Recipes from North Rhine Westphalia

Recipes from North Rhine Westphalia tend to be hearty and rustic, reflecting an inland cuisine heavy in meat, vegetables and grain, with little fish. Beans, peas, potatoes, and kale are common in Westphalian cooking, as are pork and beef. While North Rhine-Westphalia is one of Germany’s major industrial areas, it’s also a very prominent agricultural state. Especially in the Northern region, around the city of Münster, farming, milling and raising pigs and chicken is “big business.” Some of the specialities are listed below:

Rheinischer SauerbratenA delicious, hearty dish from old world German cuisine.

Himmel und Erde The name “Heaven and Earth” is derived from the 18th century word “Erdapfel” (earth apples) for potatoes.

Reibekuchen mit ApfelkrautReibekuchen, literally translated as “grated cakes” are also known as Kartoffelpuffer. While these potato pancakes are popular all over Germany, they are most famous in the Rhineland, where they are also known as “Rievekooche”. This version has apples and caramelized onions; here’s a basic potato pancakes recipes

Bergische Waffles

Halve Hahn

Dicke Bohne mit Speck (Fava beans with thick bacon)

Pannhas (Westfalian meatloaf)

Pitter und Jupp (braised vegetables with pork and sausages)

Roast Leg of Kid in Dark Beer (Zickleinkeule in Altbier)

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