German Food Recipes

Say German food recipes and most people would conjure images of sausages, sauerkraut and huge beer mugs. There is a lot more to German food than that of course. It is a quite typical Central European cuisine which is most often rustic and filling, meat and prepared vegetables are central components in many traditional dishes. To better understand this subject it is necessary to understand the history of the country.

A Brief History of Germany
The foundations of Germany can perhaps be considered when tribes, referred later to as Germanic by the Romans, expanded South from Scandinavia and Northern Germany. This started in the 8th century BC and went on for a couple of hundred years. Thus they competed and mixed with already existant Gaulic, Baltic and Slavic tribes. By the first century BC the Romans had included a large part of modern Germany in to their empire, it was to a large extent various Germanic tribes that helped to first diminish and later bring the West Roman Empire to its end. Several tribes like Franks, Saxons, and Burgundians spread over Western Europe to create kingdoms and duchies. Most successful were the Franks who founded the Catholic Carolingian Empire that eventually spanned the best part of Western Europe, about half of modern Germany and into northern Italy and the Balkans. A split of the Frankish Empire in 843 the led to the creation of an easternmost region. When King Otto of Bohemia and his Franco-Germanic forces defeated the then dominating Hungarians in 955 AD a new era with the Holy Roman Empire started. It was en expansive Empire but never completely united. It comprised of several states that had different religions, eventually these religious differences maniphested themselves in war; this was during the 17th century. Although peace was achieved it was never united like before, in the early 18th century Prussia and Habsburg Austria had begun a rivalry that would last well after the Holy Roman Empire officially came to an end (as an effect of a defeat in the first Napoleonic Wars). After Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat a German Confederation was founded in 1814, the conflict between Austrian Habsburg and Preussia remained. Of the two Prussia was stronger, under Bismarck the German Empire was founded, within its borders were all Germanic dominated regions of Europe except Austria; Germany also aquired colonies in Africa. During the bloody First World War a revolution took place that forced all royalties to abdicate and the creation of what came to be known as the Weimar Republic. The peace treaty that was signed in 1919 is generally considered to have been unfair, as a result of it the German population starved. the right wing managed to use this against the existing republic and grew subsequently very popular, By 1933 Adolf Hitler had Germany in his hands. What then happened is a sad and bloody story told many times. After the German forces surrendered in 1945 the country lost a large amount of territory. Germany was divided into four territories by the victors. What was the French, British and US American regions eventually became West Germany, the Soviet part became the communist East Germany. It remained divided throughout the Cold War. After the dissolution of Soviet Union the country was finally reunited in 1990. Germany is today one of the wealthiest and most productive nations in the world.

German Cuisine
The pre-history of this regions cuisine saw a development from hunter-gatherers into simple agrarian societies. German food recipes to a large extent reflect the facts from history mentioned above. The variations between regions are great, much in accordance with where the old states were situated, nowadays many typically regional dishes are to be found all over Germany though. The cuisine is quite typical Central European with heavy rustic food but there is also a lighter more continental tradition. The regional variations are also coherent with neighbouring countries, in the east the simlarities are many with Polish cuisine, in the south to Austrian, in the west to French etc. The introduction of the New World potato in the 18th century had like in so many other European countries a huge impact, it replaced much less sturdy and less nutritious root vegetables. Spices are in moderate use. Many immigrants from Eastern Europe, Turkey and Italy have made sure to change general eating habits, so has the modern trend towards fast food and soft drinks; obesity and coronary diseases a nasty side effect. The last decades have seen a trend towards organic food and vegetarianism, in Germany this is a moment with a large number of followers.

