Dig into this chapter’s phrases for dining at restaurants, special concerns (including dietary restrictions, children, and being in a hurry), types of food and drink, and shopping for your picnic. The next chapter is a Menu Decoder.
Germans eat meals at about the same times as Americans: lunch from about 12:00 to 14:00, and dinner between 18:00 and 21:00.
Dishes—and even the names for basic ingredients—can vary dramatically between Austria, Switzerland, and even specific parts of Germany. In this chapter, I’ve listed the most widely used term; in cases where a different term predominates regionally, I’ve listed a second term, followed by (Aus.) for Austria, (Switz.) for Switzerland, or (Bav.) for Bavaria. If there are many variations, look for the terms in the prose after the chart. Also, if a specialty is common only in a particular city or region, I’ve listed that place in parentheses.
Here are several types of eateries, including a few country-specific variations. Just as in English, German’s various synonyms for “restaurant” are really a matter of connotation—there’s no strict rule to differentiate a Gaststube, say, from a Restaurant, Wirtschaft, or Café.
Restaurant: Primarily fine dining with formal service
Gaststätte / Gaststube: Local restaurant, usually informal
Gasthaus / Gasthof: Restaurant often in a country inn
Wirtschaft: Tavern, likely with a rustic vibe
Keller: Atmospheric restaurant cellar
Ratskeller: Restaurant cellar below the town hall (Rathaus)
Heuriger: Bar serving “new wine” and basic food (Vienna)
Kneipe: Pub (Germany)
Weinstube: Wine bar
Bierstube: Tavern
Schenke: Old-fashioned pub
Brauhaus / Bräuerei: Brewery (brewpub)
Bierhalle: Beer hall
Café: Coffee shop that may serve light food
Bäckerei: Bakery (bread)
Konditorei: Pastry shop
(Schnell) Imbiss: Fast-food stand
Mensa: Cheap university or city employees’ cafeteria (sometimes open to the public)
Beisl: Cozy Viennese tavern
Hütte: Rustic mountain hut serving hearty meals (Switz.)
| Where’s a good... restaurant nearby? | Wo ist hier ein gutes... Restaurant? voh ist heer īn goo-tehs... reh-stoh-rahn |
| ...affordable | ...günstiges gewn-stig-ehs |
| ...local-style | ...einheimisches īn-hī-mish-ehs |
| ...untouristy | ...untouristisches oon-too-rees-tish-ehs |
| ...romantic | ...romantisches roh-mahn-tish-ehs |
| ...vegetarian | ...vegetarisches vay-gay-tar-ish-ehs |
| ...fast | ...schnelles shnehl-ehs |
| ...fast food | ...”fast Food” “fast food” |
| ...self-service | ...Selbstbedienungs zehlbst-beh-dee-noongs |
| ...Turkish | ...türkisches tewr-kish-ehs |
| ...Asian | ...asiatisches ah-zee-ah-tish-ehs |
| beer garden | Biergarten beer-gar-tehn |
| beer hall | Brauhaus brow-hows |
| with terrace | mit Terrasse mit tehr-ah-seh |
| with a salad bar | mit Salatbar mit zah-laht-bar |
| with candles | bei Kerzenlicht bī kehrt-sehn-likht |
| popular with locals | bei den Einheimischen beliebtes bī dayn īn-hī-mish-ehn beh-leeb-tehs |
| moderately priced | nicht zu teuer nikht tsoo toy-ehr |
| splurge | zum Verwöhnen tsoom fehr-vur-nehn |
| Is it better than McDonald’s? | Ist es besser als McDonald’s? ist ehs behs-ehr ahls “McDonald’s” |
Most German restaurants take a Ruhetag (day off; roo-eh-tahg) each week. Before tracking down a recommended restaurant, call to make sure it’s open.
When entering a restaurant, you can feel free to seat yourself at any table that isn’t marked reserviert (reserved) or Stammtisch (special table reserved for regulars).
