German Christmas Market Food to Try this December
Perhaps you’re planning on visiting a German Christmas market for the first time. Or you want to host a German Christmas market themed party and you need to know what to cook. Let this be your guide. German Christmas market food is predictably German with a few surprises for the uninitiated.
We’ve rounded up the top five foods with a few bonus regional specialities. One thing’s for sure, expect a lot of Christmas spices.
So, let’s get started.
Did you know?
Way back when, in 1616, Nuremberg Christmas market proved so popular the Christmas Eve service had to be cancelled by the priest because no one attended.
They were all having too much fun at the Christmas market.
Roasted Almonds
Gebrannte Mandeln are so much more than roasted nuts. They’re caramelised in a thick layer of sugar and spices.
This is one food you’ll want to eat immediately at the German Christmas market, while they’re still warm from the pan.
And if you’re not an almond fan, there’s also pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts.
The spices are your typical Christmas flavours. Expect a lot of cinnamon with a hint of ginger, vanilla and allspice.
What’s extra special about these is how they’re served. The nuts are spooned straight from the pan into little paper cones. Careful, they’re hot!
If you want to try making these at home, here’s a recipe in English.
Flammkuchen
An absolute favourite with me. You might think this is a pizza but don’t be mistaken. It is a Franco-German classic.
An extra, barely there, thin crust topped with crème fraiche, bacon lardons and onions – and not a tomato in sight.
Served at festivals up and down Germany but in particular in the south of Germany. Flammkuchen isn’t the most traditional German Christmas Market food. And it’s probably more likely to be eaten during the warmer months. But I’ve definitely come across it at the German Christmas market in Ludwigsburg.
If you want to try making Flammkuchen at home, here’s a link to the Guardian article “How to Make the Perfect Flammekueche”.
Lángos
You might never have heard of Lángos before, but once you try it, you won’t forget it. Lángos is a Hungarian street food that made its way to Germany. It’s become a popular German Christmas market food.
And I, for one, am a massive fan. But you have to trust me when I say, share your Lángos. It can be a exceptionally filling.
So what is a Lángos?
Deep-fried dough, shaped into a round disc. With a generous helping of special toppings. Sauce, cheese, finely chopped onions, and bacon lardons are just some of your options.
Once again, I reiterate, do not eat a whole one!
Bratwurst
We can’t have a German Christmas market food list without including the world-famous Bratwurst.
Naturally sausages are served at a Christmas market. But what you might not know is that each region serves very different sausages.
For example, the Nuremberg Christmas Market serves a ½ metre Nuernberger sausage. These sausages are traditionally similar in size to a chipolata. But for the Christmas market, they go all out and serve a long version of the famous sausage. Along with a bread bun, onions and mustard. It’s perfection for meat lovers.
Other Bratwurst worth trying at a German Christmas market are Rote or also called Bockwurst. They are barbequed and meatier. And not forgetting the Thuringer, or sometimes named a Rostbratwurst, seasoned with salt, pepper and sometimes cumin, marjoram and garlic.
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Dampfnudeln
My mother-in-law’s absolute favourite. Steamed dumplings with a sweet filling, often plum butter.
The dumplings are steamed in a mixture of butter, sugar and milk, giving them a caramelised bottom.
When served they are topped with a vanilla sauce similar to custard. And a little sprinkling of poppy seeds. They are wonderful.
These are a traditional Christmas market food you’ll find at most Christmas markets across Germany and Austria.
If you’d like to make them for a German Christmas market themed party, have a look at this recipe. They are surprisingly easy to recreate at home.
So that’s our quick round up of some of the best traditional Christmas market food, but I think you will be overwhelmed by the selection.
Top tip – Arrive hungry and ready to try a little bit of everything that takes your fancy.
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