How many Italians go to visit every year Berlin? Very many and their range of action is limited to the capital, going as far as Sachsenhausen, where there was a famous concentration camp or towards Dresden, the so-called “Florence on the Elbe” rich in masterpieces of art despite the total destruction of the Second World War.
If you are one of these Italians this post is for you, who have put Berlin or the north of Germany in the calendar of upcoming trips. I start from the assumption that traveling is knowing and that among this knowledge there is also the table; when you visit a new place you have to taste the local specialties, otherwise our knowledge will be only partial. Even if we Italians have an extraordinary culinary tradition, every place can reserve us pleasant surprises.
So if you find yourself strolling in the streets of the German capital, the "palette" of kitchens will be vast, but choose German cuisine; and the specialties of northern Germany are different from that of the south. Bavaria and Baden Württemberg are most famous for them good table, but the north also has its strengths.
In Berlin you will come across numerous kiosks, small or very small, selling the most popular street food here: the currywurst. Taste this sliced frankfurter sprinkled with a curry-scented tomato sauce, it's simple, cheap and delicious and goes well with French fries (pommes). It has existed since 1949 and the story of its creator Herta is told in a novel by Uwe Timm, The discovery of currywurst which can be a pleasant read before leaving.
When it's time to sit down, look for Gasthaus or Restaurant that seem typical to you, not standardized places that always offer tourists the usual flavors; the prices in this low cost city will not reserve you any nasty surprises. In Germany, unique dishes with hearty side dishes are served, so just choose a dish to make a complete meal. One choice to try in Berlin is theEisbein, pork knuckle served with pea puree.
The typical cuisine, which for example can be found at the Statdklause in Bernburger Strasse, also includes Meatballs or minced meatballs. Another specialty is the liver - Leber Berlinerart served with apples, onions and potatoes. Due to the proximity to the North Sea and the Baltic there are also many tasty fish dishes. Aalen is eel, in the Aal grün variant it is served with a salad of cucumbers and boiled potatoes. Berlin specialties i rollmops, or rolls of herring, cleaned, marinated and rolled around a piece of cucumber.
And coming to the dessert, the German desserts are great, very elaborate, high calorie. The Apfelstrudel is not typical of Berlin, but if you order it it will be good as well as the Cheesecake (German variant of the cheese cake). However I recommend you try Red fruit jelly, a fresh and delicious red fruit dessert that is typical of North Germany, Holland and Scandinavia. It is made by mixing red fruits (raspberries, currants, gooseberries) with juice and sugar transformed into a sort of jelly and served with Vanille Sosse (vanilla sauce) or whipped cream or ice cream. A real delicacy.
I also remember that northern Germany, the city of Lübeck in particular, specialize in marzipan, with sweets, chocolates and pralines, a tradition that has lasted for centuries. Also it stollen, the Christmas cake from northern Germany has a variant filled with Marzipan. Lecker - delicious.
