When you think of typical German food, sausages, pork, and beer spring to mind. And all are ultimately correct. But that does not mean that they are all the same across the country. Just the sausages alone, could not be more different in the various regions. So, when in Bavaria, it’s good to try some typical food, all dishes that are close to the Bavarians’ heart. Here are some tasty treats not to miss when down south.
1. Brezen
You cannot take one step in Bavaria without coming across a Brezen, a pretzel. You get them with your beer, you get them spread with butter for breakfast. You get them on the train, you get them in bakeries, you get them simply everywhere. A traditional food since the Middle Ages, the yeasty, twisted, and salted bread is best eaten fresh, when the outside is slightly crispy and the inside doughy. Head straight to the Viktualienmarkt in Munich and eat your pretzel as you walk exploring the stalls.
2. Obatzda
Now, this is something you can’t get anywhere else. Obatzda is a cheese dip made from an aged cheese, such as a Camembert, mixed with lots of butter, plenty of salt and pepper, plus paprika, and all whipped until soft. Best eaten with pieces of pretzel to scoop it up, and with a beer to wash it down. Where should you try it? On the Wies’n, of course. If Octoberfest is too busy and touristy for you, try the Spring Fest, a smaller but just as fun version of the famous event.
3. Weisswurst
These pale-looking sausages are, very much unlike the typical German Bratwurst, made by simmering in water rather than grilling, and are eaten in a specific way, and at a specific time. Just like the Italians have their cappuccino rule, the Bavarians frown upon anybody eating a Weisswurst after midday. And to eat it, you basically suck the meat out of the skin, discarding the casing later. Try them near the wholesale market in the Gaststätte Grossmarkthalle in Munich, a repeat winner of regular surveys in the city.
Not keen on boiled sausages? Head straight to Nuremberg. There you get the famous Rostbratwürstchen, small, herby sausages, which are best eaten at the Christmas Markeet, or on the weekly market, fresh from the grill.
4. Leberkäse
Leberkäse, translated as liver cheese, confusingly does not contain either liver or cheese. The name derives from the old word Laib meaning loaf, and apparently the loaf looked just like a loaf of cheese. Either way, this is a meat dish made from beef and pork, and baked until the outside is golden brown. Eaten cold or warm, it is usually cut into thick slices. Because it really does make a great sandwich, get some at the train station to eat for a lunch on the go.
5. Knödel
Knödel, or dumplings, are everywhere in Bavaria. You have Leberknödel, liver dumplings, often found in a special soup, and you have Semmelknödel, bread dumplings, as a side dish on any restaurant menu, and they are perfect for soaking up a good sauce. There are also Kartoffelknödel, potato dumplings, and further varieties. Head to the traditional restaurant Wirtshaus in der Au in Munich, not far from the German Museum. Here, you’ll find pretty much all of the above dishes, but the bread dumplings are perfect, especially when eaten with a Jägerschnitzel, a typical breaded cutlet with plenty of mushroom sauce.
6. Spargel
Spargel, asparagus, may not be a typical Bavarian dish, or even a typically German dish, but when the season starts, in April, Munich is a great place to be. On the day, the entire city suddenly sprouts little market stands selling the freshest asparagus, harvested that morning at sunrise. But to really get into the asparagus mood, head to the restaurant Der Pschorr, where they start the season off with a brass band, many guests, and a menu that celebrates everything to do with asparagus.
7. Bayrische Creme
Also known as Bavarian Crème, crème bavaroise, or just bavarois, this is a dessert, a vanilla crème, not unlike a panna cotta. While many say that this is a French dessert, there is some dispute over whether the original harks from Bavaria or France. But when it comes down to it, if it were French, surely it would have been called French Crème? Round up an often meat-heavy Bavarian meal with this light dessert, in a traditional restaurant such as the Wirtshaus in der Au or The Pschorr, or head to the market and grab a warm Krapfen, a Bavarian doughnut, filled with said cream.
