The 20 most famous dishes of Germany
German cooking is hearty northern food, famous for sausages, bread, roast meats, potatoes and cabbage, and sweets like Black Forest cake and apple strudel.
1Schnitzel
Thin pounded cutlets coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden and puffy, served with lemon and potato…
2Bratwurst
Grilled German sausage served with mustard and sauerkraut or in a bread roll — the emblem of German street…
3Sauerbraten
Beef marinated for days in vinegar and spices then braised slowly, its sauce thickened with gingerbread — one…
4Currywurst
Sliced grilled sausage covered in curry-spiced tomato sauce with fries — Berlin's most famous street food.
5Sauerkraut
Sour fermented cabbage cooked with onion, apple and caraway, served alongside meats and sausages.
6Kartoffelsalat
Warm southern-style potato salad dressed with vinegar, stock and onion — or cold with mayonnaise in the north.
7Käsespätzle
Soft little German egg noodles layered with melted cheese and crisp onions — Swabian mac and cheese.
8Brezel (Bavarian Pretzel)
Knot-shaped bread dipped in an alkaline bath before baking for its shiny brown crust, sprinkled with coarse…
9Rinderrouladen
Thin beef slices spread with mustard, rolled around onion and pickle, and braised in a rich brown gravy.
10Kartoffelpuffer
Crisp fried grated-potato pancakes, served with apple sauce or sour cream.
11Eisbein (Pork Knuckle)
Boiled or roasted knuckle with crackling skin, served with sauerkraut and mustard — a Berlin classic. For a…
12Kartoffelklöße
Potato dumplings boiled and served with roasts and gravy, sometimes filled with toasted croutons.
13Rotkohl
Red cabbage braised slowly with apple, vinegar, sugar and cinnamon — sweet and sour, served with holiday…
14Maultaschen
Large Swabian pasta pockets filled with meat, spinach and bread, served in broth or pan-fried with onions.
15Leberkäse
A smooth Bavarian meatloaf baked with a brown crust, cut into thick slices and eaten in a roll with mustard.
16Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
Chocolate sponge layered with whipped cream and cherries, decorated with chocolate shavings — from the Black…
17Apfelstrudel
Paper-thin dough rolled around apples, raisins, cinnamon and toasted crumbs, baked and served with vanilla…
18Lebkuchen
Soft Christmas biscuits from Nuremberg made with honey, spices and nuts, glazed with chocolate or sugar.
19Kartoffelsuppe
A thick potato soup with leek, carrot and marjoram, served with sliced sausage.
20Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
A yeasted cake filled with vanilla cream and topped with honey-caramelised almonds.