Here are a few food categories and other restaurant lingo you might see on the menu.
| menu | Karte / Speisekarte kar-teh / shpī-zeh-kar-teh |
| The menu (in English), please. | Die Speisekarte (auf Englisch), bitte. dee shpī-zeh-kar-teh (owf ehng-lish) bit-teh |
| daily special | Tagesgericht / Tagesteller tah-gehs-geh-rikht / tah-geh-shtehl-ehr |
| specialty of the house | Spezialität des Hauses shpayt-see-ahl-ee-tayt dehs how-zehs |
| menu of the day | Tageskarte tah-gehs-kar-teh |
| fixed-price meal | Menü meh-new |
| fixed-price meal of the day | Tagesmenü tah-gehs-meh-new |
| multi-course dinner | Mehrgang-Menü mehr-gahng-meh-new |
| half-portion | halbe Portion hahl-beh port-see-ohn |
| list of small-portion dishes | kleine Hunger klī-neh hoon-gehr |
| children’s plate | Kinderteller kin-dehr-tehl-ehr |
| breakfast | Frühstück frew-shtewk |
| lunch | Mittagessen mit-tahg-eh-sehn |
| dinner | Abendessen ah-behnd-eh-sehn |
| dishes (prepared dishes) | Gerichte geh-rikh-teh |
| warm / cold dishes | warme / kalte Gerichte var-meh / kahl-teh geh-rikh-teh |
| appetizers | Vorspeisen for-shpī-zehn |
| sandwiches | Sandwiches zehnd-vich-ehs |
| bread | Brot broht |
| salad | Salat zah-laht |
| soup | Suppe zoo-peh |
| first course | erster Gang ehr-stehr gahng |
| main course(s) | Hauptgericht(e) / Hauptgang howpt-geh-rikht(-eh) / howpt-gahng |
| meat | Fleisch flīsh |
| poultry | Geflügel geh-flew-gehl |
| fish | Fisch fish |
| seafood | Meeresfrüchte meh-rehs-frewkh-teh |
| side dishes | Beilagen bī-lah-gehn |
| vegetables | Gemüse geh-mew-zeh |
| cheese | Käse kay-zeh |
| dessert | Nachspeise / Nachtisch nahkh-shpī-zeh / nahkh-tish |
| light lunch | Brotzeit broht-sīt |
| bar snacks | zum Knabbern tsoom keh-nah-behrn |
| drinks menu | Getränkekarte geh-trehn-keh-kar-teh |
| beverages | Getränke geh-trehn-keh |
| beer | Bier beer |
| wine | Wein vīn |
| cover charge | Eintritt īn-trit |
| service (not) included | Bedienung (nicht) inklusive beh-dee-noong (nikht) in-kloo-zee-veh |
| hot / cold | warm / kalt varm / kahlt |
| comes with | dazu daht-soo |
| choice of | Wahl vahl |
Restaurants like to trumpet their special dishes, marked Angebot (offer), Empfehlung (recommendation), Tagesgericht or Tagesteller (plate of the day), or Wir empfehlen (We recommend). This can be a regular dish at a special price, a seasonal or unusual dish, or simply the specialty of the house.
You can save money by ordering a halbe Portion (half-portion), a dish off the kleine Hunger (small hunger) list, or the Tagesmenü (fixed-price meal of the day). At restaurants offering fine dining, you may see a Mehrgang-Menü (multicourse dinner) for one set price (Festpreis).
To get the waiter’s attention, ask Bitte? (Please?). If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, SEE HERE.
This is the sequence of a typical restaurant experience: The waiter gives you a menu (Karte or Speisekarte) and then asks if you’d like something to drink (Etwas zu trinken?). When ready to take your order, the waiter simply says Bitte?. After the meal, he asks if the meal tasted good (Hat’s gut geschmeckt?), if you’d like dessert (Möchten Sie eine Nachspeise?), and if you’d like anything else (Sonst noch etwas? or Möchten Sie etwas dazu? or Haben Sie noch einen Wunsch?). He may also ask Sind Sie zufrieden? (Are you content?). If you’d like to speak with the server, you’ll need to signal for him or her politely; don’t expect a “how is everything?” mid-meal check-in. Likewise, you must explicitly ask to pay the bill (Rechnung, bitte)—it’s considered rude for a server to give a guest the bill before it’s been requested.
