Bavarian Food That Makes Southern Germany Famous

Weißwurst (White Sausage)

Weißwurst is a Munich specialty that is composed of pork and veal meat. The word for it in English means “white sausage,” and it is the whitest sausage you can find.

Weißwurst (also spelled Weisswurst) is served in hot water and enjoyed with a Brezen, sweet Bavarian brown mustard sauce, and a large beer.

Brezen (Pretzel)

Pretzel are called Brezen in Bavaria and Bretzl in Austria and the rest of the German-speaking world.

Pretzels are eaten with sausages and sweet mustard and other sides such as a cheese dip.

Homemade German pretzels are dipped in lye before they are baked, and that's how they turn out brown on the outside.

Bratwurst Semmel (Bratwurst Sausage in a bun)

At local folk feasts in Bavaria, you often come across Bratwurst Semmel, which is grilled Bratwurst served in a bun.

Bratwursts are super common sausages from Germany. They come in all sizes and shapes. The most iconic Bratwurst are the small sausages from Nuremberg in Bavaria. They serve 3 small bratwurst in a bun.

Several variations exist across Bavaria. Especially the extra-long ½ meter Bratwurst are special. Look out for these sausages when visiting a Christmas market in Southern Germany.

Horse Sausage

A sausage specialty prepared purely with horse meat. Ross means horse in the Bavarian dialect.

You will find this delicious sausage at the old Oktoberfest venue in Munich and other fairs, such as the Herbstfeast in Rosenheim, a neighboring city.

Braten

In the main tent at the Oktoberfest or one of the berr gardens, you can sit down with a beer and Schweinebraten, Krustenbraten, Zwiebelbraten or Schweinshaxn.

Schweinsbraten is a pork roast, which can be served with spaetzle or Semmelknödel dumplings, braised red cabbage, or, even better, with Sauerkraut.

Schweinsbraten with Sauerkraut is one of the most wholesome meals, that you have to try if you are fond of this kind of food.

Bavarian Mustard

The Bavarian mustard paste is different from other mustard paste varieties in the region because it's sweet and not pungently hot.

This mustard paste goes with all pork, Sauerkraut, and potato-type dishes in Bavaria.

You might encounter it also at a fair served with Bratwursts in a bun.

German Coleslaw

You will find the German coleslaw under the name of “Krautsalat” on a menu in Bavaria.

The cabbage is marinated with a light vinegar- and oil-based dressing and seasoned with caraway seeds and chives. It's a classic salad that goes really well with pork and potatoes.

Semmelknödel (Bread Dumplings)

Knödel are dumplings in general in Southern Germany and Austria. The Semmelknödel is a variation thereof, prepared exclusively with stale chopped Kaisersemmel buns.

The dumplings are seasoned with fried onions and boiled in a pot with salt water until they swim to the surface.

I highly recommend trying them with sauerkraut, sausages, or a pork roast and some Bavarian mustard.

Kartoffelknödel (German Potato Dumplings)

Potato dumplings are a classic side dish all over Germany and Austria. They are either called Kartoffelknödel or Erdäpfelknödel.

They are traditionally prepared with leftover cooked potatoes (because people don't waste food). The potatoes are mashed and turned into round,, smooth potato dumplings.

Leberkas (pink meatloaf)

Leberkäse is a rectangular, baked pink meatloaf that is cut into thick slices.

The meat is finely ground and seasoned. In fact, it resembles a Wiener sausage meat.

Leberkas or Leberkäse can be served with side dishes as a main course meal, or you can get a slice in a bun with mustard or sliced pickled cucumbers to enjoy as a lunch sandwich.

Radi (Radish)

Radi is the word for the big white radish that grows in Bavaria. It looks a lot like the Asian Daikon radish. Also, in this area, the small, round, pink radishes are called radi.

Pink radi is a common beer snack that is typically served with the Obatzda cheese dip. It is dipped in salt and eaten with butter.

White radi, on the other hand, is turned into a white radish salad, which goes really well with beer, hence why it's also known as Bierradi in the local German dialect.

Steckerlfisch (Fish on a stick)

Fish and other seafood, like big shrimp and small octopuses, are often grilled and served at Bavarian folk feasts.

The most common is undoubtedly Steckerlfisch, which is grilled fish served on a stick.

Leberknödelsuppe (liver dumpling soup)

Leberknödelsuppe is sometimes considered a poor man's food because it's inexpensive and wholesome.

It's a clear soup with round-shaped large dumplings, which are made of liver. It's one of the least expensive foods you will ever find on a menu in Bavaria.

