Kat Johnson '24 | Opinion: Kat's Takes on Classic German Foods and Drinks

Back in the summer of 2018, when I visited Germany with my sister, our host family encouraged us to try as many classic German dishes as possible. Though I tried many famous dishes, I unfortunately only have pictures of a few. Some of the things I tried included:

Das Essen (the food)

• I bought eine Brezel (a pretzel) from a mall in Schweinfurt, Bavaria. It was really good, and definitely a classic snack that everyone should try in Germany. 
• I tried Schnitzel (with french fries) in Cologne (Köln). This was one of my favorites. Schnitzel is a thin piece of meat that has been fried in fat. It can be made from different kinds of meats, but I believe the one I had was either chicken or pork. Regardless, it was delicious!

Schnitzel mit Pommes! ©Kat Johnson 2018

• I tried Spätzle in either Frankfurt or Berlin. Spätzle is a vegetarian dish that consists of noodles made from egg. It's usually served with a lot of gooey melted cheese. My sister especially liked it, since she is vegetarian.  

• I also tried a variety of traditional German sausages and meats including Bratwurst. Definitely a must-have!

• The following picture features a dish I tried in the far south of Germany in the Alps, called Leberkäse. Leberkäse is a meatloaf-like dish similar to bologna sausage. It is especially popular in Bavaria, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. When I had it, it was served  with a fried egg and a potato dish on the side. It was also very good, even though I am not a big fan of meat-loaf.   

It's not Spam. ©Kat Johnson 2018

Die Getränke (drinks) 

• I tried Kölsch Bier, the specialty beer of Cologne (Köln), in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Much to many Germans’ dismay, I am not a fan of beer. Thus, I did not enjoy Kölsch Bier or any of the other German beers I tried, including Radler, which is a beer-lemonade mix. However, if you are a fan of beer, you would definitely want to try the famous Kölsch Bier.  

Die Nachtische (desserts) 

• I also tried Apfelkuchen (apple cake) in Cologne (Köln). Apfelkuchen is a classic German dessert that consists of cinnamon coated apples with sugar and a few other ingredients baked into a pastry mixture. It's kind of like apple pie and very delicious!

Apfelkuchen! ©Kat Johnson 2018

• I also had Schwarzwälderkirschtorte  (Black Forest cherry cake), another German classic. I actually tried this one in the basement Domcafé of the Berliner Dom. The cake is filled with cherries, chocolate, liquor and whipped cream. I thought it was very good, but it was not my favorite dessert overall.    

• Kaiserschmarrn was by far my favorite dessert/dish that I tried in Germany. The dish is essentially fluffy pancake bites that are usually served with powdered sugar and applesauce. It is not just a dessert food, and can be eaten for other meals as well. It is wonderful and delicious!

Some fluffy Kaiserschmarrn. ©Kat Johnson 2018

    These were just a few of the many classic dishes I tried in Germany. When visiting Germany I would definitely recommend trying as many of these classics as you can, and many others as well! I would especially recommend my three favorites, Kaiserschmarrn, Schnitzel, and Spätzle.