After serving the meal, your server might wish you a cheery Guten Appetit! Strangers may also say this to you as they pass your table.
| This is... | Dies ist... dees ist |
| ...dirty. | ...schmutzig. shmoot-sig |
| ...greasy. | ...fettig. feh-tig |
| ...salty. | ...salzig. zahlt-sig |
| ...undercooked. | ...zu wenig gekocht. tsoo vay-nig geh-kohkht |
| ...overcooked. | ...zu lang gekocht. tsoo lahng geh-kohkht |
| ...inedible. | ...nicht essbar. nikht ehs-bar |
| ...cold. | ...kalt. kahlt |
| ...disgusting. | ...ekelhaft. ay-kehl-hahft |
| Do any of your customers ever return? | Kommen Ihre Kunden je zurück? koh-mehn ee-reh koon-dehn yay tsoo-rewk |
| Yuck! | Igitt! ee-git |
| Yummy! | Mmmh! mmm |
| Delicious! | Lecker! lehk-ehr |
| Excellent! | Ausgezeichnet! ows-geht-sīkh-neht |
| Very tasty! | Sehr schmackhaft! zehr shmahk-hahft |
| I love German food. | Ich liebe deutsche Küche. ikh lee-beh doytch-eh kewkh-eh |
| I love Austrian food. | Ich liebe österreichische Küche. ikh lee-beh ur-steh-rīkh-ish-eh kewkh-eh |
| I love Swiss food. | Ich liebe schweizer Küche. ikh lee-beh shvīt-sehr kewkh-eh |
| I am content. | Ich bin zufrieden. ikh bin tsoo-free-dehn |
| My compliments to the chef! | Komplimente an den Koch! kohmp-lim-ehn-teh ahn dayn kohkh |
When you’re ready to pay, first get the waiter’s attention. Then ask for the bill by saying Die Rechnung (literally “reckoning”) or Zahlen, bitte. The waiter might ask you Zusammen oder getrennt? (Together, or separate checks?).
The service charge (sometimes called Bedienung) is nearly always included. Tipping is not expected beyond that, though it’s polite to round up to the next big coin (10 percent is about right)—this bonus is called Trinkgeld, literally “drinking money.” If you’re uncertain whether to tip, ask another customer if tipping is expected.
Rather than leaving loose coins on the table, German, Austrian, and Swiss diners “tip with paper”: When paying your bill, tell your server the total amount you want to pay including the tip. For example, if your bill is €13.70 and you’re handing over a €20 bill, simply say Fünfzehn (Fifteen). You’ll get €5 change, your server keeps the extra €1.30 (without having to fish around for coins that you’ll just give back anyway), and you’ll feel very local.
| tip | Trinkgeld trink-gehlt |
| service (not) included | Bedienung (nicht) inklusive beh-dee-noong (nikht) in-kloo-zee-veh |
| Is tipping expected? | Ist Trinkgeld üblich? ist trink-gehlt ewb-likh |
| What percent? | Wie viel Prozent? vee feel proh-tsehnt |
| Keep the change. | Stimmt so. shtimt zoh |
| Change, please. | Wechselgeld, bitte. vehkh-sehl-gehlt bit-teh |
| This is for you. | Das ist für Sie. dahs ist fewr zee |
Allergies and Other Dietary Restrictions
Europeans take their time at meals, so don’t expect speedy service. However, if you’re in a rush, let your server know.
| I’m / We’re in a hurry. | Ich habe / Wir haben es eilig. ikh hah-beh / veer hah-behn ehs ī-lig |
| I’m sorry. | Es tut mir leid. ehs toot meer līt |
| I must / We must leave... | Ich muss / Wir müssen... gehen. ikh moos / veer mew-sehn... gay-ehn |
| ...in 30 minutes / in one hour. | ...in dreissig Minuten / in einer Stunde in drī-sig mee-noo-tehn / in ī-nehr shtoon-deh |
| Will the food be ready soon? | Ist das Essen bald bereit? ist dahs eh-sehn bahlt beh-rīt |
| The bill, please. | Die Rechnung, bitte. dee rehkh-noong bit-teh |
To speed things up, ask for your bill when the waiter brings your food. You could explain Es tut mir leid—ich habe es eilig (I’m sorry—I’m in a hurry).
