Traditional German cuisine has been strongly influenced by the neighbouring countries of France, Austria and Switzerland, and has sometimes been characterised as simple but substantial, with meat, potatoes and cabbage as main ingredients. Beer is the most popular drink in Germany and bread is prevalent with most dishes.
Meat is an essential part of each meal in Germany, including pork, beef and poultry, prepared pot-roasted and in sausages. German sausages have as many varieties as French cheese or British beers. Dishes in some regions of Germany include fried meat, which has been adopted from French cooking traditions. The country boasts many rivers, and so fish is also popular in meal ingredients, especially trout, as well as pike and carp. Seafood can be found in abundance in North Germany, in regions surrounding the Baltic and North Seas. Germany’s meat and fish cuisine usually includes lots of potatoes, cabbage and bread. Vegetables are cooked in stews or soups but can also be used as a side dish, and fried onions are often added to meals. A typical specialty with meals includes a variety of bread rolls, commonly known as Broetchen (small bread), or Semmel, Schrippe and Wesk, depending on the region. A traditional dessert in Northern Germany includes Rotte Gruetze, a red fruit pudding made with black and red currants.
In Bavaria, Weisswuerste (white sausages) are traditionally eaten in the mornings, and Leberkaese, a type of meatloaf made of bacon, corned beef and onions is popular as well. The region of Swabia, in Bavaria, boasts similar specialties, as well as such pasta dishes as Maultaschen, or Swabian Pockets, similar in appearance to large ravioli with a filling of minced meat and spinach. The bratwurst is more popular in the provinces of Bremen and Franconia. And in Frankfurt, the Frankfurter sausage is a traditional choice among Germans, along with a special 'green sauce' prepared to spice potatoes up, a delicacy quite different than those of Southern Germany. The sauce consists of the herbs borage, sorrel, cress, chervil, chives, parsley and burnet.
The Stollen is a bread-like fruitcake usually eaten during Christmas in Germany, known especially in the province of Saxony. Germany has many other cakes and tarts which make up its national cuisine, most of which are made from apples, plums, strawberries and cherries. German doughnuts are also a popular dessert, which differ from the more traditional doughnut in that they do not have holes.
Of course Germany is famous for its beer, especially Pilsener style. Lager and wheat beers are very popular in Southern Germany. However, Germany also boasts excellent wine production, especially from the region of Rhine.