Some Ingredients And Dishes Of Germany
Sauerkraut and sausages is for many synonomous with German food recipes, there is a lot more to it though the sausage making tradition is very strong. Many traditional German food recipes are meat and potato based, a treat that is shared with many other European countries. In general meat from pig, cow and fowl have been in ample use; often cooked into roasts or stews. Various coooking methods with long traditions stand out, pickling, brining, drying and smoking are some examples. The use of vinegar in many recipes, like sauerkraut, has traditions back to the Middle Ages. Knödel (En: dumplings) and spätzle (En: noodles) are together with potatoes what goes with most dishes. Fresh vegetables are less common than prepared; carrots, turnips, potatoes, peas, onions, cauliflower, cabbage and broccolis are often eaten cooked or pickled. A wide variety of breads made from most known cereals are widely consumed; they can include seeds and nuts and are many times made from sour dough. The typical German would have slices of bread for breakfast, with lunch and dinner. Desserts like cakes and pastries are available in a large variety. Dairy products in all its forms are also very common on their own or as ingredients in German food recipes. Germans love their mushrooms, in season it is not uncommon for families to go out collecting them on their own. Here are some examples German dishes:

Senf Mustard of various types would be the condiment to go with most sausages.
Scwarzbrot Dark rye bread.
Pumpernickel Steamed, hevay, sweetish rye bread.
Kürbiskenbrot Dark rye bread with pumpkin seeds.
Weizenmischbrot Rye-wheat bread.
Beetenbartsch Beet root soup of Russian origin.
Brötchen Bread rolls made from wheat.
Leberkäse A kind of cold meat.
Spargel The asparagus is a very popular vegetable, available as a side dish, on its own, compliment or ingredient like in a soup.
Sauerkraut Cabbage fermented in lactid acid bacteria. A very common side dish.
Brathering Fried herring that then is pickled in vinegar with onions and spices.
Rollmops Pickled herring fillets that have been rolled around a gherkin.
Weisswürste Pork sausage
Brötchen Bread rolls made from wheat.
Bratwurst One of the more common sausages, can be made from various types of meat, often with garlic.
Speck A collective name for many types of bacon.
Bratkartoffeln Fried potatoes.
Spätzle Egg noodles.
Himmel und Ääd Blood pudding and stewed apples served with mashed potatoes.
Döner kebab Meat roasted on a rotating spit that is thinly sliced. A very poplular fast food most often eaten in a pocket bread with a hot read sauce, a garlic sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and pickled chili peppers.
Soljanka A sour soup with origins in Ukraine and Russia. Came to East Germany with immigrants.
Labskaus Corned beef, herring, mashed potatoes and beets.
Jägerschnitzel A Wienerschnitzel served with a mushroom sauce.
Kartoffelsalat The German potato salad is vinegar and oil based.
Semmelknödel Dumplings made from bread.
Sauerbraten A ovenbaked pot roast that is sour since it has been marinated in vinegar.
Wiener schnitzel Traditionally a flattened piece of veal that is breaded and fried in butter. Austrian origin.
Fleischkuechle Deep fried ground beef dumplings.
Zwiebelkuchen An onion pie with origins in the Swabia region.
Hasenpfeffer A rabbit stew.
Kohlroulade Cabbage rolls.
Eisbein Boiled pickled pork from the upper part of the leg.
Schwarzwälder kirschtorte Is a chocolate, cherry and whipped cream cake famous around the world.
Berliner/Kreppel Filled doughnuts. Made famous by Kennedy when he tried to win the hearts of the people in Berlin with the statement "Ich bin ein Berliner" which translates into "I am a doughnut".
Pfannkuchen Pancakes.
Prinzregententorte A chocolate layer cake.
Käsekuchen/Quarktorte Cheese cake is popular, is often made from quark cheese.
Rhabarbergrütze Rhubarb cream/pudding.

German Beverages
Beer is the most popular German alcoholic drink, the old German tradition has become a world standard. It comes in many varieties like pilsener which is light lager and weissbier which is made from wheat. The regional types are numerous. Wine has been produced since the days of the Romans, the region Rhineland has the majority of the vineyards. Schnaps refer to hard liquer that you drink in shots, often made from various types of fruits and spiced with herbs.

Submitted German Food Recipes
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