If the food you’re unable to eat doesn’t appear in this list, look for it in the Menu Decoder (next chapter). You’ll find vegetarian phrases in the next section.
Very often, Europeans think vegetarian means “no red meat” or “not much meat.” If you’re a strict vegetarian, tell your server what you don’t eat: Write it out on a card and keep it handy. It can also be helpful to clarify what you do eat.
| I’m a... | Ich bin... ikh bin |
| ...vegetarian (m / f). | ...Vegetarier / Vegetarierin. vay-gay-tar-ee-ehr / vay-gay-tar-ee-eh-rin |
| ...strict vegetarian (m / f). | ...strenger Vegetarier / strenge Vegetarierin. shtrehng-ehr vay-gay-tar-ee-ehr / shtrehng-eh vay-gay-tar-ee-eh-rin |
| ...vegan (m / f). | ...Veganer / Veganerin. veh-gahn-ehr / veh-gahn-eh-rin |
| Is any meat or animal fat used in this? | Hat es Fleisch oder tierische Fette drin? haht ehs flīsh oh-dehr teer-ish-eh feht-eh drin |
| What is vegetarian here? (pointing to menu) | Was ist hier vegetarisch? vahs ist heer vay-gay-tah-rish |
| I don’t eat... | Ich esse kein... ikh eh-seh kīn |
| I’d like this without... | Ich möchte das ohne... ikh murhk-teh dahs oh-neh |
| ...meat. | ...Fleisch. flīsh |
| ...eggs. | ...Eier. ī-ehr |
| ...animal products. | ...Tierprodukte. teer-proh-dook-teh |
| I eat... | Ich esse... ikh eh-seh |
| Do you have...? | Haben Sie...? hah-behn zee |
| ...anything with tofu | ...irgend etwas mit Tofu eer-gehnd eht-vahs mit toh-foo |
| ...veggie burgers | ...Veggie-Burger “veggie burger” |
Remember, to get smaller portions, you can order from the kleine Hunger (small hunger) section of the menu.
Dumplings, Potatoes, and Noodles
Traditional Germanic food—heavy on potatoes, cabbage, and Wurst (sausage)—is notoriously starchy and filling. But these days, many locals have become health nuts. On menus, the word Fitness marks healthy items (such as Fitnessteller, fitness plate). People in these countries are also quite passionate about choosing Bio (organic) products. Not only do they eat Bio fruits and vegetables, but also Bio bread, ice cream, and schnitzel. A Bioladen is a store that sells organic products.
A Germanic Frühstück (breakfast) usually includes rolls, pastries, cereal, yogurt, cold cuts, cheese, fruit, juice, and coffee. Most locals have a sandwich with cold cuts and/or a bowl of Müsli. Instead of pouring milk over their cereal, they begin with a dollop of yogurt (or Quark—yogurt-like cheese curds), then sprinkle the cereal on top and mix it in. Bircher Müsli is a healthy, tasty mix of oats, nuts, yogurt, and fruit.
Where eggs are offered, they’re most likely soft-boiled (weichgekochte Eier). Set the egg upright in its little stand, gently break the shell around its perimeter, remove the top half of the shell, salt and pepper it, and eat it as if from a tiny cup. You might also find hard-boiled eggs (hartgekochte Eier). Though less common, you may also see Rühreier (scrambled eggs) or Spiegeleier (fried eggs—literally “mirror eggs”—typically sunny-side up).
In some hotels—especially in tidy Switzerland—look for a little plastic garbage pail on the table. It’s for the trash (jam containers, eggshells, etc.).
German-speaking lands boast many kinds of bread, pastries, and cakes—baked fresh every morning and throughout the day.
A Bäckerei (bakery) sells breads, pretzels, and sweet rolls, good for a snack or light meal anytime. A Konditorei (dessert shop) specializes in cakes, ideal for an afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of coffee (the Germanic version of teatime, called Kaffee und Kuchen). A Bäckerei-Konditorei does it all.
