German gastronomy is mainly associated with frankfurters, sauerkraut and potatoes. But, it is actually very varied, each region boasts its own gastronomic tradition and has its own tasty dishes prepared with local ingredients. Most of the recipes are meat-based, but there are also a variety of fish dishes on offer, especially in the north of the country. It goes without saying that every meal in Germany is not complete without a beer, the national drink. If you are planning a trip to Germany, follow our advice and discover what this country has to offer! Go ahead and try some of the dishes from this list!

Pretzel

Also known as laugenbretzel or breze, pretzels are iconic. A pretzel is a soft bread made with wheat flour, beer yeast, malt, water and baking soda. Its peculiar shape dates back to the seventh century when it was prepared by monks – the three characteristic holes in the bread were made to represent the Holy Trinity. The type of flour used to make this famous German snack varies region by region, and some varieties use spelt or wholemeal flour.

Sauerbraten

This German meat dish is a delicious stew containing tender beef, that has been marinated in vinegar and a mix of spices. Sauerbraten is traditionally served with red cabbage and potato dumplings or boiled potatoes. The secret to a perfect Sauerbraten is to marinate the beef (or horse meat or venison) in a wine and vinegar mixture for several days to make the meat as tender as possible. Sauerbraten is one of Germany's most beloved national dishes, is often the star dish on restaurant menus.

Bratwurst

One of the most famous street foods in Germany, bratwurst is juicy pork or veal sausage seasoned with ginger, nutmeg, coriander or cumin. It is served grilled with slightly crispy skin and usually garnished with either mustard, ketchup or sauerkraut or served by itself in a bread roll.

Currywurst

This is a pork sausage with a sauce made from a mix of ketchup and curry powder; the currywurst is Germany's most popular sausage, and it is served a bread roll, with fries. Introduced by British soldiers after the war, the curry powder and ketchup were used as a way to liven up the basic grilled sausage and eventually became a national dish!

Kartoffelpuffer

This very popular dish is a fried potato pancake similar to a hash brown. Mashed or grated potatoes are mixed with parsley, eggs and onions into a flat circular shape and then deep-fried. As with hash browns, they are usually served with eggs for breakfast. Another way to enjoy them is with apple sauce and sour cream.

Bier Fisch

If you are in the north of the country, make sure you taste this delicious fish dish. This old traditional German recipe consists of fish served with a sauce made of beer. It combines sweet, sour and spicy flavours and is traditionally prepared with carp. Today it is made with other types of fish because carp is increasingly becoming hard to find.

Apfelkuchen 

This German apple cake is just delicious. Apples are soaked in sugar, cinnamon and some lemon juice and then baked into a buttery pastry mixture. The cake is garnished with raisins before baking and cooked quite quickly. Its perfect served with a hot cup of coffee on a wintry afternoon!

Beer

Each dish in Germany releases its own distinctive flavour depending on which beer it is accompanied with. This beer-drinking tradition goes back centuries in Germany. It is part of the German lifestyle but, if you want to try their best beers, you will have to go to Bavaria. The region is well known for Oktober Festival and the immense range of beers it produces. Bavarian beer includes the distinctive cloudy beer called hefeweizen - or wheat beer - and the pale lager, called Pilsner, which is the most popular beer in the country.

Ferries to Germany

Visit NetFerry and discover which routes go to Germany’s Baltic coast. The Netferry website allows you to find the best prices, reserve a quote and then return to it a few days later for locations including Kiel, Travemunde, Sassnitz and Rostock. Netferry always helps you find all the information you need, including prices, times and ports of departure and arrival are just a few clicks away with Netferry.

Netferry: ferries at the click of a button!