subject: Getting To Know German Cuisine [print this page] You cannot exactly give a precise definition of what German cooking is. Every region in this fascinating country has its own different specialties. The region of southern Germany shares many dishes with the Austrians and the Swiss, while to the southwest, cooking is influenced a lot by the French. Meanwhile, to the east, foods have a bit more on a flavor of Eastern Europe. And, there are types of food that are made in all regions of Germany, but there are different sorts of preparation of the same foods.
German food has always been thought of to be rather hearty and to feature meat and potatoes a great deal. This is somewhat logical; after all the country of Germany is situated in a rather northern location. During cold winters, Germans often eat more foods that are high in calories to stay healthy. As a result, many popular German dishes go heavy on potatoes and also sauerkraut.
Meat and seafood are featured prominently in many German dishes. The favorite meats in German dishes include pork, poultry and beef. Pork is eaten the most in Germany, and then beef. With poultry, chicken is usually the most eaten, but duck and goose also are quite popular.
During hunting season, wild game is also eaten a great deal. Boar, rabbit and venison are the most popular choices for the dinner table. Lamb is the traditional meal at Easter time.
Meat has been popular for centuries, and before refrigeration, marinating, smoking and salting were used a great deal. This is why sausage is so popular in Germany even today. Germany is in fact the largest manufacturer of cold cuts and sausage in the world.
To the north, seafood is quite popular in this part of Germany, due to the sea coasts. One of the favorite fish dishes is herring, and it can be bought raw, smoked or pickled. Some of the other common German fish dishes are sardines, tuna and pike and mackerel.
Another interesting part of most German cooking is the focus on many side dishes with the meal. Usually, the side dishes are vegetables, food that is flour based and also foods made from some kind of dough. As mentioned earlier, potatoes are the most important side dish of all. Germans will often have their potatoes fried, boiled, mashed, and made into pancakes.
The flour-based side dishes are also referred to in German as mehlspeisen. This tasty side dish is often made from flour, rice and crumbs of bread. Some other ingredients that are common are butter, eggs and milk. Mehlspeisen can be sweet or savory. While it is usually a side dish, it also can be its own meal. Mehlspeisen does include strudel and dumplings, but does not feature breads and pastries.
When it comes to vegetables, they are usually served as side dishes, in soups or casseroles. The favorite vegetables are cabbage, potatoes, peas, spinach, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. Onions are used with meat, or are used for ingredients in many different dishes. Of course, sauerkraut is one of the most popular vegetable dishes. Asparagus is also loved a great deal in Germany. During the season, which runs from April to June, asparagus is on the menu at many restaurants and is common on the dinner table too.
Soups are also very popular in German cuisine. The most common is a clear soup with broth, where beef, chicken or pork is boiled. Vegetables and noodles can be added. The other type of soup is stew, which is thicker and is eaten as the main dish.
As you can see, German dishes are healthy, hearty and varied. If you try German food, you are very unlikely to go away hungry or disappointed.