Bread: Like German beer, German bread comes in many varieties. The main categories are helles Brot (light bread), dunkles Brot (dark bread), and Vollkornbrot (whole-grain bread).
| bakery | Bäckerei behk-eh-rī |
| bread | Brot broht |
| dark bread | dunkles Brot doon-klehs broht |
| light bread | helles Brot heh-lehs broht |
| whole grain bread | Vollkornbrot fohl-korn-broht |
| three-grain bread | Dreikornbrot drī-korn-broht |
| rye bread | Roggenmischbrot roh-gehn-mish-broht |
| dark rye bread | Schwarzbrot shvarts-broht |
| sourdough bread | Sauerteigbrot zow-ehr-tīg-broht |
| white bread | Weissbrot vīs-broht |
| wimpy white bread (“Wonder” bread) | Toastbrot “toast”-broht |
| multigrain bread | Mehrkornbrot mehr-korn-broht |
| dense flatbread | Fladenbrot flah-dehn-broht |
| baguette | Baguette “baguette” |
| roll | Brötchen / Semmel (Aus.) / Brötli (Switz.) brurtkh-yehn / zehm-ehl / brurt-lee |
| large pretzel | Brezel brayt-sehl |
| pretzel roll | Brezelstange brayt-sehl-shtahng-eh |
| Please slice it? | Bitte schneiden? bit-teh shnī-dehn |
Keep an eye out for specialties (Spezialitäten). While Brötchen is standard German for roll, there are many regional variations, such as Semmel (Bavaria and Austria), Brötli (Switzerland), and Schrippe (Berlin). A big, puffy German Brezel (pretzel) or Brezelstange (pretzel roll) is a must. The brown crust comes from dunking them in water boiled with baking soda or lye.
Pastries: Pastries are another specialty and can go by a variety of German terms, including Feingebäck (fine baked goods), Feine Backwaren (fine baked wares), Kleingebäck (small baked goods), Zuckergebäck (sweet baked goods), Kuchen (cakes), and Süsswaren (confections). All of them are equally delicious.
| Amerikaner ah-meh-rik-ah-nehr flat, round doughnut with thick layer of glaze frosting on top |
| Apfelstrudel ahp-fehl-shtroo-dehl apples and raisins in puff pastry |
| Berliner behr-lee-nehr jelly-filled doughnut |
| Datschi daht-shee cake topped with fruit (often rhubarb or plum) |
| Mandelgipfel / Mandelhorn mahn-dehl-gip-fehl / mahn-dehl-horn croissant filled with almond paste |
| Nussgipfel noos-gip-fehl croissant with nut filling, usually hazelnut |
| Rohrnudel ror-noo-dehl roll-like sweet dumpling embedded with raisins (Bav. and Aus.) |
| Schnecken shneh-kehn snail-shaped pastry roll filled with nuts and raisins |
| Stollen shtohl-ehn sweet Christmas bread with raisins, nuts, and powdered sugar |
| Topfenstrudel tohp-fehn-shtroo-dehl pastry filled with sweet cheese and raisins (Aus.) |
For cakes and other desserts, see “Teutonic Treats” SEE HERE.
The Berliner (jelly doughnut) was immortalized when JFK stood boldly in front of the Berlin Wall and said Ich bin ein Berliner (“I am a jelly doughnut”). What he meant to say was Ich bin Berliner (“I am a citizen of Berlin”). Confusingly, in Berlin itself, these doughnuts are called Pfannkuchen, and in other places (including Bavaria), they’re Krapfen or Berliner Ballen. There’s no standard way to say “jelly doughnut”—if one term doesn’t work, try another.
The traditional term for a sandwich is belegtes Brot (literally, “laid bread”), and Brötchen (roll) can also mean a sandwich. But everyone understands the English word Sandwich.
In addition to cold cuts and cheese, Germanic sandwiches can be topped with Aufstrich—various spreads, including ones listed in the table below.