Yet, locals love it!

Sauerkraut

The cabbage is fermented with spices and then cooked with additional spices and beer. This is known as sauerkraut. Sausages and bacon are frequently incorporated into the cooking process.

The cooked cabbage is then served with other main course meals as a side dish.

Real Sauerkraut is made in a large clay pot and takes months to ferment.

Brathendl (Roast Chicken)

Brathendl is super popular at the Oktoberfest and all year round in general in Bavaria. It's basically roasted chicken pieces.

The chicken is seasoned with salt, black pepper, and sometimes paprika and slow-roasted until the skin turns crispy.

You can also get roasted duck, seasoned just like roast chicken.

Obatzda (Cheese Dip)

Obatzda literally translates to “smearing on.” It's a snack-time cheese dip prepared with a stinky Camembert soft cheese, butter, and spices.

You dip a small pink radish into the Obatzda or you take it and smear it over your black rye bread slice.

It's a typical beer garden food to serve with bretzel and beer.

Roasted Almonds

At the fall and Christmas fairs, roasted almonds are a popular treat. They are sugar-coated almonds that are roasted over a fire while being constantly stirred.

They come in different flavors, but my favorite are the chili-roasted almonds.

Additionally, those almond stands offer a variety of regional sweets, including the Magenbrot, a honey cake known as Lebkuchen.

Wurstsalat (Sausage Salad)

In Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, cold cuts are so popular that we wind up purchasing 100 grams of different types of sausage each week.

In order to prevent food waste, we slice the wursts into strips and drizzle a tangy vinegar and oil dressing over the salad. The result is a sausage salad, which can be enjoyed as a lunch meal or snack.

Lebkuchen heart

Lebkuchen hearts are giant decorated heart-shaped Lebkuchen cookies. Lebkuchen is a spiced honey cake and the forefather of gingerbread.

The gingerbread's forerunner is the spiced honey cake known as Lebkuchen.

Despite their status as a unique Christmas treat, Lebkuchen hearts are consistently a popular choice at autumn and spring fairs.

These can also be dried in a cold climate and serve as an excellent souvenir and decoration from Germany.

Blaukraut or Rotkraut (Braised Red Cabbage)

Braised Red Cabbage is an autumn specialty. The side dish has many names, depending on whom you ask.

The red cabbage is made with apples usually and goes great with chanterelle cream sauces, wild game meat, fish and Sauerbraten.

Ochs am Spiess

Ochs am Spiess is a traditional Oktoberfest delicacy. It is an entire ox slowly turned on a stick, cooking in the heat.

This dish is only available at Oktoberfest, so you should try it there.

Warm Bavarian Potato Salad

Bavarian potato salad is warm because it's made with soup broth. Cooked potatoes are literally left to marinate with a small quantity of soup broth, which adds a lot of flavor to this fun side dish.

Try ordering some next time you visit Bavaria paired with roast chicken, roast duck, or pork knuckles.

Reiberdatschi (German Potato Pancakes)

Reiberdatschi, German fried potato pancakes, come in different versions across Germany.

In Southern Germany they are commonly served with a dip, but you can add them as a side dish to your main course meals, or at least you might encounter them on a menu that way too.

Lye bread roll

Lye bread rolls are a common sight in Bavaria and are served with most meals.

You get them wherever you see Breze, which is usually a bakery or a seasonal fair such as the Oktoberfest.

Before baking, bread rolls are immersed in a base lye solution, which imparts a distinctive brown hue and flavor.

Popular Foods from Neighboring Regions

You will encounter foods from neighboring regions that are super popular in Bavaria or that have been adopted to most menu cards.

Here are some of the ones to look out for:

• Kasspressknödel (Cheese pressed fried dumplings) — From Tyrol Austria, these are cheese filled bread dumplings.
• Kaiserschmarren — The classic scratch pancake dessert from Vienna.
• Jägerschnitzel — Classic Austrian plain meat cutlets cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce.
• Rindergulasch (Beef Goulash) — Beef cubes cooked tender in a tomato-based spiced sauce. That's from the Austrian/Czech cuisine.
• Pork Schnitzel cooked Vienna Style — The pork meat version of the classic breaded veal Vienna Schnitzel.
• Torte — Layered cakes are known as Torte in German, and they come in all variations. Most are influenced by the former Austro-Hungarian monachy.
• Apfelstrudel — A baked Strudel dough filled with apples, commonly prepared in Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia.
• Bavarian Cream — Popular in Bavaria, and yes, the name indicates a Bavarian connection, but it's a French dessert.