Oktoberfest: Recipes and Traditions

Germany's world-famous Oktoberfest began in 1810 as a celebration of the marriage of Bavarian Prince Ludwig to his beloved Therese. Every year several huge tents with picnic tables are set up in Munich's Theresienwiese, or Therese's Meadow, where local residents and visitors from around the world throw back enormous quantities of beer and sausages.

Even though the festival is named for the month of October, Oktoberfest actually begins in September and runs for 16 days until the first Sunday in October.

Beer is Oktoberfest's main attraction. Several million liters are consumed every year at the affair. Normally reserved and decorous Germans let loose and have a rip-roaring good time. Some revelers, of course, have a wee bit too much fun. These unfortunate souls have earned their own nickname in German: Bierleichen, or "beer corpses."

It's not all about beer though. German food specialties are on full display too. Apart from a variety of Würste, or sausages, there is Brathendl, (roast chicken), Schweinebraten and Schweinshaxe (roast pork and roast pork hocks), Steckerlfisch (grilled mackerel on a stick), Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes), Rotkohl (braised red cabbage), Obazda (cheese spread), Kartoffelknödel (potato dumplings) and Wurstsalat (sausage salad).

Oktoberfest Recipes

Blaukraut

(German braised red cabbage)

Blaukraut, also known as rotkraut or rotkohl, is a popular German side dish. It is most often served with pork, sausages, goose, duck or game and a side of mashed potatoes or potato dumplings. In England, the same dish is called Suffolk red cabbage. Read more »

Kartoffelknödel

(German potato dumplings)

Kartoffelknödel figure in the cuisine of most of the regions of Germany, and are a typical side dish with roasted and braised meats. This particular dumpling recipe, using both cooked and raw potatoes, comes from Bavaria. Potato dumplings are also popular in the Czech Republic, where they are known as bramborové knedlíky. Read more »

Kartoffelpuffer, or Reibekuchen

(German potato pancakes; see Latkes recipe)

Kartoffelsalat

(German potato salad)

Two basic types of potato salad are made in Germany. In the north, the potatoes are held together with mayonnaise. In the southern regions of Swabia and Bavaria and in Austria, Kartoffelsalat is mixed with hot broth, oil and vinegar. This recipe is for the southern version, often called "German potato salad" in the U.S. For the mayonnaise version, see this recipe. Read more »

Schweinebraten

(German roast pork)

Roast pork is a popular Sunday meal in Central Europe. In Germany, Schweinebraten is most often served with braised cabbage or sauerkraut, dumplings and a fine pilsener. In the Czech Republic this dish is known as vepřová pečeně. In Poland, it is called pieczeń wieprzowa. Read more »