When you think of German food, does your mind fill with visions of heavy dumplings, boiled meats and dishes with unpronounceable names like Rinderschmorbraten, Pflaumenkuchen and schwartzwälder Kirschtorte? Then you need to look again! What many people don’t realize is that German cooking is incredibly varied, flavorful and, yes, quite often light on its feet.
Typical German Dishes
A list of typical German dishes and foods. Use it to help you plan a German-style meal, party or festival.
Vorspeisen (Appetizers)
- Gefüllte Eier (Deviled eggs)
- Königinspastetschen (Filled patty shells)
- Marinierter Herring (Pickled herring)
- Tatar (Beef tartar)
Suppen (Soups and Stews)
- Erbsensuppe (Pea soup)
- Kartoffelsuppe (Potato soup)
Salate (Salads)
- Bayrischer Wurst Salat (Bavarian wurst salad)
- Gurkensalat (Cucumber salad)
- Kartofellsalat (Potato salad)
- Kohlrabisalat (Kohlrabi in sour cream dressing)
Klöße and Knödel (Noodles and Dumplings)
- Kartoffelknödel (Potato dumplings)
- Königsberger Klopse (Meat dumplings)
- Leberknödel (Liver dumplings)
- Maultaschen (German meat-filled pasta dumplings)
- Semmelknödel (Bread dumplings)
- Spätzle (Egg dumplings)
- Thüringer Kartoffelklöße (Potato dumplings)
Eierspeisen (Eggs and Dairy)
- Arme Ritter (German-style French toast)
- Bauernomelett (Farmer’s omelette)
- Kaiserschmarrn (Emperor’s pancakes)
- Pfannkuchen (Pancakes)
- Spiegeleier mit Schinken (Fried eggs and ham)
Geflügel (Poultry)
- Gänsebraten (Roast goose)
- Hänchen in Riesling (Chicken in Riesling)
- Hühnerfrikassee (Chicken fricassee)
Fleisch (Meats)
Rind- und Kalbfleisch (Beef and Veal)
- Geschmorte Rindszunge (Braised beef tongue)
- Rinderrouladen (Braised beef rolls)
- Rinderschmorbraten (Beef pot roast)
- Sauerbraten (Vinegar-marinated roast beef)
- Wienerschnitzel (Viennese veal cutlet)
Schweinefleisch (Pork)
- Kasseler Ripchen (Smoked pork chops)
- Schäufele (Roast smoked pork shoulder)
- Schwarzwälder Schinken (Black Forest ham)
- Schweinebraten (Roast pork)
- Schweinekotelette und Sauerkraut (Pork chops and sauerkraut)
Wild (Game)
- Gebratener Rehrücken (Roast saddle of venison)
- Hasenpfeffer (Rabbit fricassee)
- Rehragout (Venison stew)
- Wildschweinbraten (Roast wild boar)
Würste (Sausages)
- Bratwurst (White sausages)
- Kohl und Pinkel (Sausage with greens)
- Leberkäse (Liver loaf)
- Allerlei Würste (A primer of all kinds of sausages)
Fisch (Fish and Seafood)
- Aal in Sauer (Marinated eel)
- Forelle blau (Blue trout)
- Karpfen in Bier (Carp in bier)
- Matjes Hering (Marinated young herring)
Gemüse and Bohnen (Vegetables and Beans)
- Blaukraut (Braised red cabbage)
- Erbsenpüree (Split pea puree)
- Gedünstetes Kraut (Braised cabbage; see Dušené Zelí recipe)
- Gefüllte Tomaten (Stuffed tomatoes)
- Kartoffelpuffer (Potato pancakes; see Latkes recipe)
- Leipziger Allerlei (Mixed vegetables)
- Pilze in Rahmsauce (Mushrooms in cream sauce)
- Sauerkraut (Pickled cabbage)
- Spargel (Asparagus)
- Spinatpudding (Spinach pudding ring)
- Westfälisches Blindhuhn (Westphalian pork and beans)
- Wirsinggemüse (Savoy cabbage in brown sauce)
Brot and Korn (Breads and Grains)
- Bauernbrot (Farmer’s bread)
- Brezeln (Pretzels)
- Semmel (Breakfast rolls)
- Butterbrot (Open-faced sandwiches)
- Pumpernickel (Pumpernickel bread)
- Sonnenblumenbrot (Sunflower seed bread)
Soßen (Sauces)
- Apfelmus (Applesauce)
- Dunkle Soße (Brown sauce)
- Grüne Soße (Green herb sauce)
- Helle Soße (White sauce)
- Käsesoße (Cheese sauce, see Béchamel notes)
- Kräuterbutter (Herbed butter)
- Senfsoße (Mustard sauce, see Béchamel notes)
Süßspeisen (Desserts)
- Apfelmus (Applesauce)
- Apfelstrudel (Apple strudel)
- Baumkuchen (Multi-layered, tree-shaped cake)
- Bayerische Creme (Bavarian creme)
- Blitzkuchen (Quick coffee cake)
- Brotpudding (Bread pudding)
- Dresdner Stollen (Fruitcake)
- Fruchtkompotte (Fruit compotes)
- Kugelhupf (Yeast ring cake)
- Lebkuchen (Gingerbread)
- Marzipan (Almond paste sweets)
- Mohntorte (Poppyseed torte; see Makový Koláč recipe)
- Pflaumenkuchen (Plum tart)
- Rumtopf (Rum-infused fruit)
- Schwäbischer Apfelkuchen (Apple torte)
- Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest torte)
- Waffeln (Waffles)
Getränke (Beverages)
- Eiskaffee (Iced coffee)
- Glühwein (Warm spiced wine)
- Kalte Ente (Champagne punch)
- Maiwein (White wine flavored with woodruff)
- Basics of German Wines
German Recipes
Try these recipes from Germany.
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