Brotzeit: Sandwich Specialties
Brotzeit (bread time) is the all-purpose term for a light between-meals snack that’s served cold. Brotzeit can include many of the sandwich items listed in the previous table, as well as various Wurst and salads (see “Salad Specialties,” SEE HERE). Many restaurants serve a Brotzeit platter consisting of several of these items on a large wooden plate.
| Kartoffelkäse kar-tohf-ehl-kay-zeh “potato cheese” spread made of mashed potatoes, onion, and sour cream (but no cheese) |
| Mettbrot meht-broht raw ground pork spread on bread, often with raw onions |
| Schmalzbrot shmahlts-broht bread smeared with lard |
| Schnittlauchbrot shnit-lowkh-broht bread with cream cheese and diced chives |
Wurst (sausage) is a Germanic staple. While available at restaurants, it’s more commonly eaten at fast-food stands (called Würstchenbude in Germany, or Würstelstand in Austria).
| sausage | Wurst voorst |
| with... | mit... mit |
| ...(sweet / hot) mustard | ...(süsser / scharfer) Senf (zews-ehr / sharf-ehr) zehnf |
| ...sauerkraut | ...Sauerkraut zow-ehr-krowt |
| ...horseradish | ...Meerrettich / Kren (Bav. and Aus.) mehr-eh-tikh / krehn |
| bread | Brot broht |
| roll | Brötchen brurtkh-yehn |
| roasted potatoes | Bratkartoffeln braht-kar-tohf-ehln |
| potato salad | Kartoffelsalat kar-tohf-ehl-zah-laht |
At sausage stands, your Wurst generally comes with a Brötchen (Semmel in Bavaria and Austria)—a round roll that doesn’t resemble an American hot-dog bun. Often you’ll be handed a fork and paper plate with your Wurst, Brötchen, and a little squirt of Senf. Some sausages can be stuffed into the roll, but most locals alternate between munching the sausage and the roll. (“That’s why you have two hands,” they say.) You might be given the choice of Brot (a slice of bread), Brezel (pretzel), Bratkartoffeln (roasted potatoes), or Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) instead of a roll. If the sign says Brot / Semmel dazu, it comes with bread and a roll.
Your sausage options go far beyond the hometown hot dog. Some are gegrillt (grilled), while others are gekocht (boiled or steamed). Most are pork-based. Generally, the darker the weenie, the spicier it is. Regional variations abound. While some types of Wurst can be found all over, others are unique to a particular area (as noted below).
While the basic Bratwurst is nothing new to most North Americans, some of the local variations are worth seeking out.
Bavaria’s Weisswurst, a soft veal sausage in a removable casing, is boiled and served with sweet mustard and a pretzel. If it’s frisch (fresh), you’re supposed to “eat it before the noon bell tolls.”
Nürnberger are usually eaten in sets of threes, often lined up in a bun (Drei im Weggla or Drei im Weckle means “three in bun”).
Currywurst, which originated in Berlin, is a grilled Bockwurst chopped into small pieces, served with addictive Currysauce (made from tomatoes, curry, and Worcestershire sauce), and eaten with a little wooden fork. The best stands serve it either mit or ohne Darm (with or without skin—tastes smokier with the skin).
Although each of these originated in a specific city, all of them have become popular throughout German-speaking lands.
