Traditional German cuisine is rich, some say heavy, but it is tasty and delicious.

After all, fat in food is the medium to carry flavour. But we also adapted customs
from our European neighbours & immigrants and we love fresh vegetables. So,
apart from traditional rich fares you will find a wide variety of light and international
dishes in modern German cooking. German cuisine also differs widely during the
year. Mushrooms, game, vegetables, they all have their season. It is the secret of
many German dishes that they are cooked with local and fresh ingredients.For
hundreds of years the German Empire consisted of a large number of smaller subunits, kingdoms, free cities, duchies and others. People of these small territories
were (and still are) proud of their culture, customs and, of course food specialties.
As a result Germany still has such a wide range of traditional foods and customs
which often don't relate to an entire state but to a certain region.
German Foods - The daily meals
"Eat breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king, and dinner like a beggar". It would
be healthy to follow this advice, but it is hardly managable in real life.
Breakfast Frhstck: People who go to work have only a light breakfast.
Cereals, a slice of bread with jam, cheese or cold cuts. I can't eat much when I am in
a hurry in the morning either. Schools have a breakfast break at around 10 am, and
people at work often have the chance for a quick snack around this time. It is a
different picture on weekends and holidays. A full breakfast at hotels, and at home,
includes bread rolls, toast, sausages and cold cuts, cheese, boiled and fried eggs,
muesli and cereals. Going out for brunch on a Sunday has become very popular
recently.
Lunch Mittagessen: Germans love to have their main meal of the day at
lunchtime!. At least this was the common custom when women didn't go to work.
This has changed of course, as more women go to work these days. However, on
weekends, Germans usually have their fully cooked meal at midday between noon
and 2 pm. A traditional German Mittagessen consists of a light soup, meat,
vegetables and potatoes or rice as main course, and a delicious dessert. At many
restaurants you'll find the "Stammessen" or "Tagesgericht" on the menu at lunch
time. This is a 3 course meal at a special price that changes daily.
Kaffee: "Kaffee" is similar to the British tea time. A break some time between lunch
and dinner, to enjoy a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, or cookies. In these busy
times, we won't have a "Kaffee break" during the week, especially not while at work.
However, on Sundays and public holidays, having "Kaffee" is still an important
tradition. For birthdays and other celebrations you are often invited "zum Kaffee".
Hey, you won't get only one piece of cake at a Geburtstagskaffee (birthday coffee
invitation)! So be hungry when you arrive! Really, you will have an incredible choice
of yummy cakes when you are invited to a special event Kaffee.
Dinner Abendessen: The traditional German dinner consists of bread, cold cuts,
cheese, salads, pickled vegetables, canned fish, or even leftovers from lunch.
However, these days many Germans have their warm meal for dinner, especially
when they don't have the chance to get a cooked meal at work. A cooked dinner
during the week hardly consists of 3 courses. Thankfully, the food industry provides
working housewifes with lots of frozen food, ready-made sauces and soups and
other handy stuff to prepare a quick and delicious meal. In restaurants you find a
wide range of cold specialties like Wurstsalat, Restaurationsbrot, cheese varieties,
sausages etc. There is often a separate menu called Vesperkarte, or Brotzeitkarte.
Items on these menues are also available during the day.
Bavarian pretzels:
The pretzel is a permanent part of the German bread-based snack culture.
Additionally it is irreplaceable as side dish with Weiwurst and Leberkse. Pretzels

are lye-washed bakery products. They are available in different shapes and sizes,
mostly strewn with salt, although the salt can be replaced with poppy, sesame,
pumpkin or sunflower seeds. The pretzel is a baked product made from wheat flour
and yeast and weighing from 50 to 250 g. The crust of the pretzel is thin, chestnut
brown and baked to a gloss and is mostly strewn with rough salt. Inside, however,
the dough is soft and light-coloured.
GERMAN BEER:
Germany is known for its beer. Each year, thousands of tourists flock to Oktoberfest
in Munich, just to savor the taste of a true German brew. From Weissbier to Pils, to
Starkbier to Helles and Dunkles, Germany certainly offers a rich variety to choose
from. And while some may consider a beer filling in itself, the country does offer
some very delicious foods, too.
In Germany can be found the oldest evidence of brewing activity. Brewing in
Weihenstephan officially began in 1040 when the then abbot, Arnold, managed to
secure brewing and selling rights from the town of Freising. But even before this,
beer was being brewed in Weihenstephan. Up to the present day it is thus
guaranteed that this beer contains, for example, no chemical additives or lower
quality malt substitutes. With just a little less than 700 breweries, Germany has the
greatest density of breweries in the world, which also means that 44% of all
breweries in the European Union are situated in the Free State. The quality and the
reputation of German beer are above all due to the centuries of tradition involved in
the industry. During this time a large number of very different recipes have
developed leading to a variety of beers that is unique. Because of this long tradition
and variety of types, German beer enjoys the highest respect from beer drinkers
everywhere.