Vegetables | German Cooking | German Food Guide (2024)

FAQs

What vegetables are used in German cooking? ›

Among the favorites in German cooking are potatoes, various types of cabbage, carrots, spinach, peas, asparagus, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and various types of salads. Onions are mainly served with meat dishes or as ingredients in many recipes. Sauerkraut is also a favorite throughout Germany.

White Asparagus: Germany's Underground King of Vegetables.

When American breakfast comes to mind, I dwell upon pancakes, eggs, cereal, and a side of crispy bacon. Overall, when it comes to eating healthier, Germans win by a long shot. This could explain why the obesity rate is more than 10% higher in the U.S. than in Germany.

The tomato is the most beloved vegetable in Germany. The average German eats about 57 pounds of them each year.

Asparagus is “spargel” in German and the season is called “Spargelzeit”. White asparagus season in Germany is typically from around mid-April through to 24 June when the country celebrates the nativity of St. John the Baptist. Germans take white asparagus seriously.

According to legend, King Frederick II of Prussia believed in the economic and nutritious value of potatoes. He tricked local farmers into planting more of the so-called apple of the earth by posting soldiers around the potato fields to protect them. It worked — highly valued goods taste even better.

And even some of that grows on the Mainau Island in Lake Constance. The primary fruits are apples, pears, peaches, grapes, strawberries etc. Most of these are natural fruits in Germany, growing here for centuries. Some fruits from more Southerly areas have been winter hardened over the time the grow here.

Keep in mind that there is actually no plural form for vegetables in German though. The German word “Gemüse” is a singular-only word like the English “information”. So even if you have a whole stew full of them, it will always just be “Gemüse”.

Whilst there are regional variations in food culture, most German recipes focus heavily on bread, potatoes, and meat, especially pork, as well as plenty of greens such as types of cabbage and kale. Cake, coffee, and beer are all highly popular elements of German cuisine too - which will be good news to most!

Do Germans eat bread everyday? ›

The vast majority of Germans (94%) eat bread every day, for many it is part of breakfast and / or dinner. The first two places in the list of Germans' favorite breads are occupied by wheat or mixed wheat bread and toast.

Germany. Germany is the second-largest consumer of sugar in the world. According to the Washington Post, an average German citizen would consume 102.9 grams of sugar daily.

In Germany no other fruit is consumed as much as the apple. Four out of five Germans (79%) regularly eat apples. Followed closely by bananas (78%) and strawberries (77%). And most Germans (74%) believe that apples aren't just tasty but also healthy.

Rich in nutrients and very low in calories, asparagus has become a culinary status symbol for many Germans.

As far as vegetables go, green beans, broccoli, peas and cabbage are staples at the German dinner table. Vegetables are often boiled, stir fried or come from the oven, to keep them slightly chewy.

Some of the most popular fruits and vegetables in Germany are apples, pears, tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, and potatoes. Germany is also known for its production of asparagus. Apples are by far the most popular fruit in Germany; in fact, around 21% of all apples consumed in the European Union come from Germany.

Veganism and vegetarianism has come a long way in the past 10 years in Germany: Finding soy milk may have been a challenge then, but now most supermarkets offer a huge variety of plant-based foods.

A few of Germany's top agricultural exports are: wheat, barley, potatoes, rapeseed and soybean. 83-98% of the food energy consumed in Germany comes from crops that are not native to region. Most of these plants' diversity is found elsewhere on the planet.