| cheese | Käse kay-zeh |
| cheese shop | Käserei kay-zeh-rī |
| Do you have a cheese that is...? | Haben Sie einen Käse der... ist? hah-behn zee ī-nehn kay-zeh dehr... ist |
| ...mild / sharp | ...mild / scharf meelt / sharf |
| ...fresh / aged | ...frisch / gealtet frish / geh-ahl-teht |
| ...soft / hard | ...weich / hart vīkh / hart |
| ...(made) from a cow / sheep / goat | ...von Kuhmilch / Schafsmilch / Ziegenmilch (gemacht) fohn koo-milkh / shahfs-milkh / tsee-gehn-milkh (geh-mahkht) |
| sliced | in Scheiben geschnitten in shī-behn geh-shnit-ehn |
| smoked | geräuchert geh-roykh-ehrt |
| Can I try a taste? | Kann ich es probieren? kahn ikh ehs proh-beer-ehn |
| What is your favorite cheese? | Was ist Ihr Lieblingskäse? vahs ist eer lee-blings-kay-zeh |
| I would like three types of cheese for a picnic. | Ich möchte drei Käsesorten für ein Picknick. ikh murkh-teh drī kay-zeh-zor-tehn fewr īn “picnic” |
| Choose for me, please. | Wählen Sie bitte für mich. vay-lehn zee bit-teh fewr mikh |
| This much. (showing size) | So viel. zoh feel |
| More. / Less. | Mehr. / Weniger. mehr / vay-nig-ehr |
| Can you please slice it? | Bitte schneiden? bit-teh shnī-dehn |
| Allgäuer Bergkäse ahl-goy-ehr behrg-kay-zeh hard, mild cheese, with holes |
| Altenburger ahlt-ehn-boor-gehr soft, mild goat cheese |
| Appenzeller ah-pehnt-sehl-lehr hard, sharp, tangy Swiss cow’s milk cheese |
| Camembert kah-mehn-behr pungent, semi-creamy cow cheese, often served deep-fried |
| Edelpilzkäse ay-dehl-pilts-kay-zeh mild blue cheese |
| Emmentaler ehm-ehn-tah-lehr hard, mild Swiss cheese |
| Frischkäse frish-kay-zeh soft curd cheese with fresh herbs |
| Gruyère groo-yehr strong-flavored, hard Swiss cheese |
| Handkäse (mit Musik) hahnd-kay-zeh (mit moo-zeek) aged, cylindrical, ricotta-like, notoriously gas-inducing cheese from Frankfurt (served with onions and vinegar) |
| Limburger lim-boor-gehr strong-smelling, herbed, soft cheese |
| Liptauer lip-tow-ehr (“tow” rhymes with “cow”) spicy cheese spread (Aus.) |
| Münster mewn-stehr pungent semi-soft cheese, may be flavored with caraway or anise |
| Obatzda oh-bahts-dah pungent Bavarian cheese spread with paprika and onions |
| Quark / Topfen (Aus.) kvark / tohp-fehn smooth curd cheese, like thick yogurt; often used in sweet desserts |
| Romadur roh-mah-door fragrant, soft cow cheese |
| Tilsiter til-zit-ehr mild, semi-hard, and tangy cheese |
The holes in Swiss cheese are made during fermentation—the more symmetrical the holes, the more expert the fermentation.
Two of Switzerland’s best-known specialties are cheese-based. The classic Käse Fondue (kay-zeh fohn-doo) consists of Emmentaler and Gruyère cheese melted with white wine, garlic, and nutmeg. Eat this tasty, cheesy treat by dipping cubes of bread into it. Raclette (rah-kleht) is melted cheese from the Valais region. A special appliance slowly melts the bottom of the brick of cheese. Just scrape off a mound and eat it with potatoes, pickled onions, and cornichons.
In Germany, soup is often served as a first course to the large midday meal (Mittagessen).
| soup (of the day) | Suppe (des Tages) zoo-peh (dehs tahg-ehs) |
| stew | Eintopf īn-tohpf |
| vegetable soup | Gemüsesuppe geh-mew-zeh-zoo-peh |
| fish soup | Fischsuppe fish-zoo-peh |
| chicken broth | Hühnerbrühe hew-nehr-brew-eh |
| beef broth | Rinderbrühe rin-dehr-brew-eh |
| with noodles | mit Nudeln mit noo-dehln |
| with rice | mit Reis mit “rice” |
| with dumplings | mit Knödel mit keh-nur-dehl |
Soup Specialties
For a starter, a side dish, or a small appetite, consider a grüner Salat (mostly lettuce) or—for more variety—gemischter Salat (a.k.a. buntner Salat), a mixed salad of lettuce, fresh and (often) pickled veggies, and a tasty dressing.
Salat often refers to any leafy green salad, including those made of lettuce. If it’s lettuce you want (rather than a salad), ask for Kopfsalat.
Traditional German salads usually consist of a single ingredient with dressing, such as Gurkensalat (sliced cucumber marinated in a sweet vinaigrette) or Tomatensalat (tomatoes in vinaigrette with dill). For a meaty salad, try a Fleischsalat or Wurstsalat.
