What is the most popular Christmas dinner in Germany?

At the centre of a German Christmas evening spread you'll usually find a roasted goose, turkey or duck, traditionally served with lovely plump bread dumplings – the classic round ones, or one great big festive loaf-shaped one, known as a Serviettenknödel (pictured sliced, above), plus braised red cabbage or stewed kale ...

What is a traditional German Christmas?

While 25th December is still a national holiday in Germany, it's celebrated differently to how we do in England. Traditionally, the family will gather around a heartwarming meal, attend church, children will play with their new toys and the white candle of the Advent wreath (the one in the middle) will be lit .

What is the Christmas greeting in Germany?

Frohe Weihnachten! Merry Christmas

What do Germans eat for dessert at Christmas?

The most popular Christmas cakes in Germany are the Stollen and Bremer Klaben . Stollen is the more famous of the two. It is a sweet yeast cake, typically filled with marzipan, nuts and raisins.

What is the most popular Christmas tradition in Germany?

In Germany, people use an Adventskranz, or advent wreath, with four candles on it to celebrate the four advents or the four Sundays before Christmas . On each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas Eve, a candle is lit. After lightning the first candle, the Christmas season officially begins.

What do Germans drink on Christmas?

Glühwein, as mulled wine is known in Germany, is essentially red wine heated with spices, lemon and sugar - generally cinnamon and cloves are used in all recipes, with some adding aniseed or vanilla. A variation on the mulled wine is the Feuerzangenbowle.

What is a typical German dinner?

In Germany, the evening meal is called Abendessen or Abendbrot – the latter is actually more like a supper, and literally translates to 'evening bread'. Following a hearty lunch, Germans traditionally enjoy a lighter dinner, with breads, hams, sausages, cheeses, and pickles all being very common.

Why do Germans put oranges in stockings?

They're Said to Represent a Gift of Gold from Saint Nicholas This was not only the origin of Santa Claus but also one reason for oranges—which represent bags of gold—in our stockings.

What do Germans say instead of "merry Christmas"?

In German, the phrase " Frohe Weihnachten! " which translates to "Merry Christmas” is commonly used.

What is Santa called in Germany?

The term Weihnachtsmann is a very generic German term for Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus.

What is a Christmas tree called in German?

Der Weihnachtsbaum -The Christmas Tree.

What is a traditional Christmas menu?

Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables . Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham, are also used.

What do you eat on Krampusnacht?

Krampusnacht Authentic German Austrian Spaetzle with Caramelized Onions. Authentic German Austrian Spaetzle with Caramelized Onions. ... Authentic German Rouladen Recipe. Authentic German Rouladen Recipe. ... 20 Best German Side Dishes (+ Easy Recipes) ... Danielle Fernandez. ... German Schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel)

German Christmas Dinner Recipes (2024)

These delicious holiday recipes represent typical German Christmas food. Treat guests to a traditional German Christmas dinner with classic dishes like roasted goose legs, braised red cabbage. and dumplings, and don't forget the mulled wine and platter of gorgeous, festive cookies.

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Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Bacon

This sweet-and-sour, traditional Bavarian braised red cabbage is always served with goose, duck, or pork. To make it, the cabbage is gently braised with tart apple, smoky bacon, orange zest, and spices.

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Pretzel and Mustard Dumplings

Dumplings made of day-old pretzels and bound with egg are common in Germany; they're a delicious way to use up stale bread and are great to serve alongside roasted goose to soak up extra gravy on the plate. The mustard is not traditional, but it pairs excellently with the pretzel rolls used here. If you can't source pretzel rolls, any plain bread rolls will do.

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Mulled Wine

This drink from Walkers restaurant in Cape Neddick, Maine, is gently infused with nutmeg, vanilla, and star anise, then lightly sweetened with honey and maple syrup. The result is a spiced, not-too-sweet mulled wine you’ll want to sip all winter long.

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Roasted Goose Legs with Sour Cherry Glaze and Gravy

Food & Wine editor Melanie Hansche reimagines the traditions of her hometown of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany, in this recipe for sour cherry–glazed roasted goose legs. In Bavaria, it's not Christmas without roast goose, but roasting individual legs makes it a more manageable endeavor.

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Brown Butter-Cardamom Spitzbuben

German for "cheeky boys," these Bavarian cookies will be the star of your holiday cookie platter. Brown butter and cardamom make this simple cookie into a fragrant treat. Take the time to freshly grind the cardamom — its robust, citrusy flavor is worth it. You can use round or fluted cutters to cut out the cookies with any shape for the center.

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Rustic Apple Tart

This is the flakiest, easiest, best pie crust we've ever tested. Master chef Jacques Pépin has created a virtually fail-safe recipe that's completely hassle-free: You don't even need to chill the dough before you roll it out.

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Fresh Cheese Spaetzle

Former F&W senior test kitchen editor Grace Parisi had to perfect her spaetzle-making skills to prevent her German au pair from becoming homesick. Germans typically use quark when making spaetzle, but Parisi's au pair told her that the type available in the United States isn't curdy enough. So Parisi uses small-curd cottage cheese in the spaetzle and makes the chive sauce with tangy quark.

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Warm Potato Salad with Pancetta and Brown Butter Dressing

Here, brown butter is whisked into a tangy, mustardy dressing for creamy fingerling potatoes. The potato salad can be served warm or at room temperature.

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Lentil Soup with Smoked Sausage

For a special version of this hearty stew, use imported Vertes du Puy lentils, which have a rich, earthy flavor. A firm whole-grain bread would be ideal alongside.

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Sautéed German Sausages with Bacon and Apple Sauerkraut

In Germany's Pfalz region, cooks braise sauerkraut with onions, apples, seasonings, a touch of sugar, and a little of the region's Riesling wine, creating an ideal accompaniment for juicy weisswurst or bratwurst.

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Hausfreunde

This classic German recipe calls for dipping buttery almond-apricot sandwich cookies in bittersweet chocolate. The phenomenal results are well worth the effort.

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Haselnussmakronen (Raspberry-Hazelnut Macaroons)

These German raspberry-hazelnut macaroons require just five ingredients and are extremely no-fuss. Says Berlin-based blogger Luisa Weiss, "You just throw the dough together, heat up some jam, and you're almost there."

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Lebkuchen

Lebkuchen are traditional, delicately spiced German molasses-ginger cookies. This recipe from mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler was passed down from his great-grandmother to his grandmother to his uncle.

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Classic Cheese Fondue

Chef Ryan Hardy makes his luxurious fondue with two kinds of Swiss cheese (Emmentaler and Gruyère) and two kinds of spirits (white wine and Kirsch), all traditional ingredients. Some of the dipping items are also classic, like cubes of crusty bread and pickles.

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Basler Leckerli

These spiced cookie bars are an essential part of a German Christmas. They're an excellent make-ahead sweet; in fact, they get more tender and flavorful the longer they sit.

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German Christmas Dinner Recipes (2024)

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Bacon

Pretzel and Mustard Dumplings

Mulled Wine

Roasted Goose Legs with Sour Cherry Glaze and Gravy

Brown Butter-Cardamom Spitzbuben

Rustic Apple Tart

Fresh Cheese Spaetzle

Warm Potato Salad with Pancetta and Brown Butter Dressing

Lentil Soup with Smoked Sausage

Sautéed German Sausages with Bacon and Apple Sauerkraut

Hausfreunde

Haselnussmakronen (Raspberry-Hazelnut Macaroons)

Lebkuchen

Classic Cheese Fondue

Basler Leckerli

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References