🥨 Ingrédients allemands — glossaire

Thick fresh curd — the base of German cheesecake (Käsekuchen), dips and doughs.

🛒 Dairy shelf (250/500 g). Substitute: firm curd or ricotta.

Sour cream 24% fat — for sauces, gratins, Zwiebelkuchen.

🛒 Next to the cream. Substitute: thick sour cream.

Soured cream 10% — the lighter Schmand alternative for salads and soups.

🛒 Dairy shelf. Not to be confused with süße Sahne (sweet cream).

Buttermilk — for pancakes, baking and smoothies; lifts dough with soda.

🛒 Dairy shelf. Substitute: milk + a spoon of lemon juice.

Cream cheese Philadelphia-style — spreads, sushi rolls, no-bake cheesecake.

🛒 Chilled shelf. Substitute: ricotta or strained yoghurt.

Icelandic curd-yoghurt — high protein, nearly fat-free; a sports breakfast.

🛒 With the yoghurts. Substitute: Greek yoghurt.

Sourdough starter — the base of real German bread; powder packs ease the start.

🛒 Flour shelf (Sauerteigpulver) or make your own: flour+water, 3–5 days.

Swabian egg noodles — for Käsespätzle and roasts.

🛒 Pasta shelf (dry) or chilled (fresh).

Square Swabian "ravioli" — filled, fried or boiled in broth.

🛒 Chilled or frozen. Serve with fried onions.

Lye-baked goods — brown crust, salt. Goes with Weißwurst.

🛒 Bakery in the morning. At home: soda bath instead of lye.

Potato dumplings — the roast side dish; Klöße-Teig packs make it easy.

🛒 Convenience shelf or chilled section.

Near-black dense bread — slow-baked, slightly sweet.

🛒 Bread shelf, sliced in packs. Keeps long.

Frying sausage — each region has its own: Nürnberger (small), Thüringer (spiced).

🛒 Meat section or butcher. Fry on medium heat — it bursts.

"Wiener Schnitzel" = veal only. "Wiener Art" = cheaper pork/chicken.

🛒 Butcher, pound thin. Breading: flour→egg→breadcrumbs.

Bavarian "liver cheese" with no liver — a hot slice in a roll with mustard.

🛒 Butcher or snack stand (warm) or packs for home.

Black Forest smoked ham — for bread, salads and wine boards.

🛒 Deli sliced. Pricier than regular ham.

Raw minced pork on a roll with onion — a German delicacy; fresh only!

🛒 Butcher labelled "Mett". Careful: raw — not for kids/pregnancy.

Fermented cabbage — stew with caraway and apple, with sausages and goose.

🛒 Jars/bags in the veg aisle. Fresh at markets.

Curly kale — the north’s winter dish (Grünkohlessen with Pinkel sausage).

🛒 Fresh in winter, jarred year-round.

White asparagus — the queen of April–June (Spargelzeit); peel before boiling!

🛒 In season: shelves and roadside stands. Peel bottom-up.

Kohlrabi — crunchy cabbage-turnip; raw in salads or braised.

🛒 Veg aisle, pick small ones (big = woody).

Braised red cabbage with apple and vinegar — the duck/goose side.

🛒 Fresh head or ready-made in a jar.

Leek — the soup base; wash inside (sand!).

🛒 Veg aisle. Use the white part, greens for stock.

Caraway — the soul of Sauerkraut and bread; helps digest cabbage.

🛒 Spice shelf, ground and whole.

Marjoram — Germany’s "sausage herb"; for roasts and soups.

🛒 Dried in jars; fresh less common.

Medium mustard — the sausage standard; sweet (süß) for Weißwurst.

🛒 Sauce shelf. Try Düsseldorfer for heat.

Sweet paprika — the goulash base and a chicken rub.

🛒 Spices. "Rosenscharf" = hot.

Chives — for Brotzeit, salads and eggs.

🛒 Fresh bunch or frozen.

Wild garlic (ramsons) — spring, garlic flavour without bite. ⚠️ Looks like poisonous lily-of-the-valley!

🛒 Markets in spring. In the forest — only if you can tell it apart!

Vegetable stock cubes or paste — the soup/sauce base.

🛒 Spices. Jarred paste beats cubes.

Corn starch — lump-free sauce and cream thickener.

🛒 Baking shelf. Dissolve in cold liquid!

Crispy fried onions — topping for Spätzle, hot dogs and mash.

🛒 Condiment shelf. DIY: onion+flour+oil.

Apple cider vinegar — marinades, salads, cutting through fat.

🛒 Vinegar/oil shelf.

Flour types: 405 = pastry, 550 = all-purpose, 1050 = bread.

🛒 Flour shelf. Higher type = more gluten and heft.