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.

Etiquette Rules when Dining Out in Germany

You'll find that most Germans begin the meal with a hearty Guten Appetit! Similar to Bon Appetit, it is an elegant way to phrase "Let's eat!". More informally, especially at lunch, you can expect an exclamation of "Mahlzeit!".

Germans tend to eat three meals a day but sometimes, they make an exception for Kaffeezeit, which literally means 'coffee time'. Also referred to as Kaffee und Kuchen, (coffee and cake), this is when – as the name suggests – people enjoy a coffee with a slice of cake.

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.

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.

Bratwurst (German: [ˈbʁaːtvʊʁst]) is a type of German sausage made from pork or, less commonly, beef or veal.

The tomato is the most beloved vegetable in Germany. The average German eats about 57 pounds of them each year.

The average annual meat consumption is 59.7 kg (132 lb) per person. The most common varieties are pork, poultry, and beef. Other varieties of meat are widely available, but are considered to be insignificant. Meat is usually braised; fried dishes also exist, but these recipes usually originate from France and Austria.

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!

What are German good manners? ›

Basic Etiquette

It is rude to chew gum or keep one's hands in one's pockets whilst talking with someone. Cross your legs by putting one knee over the other. It is impolite to rest your feet on furniture. Tight punctuality (Pünktlichkeit) is expected in most professional and social situations.

[ˈsænwɪdʒ] noun. Sandwich nt , Doppelschnitte f or -stulle f (N Ger) open sandwich belegtes Brot. he has sandwiches for lunch er isst Butterbrote or Sandwiches or Stullen (N Ger) zum Mittagessen.

This statistic shows the average number of eggs consumed per head in Germany from 2006 to 2022. In 2022, average per capita egg consumption amounted to 230 eggs, based on preliminary figures.

Potatoes are a German staple

No matter how you slice it, potatoes make up a large part of the average German diet. Whether in soups, mashed, fried, or served as French fries or chips, an average of roughly 60-65 kilograms of potatoes are eaten per person per year in Germany.

The day starts early in Germany, with most Germans waking up around 6 to 7 AM. Breakfast (of course, after a shower), or 'Frühstück', is an important meal for Germans. This typically includes various types of bread (which they are very proud of), cheese, cold cuts, and sometimes eggs.

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.

According to the new 2024 guidelines, mixed dieters should only consume 25 per cent animal products and mostly plant-based foods. The recommended amount of meat and sausage has been reduced from 300 to 600 grams per week to 300 grams.

Traditional German cuisine, though varying considerably from region to region, makes generous use of meat—pork is especially popular, both cured and fresh. Beef, poultry, game such as rabbit and venison, and both freshwater and ocean fish are also widely consumed.

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.