German cuisine

Prejudices and misconceptions are hard to overcome with respect to which meals and beverages are daily consumed in different countries. People from abroad very often think that Germans consume huge portions of meat with potato side dishes of any kind every day.

Bratwurst
Take for instance the German Bratwurst (a kind of fried/grilled sausage). The Bratwurst is very often said to be typically German in foreign countries. People from abroad notice that this kind of sausage is one of the most popular fast food snacks here in Germany and you can find it in many different variations, whether it is called curry sausage, Thuringian or Nuremberg sausages and eaten either in a roll, with potato salad or chips. In summertime they are a must on every barbecue or you'll have lost your reputation at once. And no stylish food whatsoever served then can bring your reputation back.

To many foreigners Germans seem to eat a lot and consume huge portions, men wearing leather trousers and a Tyrolean hat and women the so-called dirndl. Considering clothing this is only true for the southern part of Germany but you can find gourmands and gourmets all over Germany. It's a fact, however, that German cuisine very often is saltier, spicier and unfortunately more fattening than food from other countries.

But portions might seem so huge because there is a different course of menu here. Most people have a hot meal for lunch and then everything is served on a big plate for each person. At first glance that might look truly much, especially to Japanese people who serve many several dishes in small bowls to be shared and eaten together.

Traditional German dishes
In the meantime other traditional German dishes like Eisbein (knuckle of pork) with sauerkraut or grilled knuckle of pork, which are also well-known abroad, can only seldom be found on German lunch tables. The fattening foods which formerly were mostly eaten during the hard winter time to stand that time of year have lost their original purpose. So by now it is possible that you can find Germans who have never eaten anything like that in their life. Many traditional German dishes are only served on special occasions now, like Christmas or Easter, and foreign specialties supplement the traditional German meals.