Authentic Christmas cookies, stollen and lebkuchen are some of the most beloved German foods, and you will find them in many specialty food stores here in North America. These items are not available year round; they are usually produced and shipped in the fall to guarantee freshness and great taste. Generations of German immigrants to North America have contributed to such holiday traditions as Christmas trees and Santa Claus, so it’s no surprise that German holiday specialties are always huge favorites. Here’s a small sampling of German holiday specialties available in the US and Canada:
Bahlsen — Bahlsen first began making Liebniz keks in 1889 in Hanover, Germany. They are the largest family-run cookie company worldwide, offering a full range of European biscuits. (Lower Saxony)
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Confiserie Funsch — A Franconian manufacturer specialized on a large variety of marzipan figurines for all seasons. (Bavaria)
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Confiserie Schwermer — Founded in Königsberg (formerly East Prussia, now Kaliningrad, Russia), this high end confectioner relocated to Bad Wörrishofen, Bavaria and still manufactures some unique sweet creations scuh as the famous Königsberge Baumkuchen (tree ring cake), marzipan creations and truffles. (Bavaria)
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Confiserie Weibler — Based near Braunschweig, this chocolate confectioner produces truffles, pralinés, almond chips, and individually printed gifts including hollow chocolate figures, egg and heart shaped shells, chocolate reliefs and lollies. (Lower Saxony)
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Dr. Quendt — A baking company based in Dresden, making some of the best delicacies, stollen, fluffy cookies called Russisch Brot, and other delicious Christmas treats. Now part of the Lambertz group. (Saxony)
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Emil Reimann — One of the top-quaiity bakers of Dresdner Stollen, a specialty of protected geographic indication within the European Union. ()
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Girrbach — Germany's leading producer and exporter of chocolate, sugar and marzipan edible decorations located in Calw, in the heart of the Black Forest. Offers a large variety of festively decorated chocolate snacks and decorations all produced in Germany. (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
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Guenthart — A maker of chocolate figurines and decorations with production facilities in Thailand, Taiwan and Russia. (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
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Ifri Schuhmann — A Nuremberg gingerbread and nougat manufacturer (formerly sold under the brand name Wendler) that is now part of the Lambertz Group. (Bavaria)
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Kathi — Founded in 1951, Kathi makes a full line of high quality baking mixes. Kathi baking mixes are easily prepared and taste like homemade. (Saxony Anhalt)
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Klett — Produces a large variety of hollow and solid chocolate figures for Christmas and Easter. Very creative designs (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
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Kreutzkamm — An independent confectioner with cafe-restaurants in Dresden and Munich, exporting very high quality Stollen and fancy cakes and pastries. (Saxony)
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Lambertz — Originating as a bakery in Aachen in 1688, this company has become one of Germany's leading cookie and baked goods producer, and one of the world's largest exporters of famous Christmas delicacies, such as Printen, Dominosteine, Gingerbreads and many cookie varieties. (North Rhine Westphalia)
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Lebkuchen Schmidt — Founded in 1926 in Nuremberg, Lebkuchen Schmidt is Germany's oldest mail order company for Lebkuchen. During Lebkuchen season (from July to December), they bake and ship 3 million Lebkuchen a day. (Bavaria)
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Niederegger — The world\\\'s best maker of chocolate covered marzipan and nougat treats, based in Lübeck, offers a variety of Christmas goodies that need to be part of every stocking. (Schleswig Holstein)
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Oebel — Based in Cologne, the heart of German bread-making art, Oebel prodces a large variety of bread, as well as Christmas stollen. (North Rhine Westphalia)
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PeA — This is one of the most venerated chocolate-filled advent calender brand, conceived by Dresden-based chocolate makers Petzold and Aulhorn in 1843. The company later moved to Bavaria and is today owned by chocolate giant Barry Callebaut/Frankonia. (Bavaria)
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Riegelein — The Rieglein company headquarters were established in Cadolzburg near Nuremberg in 1953. They are known worldwide for their seasonal chocolate figurines. They produce close to 18,000 tons of chocolate a year. (Bavaria)
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Schoko Dragee — Schoko-Dragee began production of high quality dragee in 1986. Dragee is a bite-sized confectionary. Schoko-Dragee makes several varieties -- chocolate, liquid-filled, and hard-shell. (North Rhine Westphalia)
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Schulte — A cookie manufacturer with a large Christmas gingerbread, spekulatius and stollen selection, offered as branded or provate label products (North Rhine Westphalia)
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Wawi — The Wawi Group began when Walter Müller opened his first confectionery store in 1957. They produce chocolate and sugar confectionary in 8 production facilities in 4 continents. (Rhineland-Palatinate)
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Weiss — A Nuernberg gingerbread maker now part of the Lambertz group. (Bavaria)
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Wicklein — One of Nuremberg's finest gingerbread manufacturers, with a large assortment of gingerbreads with different nut contents, whole grain, with or without chocolate and packaged in trays, decorative tins, and gift packs. Wicklein and Lebkuchen Schmidt are parts of one corporate entity. (Bavaria)
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