German Cooking | German Food Guide (2024)

FAQs

What is Germany's food guide? ›

The guidelines suggest eating at least five fruits and vegetables daily, with an emphasis on seasonality, colours and variation. Essentially, the idea is that Germans eat more of these every day – and those who don't eat meat are recommended to up their intake of plant-based whole foods.

Of all these regional and national dishes, Germany is most famous for Currywurst, sausages, pretzels and Black Forest Gateau, but as you can see, there is plenty more to German cuisine than just these.

The typical meals are divided in a rather copious breakfast (6 am – 8 am), lunch (12 pm – 2 pm) and dinner (6 pm – 8 pm). Breakfast usually consists of bread that can be topped with cheese, cold cuts, jam, honey, Nutella etc., if you prefer something salty.

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.

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.

When dining with Germans, be especially mindful of proper manners. They eat continentally—with the fork in the left hand (tines down) and knife in the right hand throughout. Do not pass the fork back and forth between hands. Don't set down your knife to use the fork alone.

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.

This is a well known German thing when someone burps 😂 After somebody burps, you say: Schulz! Sometimes, it is accompanied by putting your thumb on your Stirn (forehead). It is especially popular among Jugendliche (teenagers) to do this as a drinking game. If somebody does not say Schulz, gets hit!

That doesn't mean you're not allowed to talk; quite the reverse, you should talk as much as you can to boost your German. But don't open your mouth while eating, and don't make any slurping sounds when eating soup.

Is it rude to leave food on your plate in Germany? ›

However, you must remember that Germans rest only their hands and not their elbows on the table as it is considered quite an inappropriate gesture. It is considered rude to leave food on the plate; not just the Germans, but people from many countries do not like anyone leaving food on their plate.

Food and Feed Code (LFGB): The LFGB provides the basis for the regulation of foodstuffs, including bulk goods, in Germany. It lays down general requirements for the safety and quality of food, and also regulates sampling. Regulation (EC) No 882/2004: This EU regulation regulates the official control of food and feed.

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.

Germany Consumer Price Index: Food is at a current level of 132.80, up from 132.30 last month and up from 132.10 one year ago. This is a change of 0.38% from last month and 0.53% from one year ago.

Bowls are still one of the most popular food trends in Germany. Here, your clientele gets a substantial, often healthy meal with different ingredients served in a single bowl. Guests can often decide for themselves which foods go into the bowl. Whether vegan or omnivore: more individuality is hardly possible!