At a self-serve Salatbar (salad bar) you’ll normally be charged by the size of the plate. Choose a Teller (plate) that is klein (small), mittel (medium), or gross (large). Budget travelers eat a cheap and healthy lunch by grabbing a small plate and stacking it high.
| Bauernsalat bow-ehrn-zah-laht Greek-type salad with tomatoes, onions, feta, sometimes sausage |
| Bohnensalat boh-nehn-zah-laht bean salad |
| Cervelat Salat sehr-veh-lah zah-laht Cervelat sausage served cold with onions, cheese, and dressing |
| Fleischsalat flīsh-zah-laht chopped cold cuts mixed with pickles and mayonnaise |
| Gurkensalat goor-ken-zah-laht cucumbers in vinegar |
| Kartoffelsalat kar-tohf-ehl-zah-laht potato salad |
| Krautsalat krowt-zah-laht cold sauerkraut |
| Matjesfilet maht-yehs-fee-lay raw herring in yogurt |
| Nudelsalat noo-dehl-zah-laht pasta salad |
| Ochsenmaulsalat ohkh-sehn-mowl-zah-laht “ox mouth salad” with vinegar, onion, and herbs |
| Oliviersalat oh-lee-vee-ay-zah-laht Russian salad—potatoes, eggs, vegetables, and mayonnaise |
| (Schweizer) Wurstsalat (shvīt-sehr) voorst-zah-laht chopped sausage with onions in oil and vinegar (plus Swiss cheese) |
| poultry | Geflügel geh-flew-gehl |
| chicken | Hähnchen hehnkh-yehn |
| roast chicken | Brathähnchen / Backhühner (Aus.) / Hendl (Aus.) braht-hehnkh-yehn / bahk-hew-nehr / hehnd-ehl |
| duck | Ente ehn-teh |
| goose | Gans gahns |
| turkey | Truthahn / Pute troot-hahn / poo-teh |
| breast | Brust broost |
| thigh / drumstick | Schenkel / Schlegel shehn-kehl / shlay-gehl |
| white / dark meat | helles / dunkles Fleisch hehl-ehs / doonk-lehs flīsh |
| liver (pâté) | Leber (pastete) lay-behr (pah-steh-teh) |
| eggs | Eier ī-ehr |
| free-range | Freilandhaltung frī-lahnd-hahl-toong |
| How long has this been dead? | Wie lange ist dieses Tier schon tot? vee lahng-eh ist dee-zehs teer shohn toht |
| meat | Fleisch flīsh |
| cold cuts | Aufschnitt owf-shnit |
| salt-cured meat | Pökelfleisch pur-kehl-flīsh |
| smoke-cured meat | Räucherfleisch roy-khehr-flīsh |
| bacon | Speck shpehk |
| beef | Rindfleisch rint-flīsh |
| cutlet | Kotelett koh-teh-leht |
| deer | Reh ray |
| ham | Schinken shink-ehn |
| knuckle (fatty joint) | Haxe / Stelze (Aus.) hahk-seh / shtehlt-seh |
| lamb | Lamm lahm |
| mixed grill | Grillteller gril-tehl-ehr |
| mutton | Hammelfleisch hah-mehl-flīsh |
| ox | Ochse / Ochsenfleisch ohkh-seh / ohkh-sehn-flīsh |
| pig | Schwein shvīn |
| suckling pig | Spanferkel shpahn-fehr-kehl |
| pork | Schweinefleisch shvī-neh-flīsh |
| prosciutto | Schinkenspeck shink-ehn-shpehk |
| rabbit | Kaninchen kah-neenkh-yehn |
| roast beef | Rinderbraten rin-dehr-brah-tehn |
| sausage / blood sausage | Wurst / Blutwurst voorst / bloot-voorst |
| shoulder | Schulter shoohl-tehr |
| veal | Kalbfleisch kahlb-flīsh |
| venison | Wildbret veeld-breht |
| wild boar | Wildschwein veeld-shvīn |
| Is this cooked? | Ist das gekocht? ist dahs geh-kohkht |
