart.

Bavaria: Weisswurst

Weisswurst (white sausage) is a Bavarian sausage made from veal or pork and flavoured with onions and parsley. The sausage is often served with a good Bavarian beer, perhaps in a traditional beer garden. Munich is also home to the world's oldest brewery, the Weihenstephaner, dating back to 1040. Here are some interesting facts about weisswurst:

Weisswurst with brezel (pretzel), sweet mustard and beer is a traditional breakfast in Bavaria.
You don't eat the skin of a weisswurst.
Enthusiasts suck the sausage out of the skin. Only the uninitiated use a knife and fork.
It is an old tradition that you have to eat weisswurst before 12 o'clock.

Tyska specialiteter - weisswurst — white sausage © Getty Images / Foodcollection

Where? Bavaria is a federal state in south-eastern Germany, with Munich as its capital.

Making at home: German seasonal delicacies

You can't travel abroad right now, but while you're waiting for the borders to open, you can get in the kitchen and make some German specialities! Here are four dishes you can make at home, one for each season:

Summer: Asparagus Plate (Asparagus Plate) from Lower Saxony
Autumn: Semmelknödel (bread dumpling) from Bavaria
Winter: Christstollen (Christmas cake) from Saxony
Spring: Birnentorte (pear tart) from Brandenburg

14 Comments

Add yours →

Lena - good for the soul says:

Yes, my God, all these German sausages 🙂 I tried that currywurst in Berlin. The dish didn't look so "fun", but was actually really good.

Hug Lena

09 May 2020 - 8:58

- Maria's memoirs says:
  
  Riesling has been drunk and various sausages eaten in Bavaria. Even currywurst. Can also recommend Flammkuchen and Spätzle ? The fast food chain Nordsee, which focuses on fish (e.g. fish n chips, salmon dishes and sushi) is a more fun alternative to McDonalds.
  
  09 May 2020 - 9:32
  
  - Comment by post author
    
    Helena says:
    
    Thanks for the tips Maria! Flammkuchen looks good (googled)! We have tried Spätzle and agree, really good! Interesting with the fast food chain!
    
    09 May 2020 - 19:56
    
- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Lena, we have never tried the currywurst. But of course we will do it as soon as we get the opportunity! 🙂
  
  09 May 2020 - 19:54
  
Lena in Wales says:

I love Germany as a country of food and drink.
Sometimes I think they have an undeservedly bad reputation. They have so much good food and drink.
The only thing I don't like is the huge portions you usually get.
Marzipan from Lubeck I've eaten plenty of, unfortunately. As well as Niederegger's pastries, yummy.
Currywurst mit kartoffelsalat is my absolute favourite and I have eaten lots of portions in several different places. So good!
Riesling wine is never wrong. Neither is asparagus.
Sauerkraut and kale are also on my top list of good food from Germany.
Nice report and nice weekend!

09 May 2020 - 9:38

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Glad you liked the report Lena! I agree, Germany has much more good food to offer than many might think. We must try currywurst! Wishing you a nice weekend!
  
  09 May 2020 - 19:57
  
BP says:

If you love sausages like my husband does, Lidl is a hot tip. When they have Bavaria weeks, there are all different kinds of sausages and dumplings to be found there. What surprises me is that Bavaria is not best known for its grilled pork shoulder with sauerkraut, but Weisswurst is just as good. That sausage is the only one my husband doesn't eat;-)

09 May 2020 - 20:28

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Thanks for the tip about Lidl! At home we never shop at Lidl, but when we travel with the motorhome in Europe we like Lidl, we usually find a lot of good stuff there 🙂.
  
  10 May 2020 - 6:01
  
Ruth in Virginia says:

Have not eaten much in Germany but German food in other places.
Thuringerwurst used to be available in delis, but not now.
My daughter, who was in Germany as a soldier, has made the Schwartz test.
waldertorte several times; quite hard but good!
Good laugh at the long sausage in the small bun. 🙂
Riesling is a wine recommended for the Christmas Day turkey.
A bit sweet for my taste then.

09 May 2020 - 20:38

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Impressive to make Schwartswald cake! I've eaten it a few times, but then it was bought in a pastry shop. Interesting that riesling is recommended with the turkey!
  
  10 May 2020 - 6:02
  
Lisa says:

German red cabbage is very tasty
Labskaus (lapskojs) with fried egg cucumber and a rollmop is very popular on the coast of northern Germany but my favourite is probably Reibekuchen.
(raw shrimp) and then when we get to the drink Rumtopf but you have to be a bit careful with it because the alcohol content is high.

09 May 2020 - 20:46

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  When I had a German friend visiting when I was young, she saw pyttipanna in a restaurant and said "it looks like labskaus". Since then, I think of pyttipanna and lapskojs as similar dishes 😉 Thanks for the tip about the raw shrimp and that drink, we'll have to try it at some point!
  
  10 May 2020 - 6:04
  
sussie says:

I was so hungry and wanted to go to Germany. Normally I don't eat sausages but there I'm gorging myself on different kinds. Have tried everything you mention and liked everything.

Thanks for sharing, always fun to read here.

10 May 2020 - 1:22

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  How nice that you have tried so much German food! We still have some to try when the borders reopen!
  
  10 May 2020 - 6:06

German specialities in different regions - don't miss these

Writer: HELENA BERGSTRÖM

German specialities - what comes to mind?

German specialities - region by region

Schleswig-Holstein: Lübeck marzipan

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Sea buckthorn

Bremen: Coffee

Berlin: Currywurst

Saxony-Anhalt: Harz cheese

Thuringia: Thuringian rostbratwurst

Hessen: Riesling

Baden-Württemberg: Black Forest cake

Bavaria: Weisswurst

Making at home: German seasonal delicacies

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14 Comments

Lena - good for the soul says:

Maria's memoirs says:

Helena says:

Helena says:

Lena in Wales says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Ruth in Virginia says:

Helena says:

Lisa says:

Helena says:

sussie says:

Helena says:

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