German cuisine, like any other European cuisine, is very tasty and has evolved though hundreds of years of social upheaval, political turmoil and economic/trading fluctuations. It varies from region to region, yet on the other hand, shares a number of famous recipes with a number of neighboring countries, such as Austria and the Netherlands.

The first time I journeyed to Germany, I was sorry not to have time to sample any local food, since I was there to attend a three-day heavy metal festival (Wacken Open-air Festival) and to be honest I was more worried about pitching my tent and not getting all my stuff wet in the mud, rather than actually exploring the country.

Fortunately for me, these last few years I had the opportunity to visit Germany twice, both for leisure purposes, and I finally had the time and inclination to sample some of its most notorious food.

I was staying at a self-catering apartment during both of my visits to Germany, so also had the opportunity to cook while I was there. My visit to a German supermarket was a revelation – sausages, sausages, and more sausages! So many brands, sizes, colors and varieties! I was seriously impressed!

There are too many German sausages to mention them all – the most well-known is perhaps the Bratwurst, which is a sausage made from minced pork and beef, usually grilled and served with sweet mustard in a breadroll. My boyfriend went crazy for itand bought three while we were roaming around a German Christmas market, even though it was still 9am!

The Frankfurter (bockwurst) is another well-known German sausage. As the name suggests, it originated in Frankfurt and is made with veal and pork flavored with pepper and paprika. One must also not fail to mention the really tasty Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, which is usually flavored with marjoram and served with sauerkraut and horseradish. As is the Knackwurst, which is made from beef and flavored with garlic.

By the way, yes ‘wurst‘ means ‘sausage’ in German. In case you hadn’t noticed!

Another staple of German cuisine, is the much-vaunted Sauerkraut.

I’m going to write it up-front – I DO NOT LIKE SAUERKRAUT. I tasted it twice while I was in Germany, and after that I promised myself, I’d never eat it again. Be it as it may, that is my personal opinion, and most people seem to really like it, so perhaps I’m a minority in this case.

Although sauerkraut is synonym to Germany and has been a staple in the German diet since the 1600s, it was in fact ‘invented’ by the Chinese, who first had the idea to ferment cabbages in their own juices, which is the basic idea behind this dish. Its popularity as a side dish (most restaurants in Germany insert sauerkraut instead of the usual salad as a side-plate) not to mention its many health properties make it a ‘superfood’. It is not only a low-calorie and low-fat food, but also chock-full with vitamins.

Sauerkraut has a long shelf-life and a distinct sour flavor. No wonder really – since as previously mentioned it consists of fermented cabbage. There are many many varieties of sauerkraut. Some pickle carrots together with the shredded cabbage, others include apples or cranberries for additional flavor, or else beets for color. Some serve it hot and some serve it cold. There are those who add seeds or berries, others use it in soups or even pie fillings.

If you’re interested in trying to cook it, here‘s one of the many good recipes I found online while researching this article.