This is, of course, highly subjective and I had to think about it for quite a time. A few suggestions:
Dover sole roulades, stuffed with North Sea shrimps:
Rack of venison (roe deer):
Goose, a traditional winter dish:
Suckling pig:
Those “some people” have either never been to Germany or, if they had been, they had traveled with eyes closed. Or they have looked for boring cuisine and selected the country’s most boring restaurants.
First, Germany has a diverse landscape, with sea coasts, plains, rivers, lakes, mild mountains and steep mountains. So, already geography provides a diverse cuisine, with fish and seafood, freshwater fish, beef, pork, chicken, lamb and lots and lots of venison (roe deer, red deer, fallow deer, wild boar, hare, pheasant, partridge…).
Second, Germany is located in the centre of Europe, with nine neighbouring countries. So, there are many cross-border influences.
Third, Germans travel a lot. And the bring holiday cuisine home.
Fourth, Germany has a lot of immigrants. Many of them have opened eateries in Germany.
As a result, we have an extreme variety of food: traditional German food from various regions, Dutch food, French food, Swiss and Austrian food, Czech food, Polish food, Danish food, Italian food, Greek food, Turkish food, Spanish food, Arabian food, African food, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian food and more. In every village you find ethnic eateries. In a city, you find cuisine from several continents.
These influences have been integrated in home cooking, of course. Every grocery store has ingredients for Italian, Polish, Turkish, Asian, Mexican, Russian cuisine. Many German families cook pasta with ragù bolognese, chili con carne, Thai curry, Croatian cevapcici, Spanish paella, French flammkuchen or other “exotic” dishes. They may not always be authentic and a mix of German and ethnic cooking traditions, but they add to culinary diversity.
According to a survey, here a few of the most popular dishes which are eaten in Germany (home cooked):
Why do I love it here?
First, the climate. In winter, we have snow. The summers are warm, but never hot. Often, we are above the cloud layer, so we have sunshine while in the plains - e.g. in Freiburg - it is overcast, foggy or even rainy. Every time of the year, the air is fresh. And there is the scent of forst in the air - of fir, of resin, in winter of burnt wood.
Second, nature. The High Black Forest still has a lot of forest, also meadows, but no fields (too cold for growing crops). There is water everywhere - springs, mountain creeks, natural ponds, beaver ponds, swamps, moors, lakes. Yesterday, on our Christmas hike, we saw two deer and a beaver pond with a fine dam and a big lodge. We also see roe deer, hare, fox, marten, stoat (beautiful in winter fur), red kite, eagle, slowworm and from time to time a beaver. There are wild berries in the forests (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry) and mushrooms. The creeks and lakes are full of fish.
Third, scenery. We have mild mountains and beautiful valleys.
Fourth, outdoor activities: hiking, hiking and hiking. Mountain biking, canoeing, sailing, swimming and other water-related activities. And skiing, downhill and cross-country. And snowshoe hiking.
Fifth, culture. We have picturesque villages with typical wooden farmhouses. We have small chapels in the forests. We have several fine monasteries. Clock museums (clockmaking was a big deal in the Black Forest). We have prehistoric sites. We have the largest Roman baths north of the Alps.
Sixth, food. There is Black Forest Ham, Black Forest Cake, trout, venison, fruit schnapps, Baden wine, one of the best German beers, brewed right in the Black Forest (Rothaus). And 400 metres from our home, we have a restaurant with two Michelin stars.
Would I live here permanently?
No, I am missing the urban vibe. So, we take the best of both worlds.
This is a breakfast which is served by a furniture store.
It is very popular, especially among elder people. You can take it as a typical breakfast like it is eaten at home by most Germans:
Some people also eat Müsli and/or yoghurt.
German breakfast is not as rich as (full) English breakfast which has warm items like fried eggs, sausages, bacon, black pudding, beans, mushrooms, sauteed tomatoes.
But it is richer than traditional French breakfast (white bread, croissant, butter, jam/honey) or Italian breakfast which is often nothing but a cup of coffee accompanied by a cornetto.
Full English breakfast
French petit dejeuner
Italian colazione
Maybe these ones:
Matjes Hausfrauenart - fermented herring with apples and onions in cream sauce
Graupensuppe - barley soup
Grünkohl - kale
Kaninchen - rabbit
Scholle Finkenwerder Art - plaice with bacon
Königsberger Klopse - meatballs with capers in creamy sauce (one of the most popular dishes in Germany)
Hamburger Aalsuppe - eel soup
Büsumer Krabbenbrot - shrimp sandwich
Spätzle mit Linsen - spätzle with lentils
Zanderfilet - fillet of pike perch
Heringssalat - herring salad with red beet
Semmelknödel mit Pilzen - bread dumplings with mushrooms
Wisingroulade - cabbage roll
Leipziger Allerlei - mixed vegetables with crayfish
