One of my favorite things about traveling is getting a chance to try new foods. While my food allergies do make it hard for me to really go wild, having the opportunity to taste some local munchies is always a priority. Berlin is incredibly affordable food wise. Seriously. I paid 8 Euros for a big dish of pasta and a coke. I've compiled a list of foods to try while in Berlin that were my personal favorites. I hope you enjoy!
Currywurst
The ultimate on-the-go street food. This tasty treat is found all over Berlin at specialty currywurst stands ad even in restaurants. Currywurst is grilled pork sausage with a ketchup and curry powder sauce drizzled over it. The dish is usually accompanied by fries. The history of this Berlin staple comes from 1949 post-war Berlin. Taking curry powder and ketchup she got from English soldiers, Herta Heuwer mixed the two together and put it on her wurst. Thus the currywurst was born.
Sauerbraten
This sauerbraten ruined all future sauerbraten for me because it was so delicious. My classmates and I had a special dinner with fellow museum professionals at Lutter and Wegner, a really nice restaurant in the city center. The sauerbraten there had won the German Sauerbraten Championship. It 100% deserved that award. The pot roast was so tender and melt in your mouth. It had just enough tang from the vinegar it was soaked in and the sauce was literally heavenly. This was served with pointed cabbage, apple red cabbage, and mashed potatoes. I cleaned my plate completely.
Berliner
Essentially a jelly doughnut. The filling inside this fried yeast doughnut usually is either plum or cherry. To be honest, I'm not sure which one I got, but gosh darn it was good. The outside is covered with sugar and overall the doughnut is soft and light. This doughnut was also at the center of a political tale from the Cold War Era. In 1963, John F. Kennedy visited Berlin and made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. While JFK was trying to rally support for the people of East Berlin who lived under the Soviet government, his grammar was off and technically his statement could be translated to "I am a jelly doughnut."
Berliner
Essentially a jelly doughnut. The filling inside this fried yeast doughnut usually is either plum or cherry. To be honest, I'm not sure which one I got, but gosh darn it was good. The outside is covered with sugar and overall the doughnut is soft and light. This doughnut was also at the center of a political tale from the Cold War Era. In 1963, John F. Kennedy visited Berlin and made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. While JFK was trying to rally support for the people of East Berlin who lived under the Soviet government, his grammar was off and technically his statement could be translated to "I am a jelly doughnut."
Spargel
If you're lucky like I was you'll be in Berlin for spargel season. This short season in the late spring has Berlin jumping and consuming a ton of white asparagus. This vegetable is not your typical asparagus, it's much thicker and heartier. Spargel needs a special sandy soil to grow and that soil is found in the area Berlin is located in. While I was in Berlin, a special spargel menu was featured in every single restaurant we went to. I tried the traditional way to eat spargel, boiled with potatoes and served with a butter sauce, but over the course of the seven days I was in Berlin I saw spargel burgers, spargel pasta, spargel soup, spargel everything!
Flammkuchen
Flammkuchen is a German flatbread pizza. It is very thin, crunchy crust. The traditional Flammkuchen is topped with a white sauce, cheese, scallions, parsley, and ham. I did try this kind but unfortunately, we ate outside that evening and the light and my hunger prevented me from taking a picture of the dish. I did have another version of Flammkuchen with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, arugula, and prosciutto.
BONUS
Berliner Kindl Weisse Rot
If you're looking for a light and refreshing summer drink, look no further than the Berliner Kindl Weisse. This is a sour white beer with a shot of syrup in it. My personal preference is the "rot" or the red syrup which is raspberry syrup. I haven't tried the green one but I'll be sticking to the red!
Berliner Kindl Weisse Rot
If you're looking for a light and refreshing summer drink, look no further than the Berliner Kindl Weisse. This is a sour white beer with a shot of syrup in it. My personal preference is the "rot" or the red syrup which is raspberry syrup. I haven't tried the green one but I'll be sticking to the red!
