Words to learn

To rove – to move or travel around an area, especially a large one.

Rover is a person who spends their time travelling from place to place.

Hearty means large or (especially of food) in large amounts, substantial.

What do Germans eat?

German food is popular worldwide, it includes countless beloved dishes. They’re normally hearty, so forget about your diet when you visit Germany!

Before going sightseeing it’s good to have a good meal. Lots of food tours are a great way to explore German tastes and culture while trying some delicious original dishes.

History of German food

First, read the words below to understand their meaning. You’ll need them in the following text.

Words to learn

Varying – diverse, different

Specialty – a product or a dish that is extremely good in a particular place.

Unique flavour – singular taste

Food that has heartiness is filling and good for you.

Richness – fullness, large amount

Cuisine – culinary art

Recipe – instructions on how to prepare a certain dish.

Culinary – gastronomical

Neighboring – nearby

Germany’s culinary history reflects its roots and geography. Over time, German food has evolved through different periods of social and political changes. Today, every region has varying food specialties with unique flavours. But, one thing they all have in common is heartiness and richness.

The food of Germany consists of numerous different national or local cuisines, as well as regional recipes unique to German culture.

Since Germany is located in the middle of a large cultural area, Central Europe, it shares many culinary traditions with neighboring countries, including the Czech Republic and Poland.

Practice makes perfect

The best way to remember new words is to use them. Do the following exercise and read the completed sentences loudly.

Typical German foods you must know

Before doing the tasks, please remember the names of some products and related words. Read the words, listen to their pronunciation and match the picture and the word.

Now move to reading and listening exercise.

Read and listen to the text about some famous German dishes. Pay attention to the pronunciation and the words in bold.

Potato salad

The most common traditional German food that you can find in almost every region is potato salad. This type of salad was popularized in the early 1900s and since then has become very common all over the world.

The ingredients for German potato salad vary a little from region to region, but it traditionally contains potatoes, bacon, onion, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Some variations also include apple, carrot, or celery. The salad is often served chilled or cold.

The potato salad was introduced to Germany by French chefs (/ʃef/), and only after World War II it became more popular throughout the country.

Wurst and Sauerkraut

Another German food to try out is wurst and sauerkraut.

Sauerkraut tastes like kraut, or cabbage that has been cut into small pieces and preserved in salt. Wurst is made with meat and a variety of vegetables.

Pretzel

German pretzels taste really good. They are delicious knots of bread sprinkled with salt. You can try it with other dipping such as sugar, cheese, and cinnamon. The form of German pretzels represents arms folded in prayer, that’s why they have such a distinctive knot.

Sauerbraten or Roast Beef Stew or German Pot Roast

Sauerbraten is a national German main dish, and it is always on most restaurant menus. A sliced meat of a horse, beef, or venison is marinated in vinegar, spices, and wine mixture and left to rest for several days before its roasted. 

It’s traditionally served along with potato dumplings, boiled potatoes, and red cabbage.

Bratwurst

One of the most famous street foods in Germany is typically made with veal and pork. This is a fresh sausage seasoned with nutmeg, ginger, coriander, and caraway. They usually grill the sausage over sizzling barbecue stands in the streets, especially in summer.

This grilled sausage typically has a slightly crispy skin. It is served with mustard and ketchup, mustard and sauerkraut, or in a bread roll.

This street food pairs extremely well with German beer.

Read more about German traditional dishes is here.

Okay, after good food, it’s high time to find out how to behave and what to expect in Germany. Let’s do it!

Don’t do it in Germany!

Here’s the listening task. First, watch the video. Try to focus on the ten things you shouldn’t do in Germany. If you want, write down some notes to remember the things better. After that, make a summary of what you’ve heard, using the sentences under the video.

Now complete the summary of the video filling the gaps in the text below. Mind that sometimes the sentences are not exactly the same as in the video, but the words you need to put in are.

Speak up!

Record yourself. Speak about your experience. The following questions will help you:

Now record your answers. This recording device works only on Google Chrome. Please, check that you are using it.