In my short time in Germany, I have had the pleasure of experiencing several new foods that are traditional to German culture. Both from restaurants and the generosity of my host family, I have been able to try German foods, all of which I have enjoyed. One of the first new foods I tried was the Döner kebab at Haus Des Döners. It was essentially a type of meat shoved into a large piece of bread filled with vegetables and sauces. The meat is cut off of a large vertical split into slices to fill up the Döner kebab. The meal was honestly so delicious, and made for a great lunch after my first day of school.
Another amazing meal I had was at a smash burger place I was taken to in Cologne. Here I had a burger along with fries and a brownie. Although not a seemingly German dish, the meal was nonetheless rejuventating after walking throughout Cologne. About 12 of us walked to this restuarant for 25 minutes from the Cologne Cathedral after we split up into smaller groups, and I can definitely say it was worth it. Conversely, a well-known German dish I tried later that weekened was Currywurst from Bratwursthaus in Cologne. This dish did not strike as a full meal, but it was too large in my opinion to be considered a snack. The Currywurst from this place was said to be extremely good, but I have to disagree. The wurst itself was good, but the fries I thought were extremely bland and needed seasoning. The order came with the option to come with mayo, which I refused when I saw the giant glob of mayo that was put on someone else’s Currywurst.
One tasty dish that my host family cooked up for me was Flammkuchen. It reminded me heavily of almost a flatbread pizza, with a cheesy base on a crust covered with toppings of choice. The one that I chose to eat had mushrooms, ham, and onions. Maybe it’s because I was served dinner after a long, exhausting day, but the Flammkuchen was honestly very good and I ate it incredibly quickly. I have had a great experience with German food with my time during this exchange. As someone who loves to eat, I am always excited to try out new foods.
Cooper J.
