Popular German cooking ingredients

Popular German
cooking ingredients

Food tips you can trust

Popular German
cooking ingredients

Meat and seafood

Pork is the favorite, though beef frequently appears on household tables.

Chicken and duck are popular, but it is the goose (traditionally cooked and served with apples and prunes) that captures the fancy of most German diners.

The country abounds with forests and, consequently, game like venison, wild boar, hare, pheasant, and river trout contribute to the national fine dining tradition.

Northern Germany has lengthy Baltic and North Sea coastlines. The cool waters yield abundant and flavorful seafood.

Vegetables, grains,
and flavoring agents

The popular potato adds to Germany's high carbohydrate count, appearing either boiled, or shredded for pancakes or dumplings. Interestingly, these tubers are a relatively recent (mid 18th century) addition to the historical German larder.

Hearty vegetables such as red and green cabbage (fresh or fermented into sauerkraut), carrots, radishes, and turnips are also popular, as is the delicate white asparagus for which Germany is famous.

Germany has some of the best bakers in the world. They transform cereal grains into splendid cakes, pastries, and breads.

For flavoring agents, herbs such as dill, chervil, basil, and thyme are used; so are caraway seeds, juniper berries, and prepared mustard. A sweet-sour flavor, obtained with vinegar and fresh or dried fruit, is highly prized.