About GermanFoods.org

Germanfoods.org is about “everything you always wanted to know” about the country’s cuisine and culinary heritage. Here we link close to a thousand authentic contemporary and historic recipes to essential ingredients and side dishes, background stories and food customs. You’ll find a list of our favorite German shops, restaurants, beer garden, Oktoberfest and Christmas markets across the USA and Canada. Get regional insights from all German federal states and Central European countries. Learn about well-known manufacturers and their brands.

This website, originating in 2003 and relaunched in 2010, is primarily written and edited by Arnim von Friedeburg (see also About the Author) with the support and help over the years by excellent contributing writers, editors and technical experts.  Our mission is to increase the appreciation and awareness of German and Central European cuisine and connect with “German food fans” all around the world. We also offer opportunities for small, family-owned producers based in Germany and Central Europe to present their newest, most innovative and highest quality food and beverage products to interested consumers in North America.

You can shop among 2000+ imported foods and beverages for everyday and seasonal occasions on this website or on our sister site. Each purchase contributes to funding this advertising-free website.

Browse these sections to find what you want to know:

Recipe Collections: Discover close to a thousand authentic recipes reflecting the large diversity of German and Central European cuisine – from “haute cuisine” chef’s recipes to tried-and-true regional and local favorites.

Products and Brands: Many of the recipes require a special ingredient or side dish that makes the meal ever more authentic. Browse among 2,000+ products on this site or the related online shop thetasteofgermany.com and find the most fitting condiment, spice, pickled vegetable, sausage or spaetzle that fit the recipe you want to make. And discover hundreds of new, artisan or innovative products from small, family-owned producers that may be worth a try. Our “Product Gallery” features a brief description of unique and well-known brands available in North America.

Get the Facts: Are you hosting a German dinner or original Oktoberfest party? Want to prepare for your upcoming trip to Germany? Interested in those quirky and quaint Germanic traditions around Christmas, Easter, or Mayfest? Every meal has a story and our writers have penned hundreds of background stories that put recipes, culture, history and products into one context.

Find a Restaurant or Store: Based on our own research and thanks to the comments submitted by visitors to our website, we have collected hundreds of addresses of German food stores, restaurants, beer gardens, Oktoberfest and Christmas markets in all of the US states and Canadian provinces. This list is ever changing and certainly not exhaustive. We’re doing our best to keep the list up to date at least once a year, but need the volunteer help of you, the reader, to help us out with new openings and closures. If you own or operate a specialty retail store or restaurant with a large assortment of German and Central European foods or beverages, please contact us and we will publish your facility or event on our website free of charge.

Increase your knowledge and appreciation of food

It is not a secret: what and how we eat greatly influences our health, happiness and well-being. Learning about the art and science of cooking, culinary heritage, sustainable agriculture and forestry, food production, nutrition and mindful eating becomes ever more important.

For most of us in wealthy countries, getting food is effortless: walk into a supermarket and choose from endless options, throw together a quick meal, or tap an app and eat out. Shopping often feels more like a chore than a pleasure.

But food is far more than fuel. It shapes well-being, can heal or harm, and provides livelihoods for millions. In Germany and the U.S., the “seed-to-stomach” value chain ranks among the largest industries. Food sets culture and social norms, steers politics, sparks conversation, and underpins hospitality. It both drives—and must adapt to—climate change. Eating isn’t just chewing and digesting; the production and consumption of food sit at the heart of culture, economics, trade, social structure, human interaction, and personal health.

We strive to keep you up to date with honest, independent, and unbiased information.

Thank you your visit. Please send us your feedback and comments.

Guten Appetit!

Germanfoods.org

615 Lofstrand Lane
Rockville, MD 20850
info@germanfoods.org
Tel: 1-800-881-6419

Contributing Writers, Editors, Technical Experts

Arnim von Friedeburg
Tiffany Lo
Staff @ Sigma Infosolutions Ltd.
Claire Marino
Devin Slaugenhaupt
Sally Hudson
Anna Drescher
Christine Wezel
Amanda Bond-Thorley
Florina Beba