German food and eating habits (2024)

FAQs

German food and eating habits? ›

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!

The typical meals are divided in a rather copious breakfast (6 am – 8 am), lunch (12 pm – 2 pm) and dinner (6 pm – 8 pm). Breakfast usually consists of bread that can be topped with cheese, cold cuts, jam, honey, Nutella etc., if you prefer something salty.

When dining with Germans, be especially mindful of proper manners. They eat continentally—with the fork in the left hand (tines down) and knife in the right hand throughout. Do not pass the fork back and forth between hands. Don't set down your knife to use the fork alone.

Meals in Germany

First of all, we'll take a look at Germany's three main meals in the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

But the Germans like to pull out the stops at breakfast (especially weekend breakfasts). Lots of different cheeses, meats, multiple jams and honey, boiled eggs, fruit and vegetables, smoked fish and of course, every kind of roll or hearty, seeded bread your heart could desire.

Dinner/Supper (das Abendessen/Abendbrot)

Abendbrot (“evening bread”) is the typical German supper. It is a light meal eaten usually between 18:00 and 19:00 and – like breakfast – consists of full grain bread and rolls, fine cheese, meats and sausages, accompanied by mustard and pickles.

Sauerbraten (pronounced [ˈzaʊ̯ɐˌbʁaːtn̩]) is a traditional German roast of heavily marinated meat. It is regarded as a national dish of Germany, and is frequently served in German-style restaurants internationally.

Saumagen ([zaʊ̯ˈmaːɡŋ̩], "sow's stomach") is a German dish popular in the Palatinate. The dish is similar to a sausage in that it consists of a stuffed casing; however, the stomach itself is integral to the dish. It is not as thin as a typical sausage casing (intestines or artificial casing).

At home, some families drink herb tea with a cold supper. Sometimes for dinner, people drink beer or a beer mixed with lemonade (Radler, Alsterwasser) to reduce the amount of alcohol. With special meals, we drink wine. For breakfast, most drink coffee, some drink tea.

What is the main meal in German? ›

The main meal of the day is das Mittagessen, or lunch. The tradition is to have a hot meal during lunch. Sauerbraten, snitzels, Frikadellen (German meatballs), potatoes (such as Kartoffelsalat), green beans, soups, and stews are frequently served for lunch.

However, you must remember that Germans rest only their hands and not their elbows on the table as it is considered quite an inappropriate gesture. It is considered rude to leave food on the plate; not just the Germans, but people from many countries do not like anyone leaving food on their plate.

This statistic shows the average number of eggs consumed per head in Germany from 2006 to 2022. In 2022, average per capita egg consumption amounted to 230 eggs, based on preliminary figures.

In Germany, the most consumed meat is pork. Germans are known for their love of pork, and it is a staple in many traditional dishes. Some popular examples of pork dishes in Germany include schnitzel, which is a breaded and fried pork cutlet, and bratwurst, a type of sausage made from pork, veal, or beef.

In Germany, lunch is THE MEAL of the day. This may be the day's only hot meal, and it is usually served punctually between noon and 2:00. Workers and schoolchildren would traditionally return home so the family could eat together.

Most Germans eat their snacks on the go (37.8%), while the 60 to 69-year age group and those from the new Bundesländer like snacking at home. Men and women of all ages and from all regions agree on the price of a snack: it should be between two and three euros.

While meal prices in Germany can vary, the average cost of food in Germany is $43 (€40) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Germany should cost around $17 (€16) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner.