20 Oktoberfest Recipes: German Recipes to Celebrate Autumn (2024)

FAQs

What is the traditional German Oktoberfest? ›

The current iteration of Oktoberfest is a celebration of German culture, food, and (of course) beer. The only beer served at the event comes from the original 6 breweries in Munich, and the celebration gets kicked off with the mayor tapping the keg in as few swings of the hammer as possible.

Oktoberfest food, it's the wurst.

It's also the pretzel and the pork and the potato pancakes and a whole bunch of other foods that don't start with –p. It's the kind of food that makes you want to grow a beard, chop wood, and lift kegs over your head with a gusto. It's hearty and heavy and…

1. 1/2 Roast Chicken. Trust me when I say there is no joy greater than ripping at a roast chicken with your fingers after a few litres of beer. Unsurprisingly, of all the food served at Oktoberfest in Munich, 1/2 roast chickens are among the most common.

Lebkuchen refers to German gingerbread, while herzen means heart! These hearts are adorned with names or sweet sayings similar to Valentine's cookies, and given to loved ones. For even more fun, the cookies are strung with ribbon and can be used as decoration or worn around the neck.

The main thing that sets the pretzels served at Oktoberfest (and throughout Germany) apart from their soft American counterparts is the use of lye to form a dark chewy crust.

The Apfelstrudel is the most popular pastry in Germany. Germans often top Apfelstrudel with vanilla cream and whipped cream. What is Germany's most famous dessert? Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is Germany's most famous dessert.

"O'zapft is!"

A Bavarian saying and the official call for the start of Oktoberfest. It means the beer has been tapped.

If you want to fit in with the locals, DON'T call it Oktoberfest. Instead, you go to the “Wies'n”. This is actually a nickname for the place where Oktoberfest is actually held - Theresienwiese in central Munich.

Locally, it is called d'Wiesn, after the colloquial name for the fairgrounds, Theresienwiese. Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modeled after the original Munich event.

One thing is for sure at Oktoberfest everyone is drinking German lager. These are called Oktoberfestbiers in and around Germany. Within this family of German-brewed lagers there are two types: the dark, malt-forward Märzen and the lighter, hoppier Festbier.

What do Germans traditionally eat for lunch? ›

Lunch foods

The main meal of the day is das Mittagessen, or lunch. The tradition is to have a hot meal during lunch. Sauerbraten, snitzels, Frikadellen (German meatballs), potatoes (such as Kartoffelsalat), green beans, soups, and stews are frequently served for lunch.

But let's get down to the crux of the matter: Bavarian cuisine: Schweinebraten (roast pork), Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle), Weisswurst sausages and, of course, dumplings, dumplings and more dumplings. To top it off you need a litre of beer and a good serving of Bavarian hospitality.

Bratwurst. One of the most famous of German sausages, second only to the Frankfurter Würstchen, the bratwurst is typically made from veal, beef or pork. The recipe for the actual sausage vary from region to region and has to date, over 40 varieties. Cooking method: Listen to them sizzle in a pan or over coals.

Germans are known to be intensive consumers of meat. Schweinefleisch (pork) is the most popular meat in the country, followed by Hänchehfleisch (chicken) and Rindfleisch (beef). As well as eating meat fried, baked, or boiled, people also enjoy it in the form of hams, pâtés, and sausages (Wurst and Würstchen).