On German Food

I should not speak for everyone, lest I spark an argumentative flame between me and my peers; I will, however, as there is little argument about the changes we've experienced with our pallette and our elasticity of our stomachs. German food is different from American food.



1. Bread and butter is Germany's bread and butter. If you walk down the Habtstraße, and order from one of many restaurants, you may not be hit by this culinary shift, for it's felt more in the home. We experienced the onslaught of bread while eating our packed lunches, which were made by our Gästefamilia. An appropriate example is that of Sara F.'s lunches. She is packed four sandwiches with varying meats and spreads (I've been given a chocolate sandwich on occasion), fruit, chocolate and other snackable items. Her situation may not be shared by all her peers, but what seems to be a universal truth is;



2. Toast. Breakfast is toast. Self-explanitory. Breakfast includes but is not limited to toast. Cereal? Maybe. Apricot-rhubarb jam? Perhaps. Toast? Absolutely.



3. Very little sugar. Most of the sugar you would expect in foods that would contain said ingredient are found in their Cokacola and Orange Fanta, which they go bonkers for, by the way. They even mix the two and sell it as 'Mezzo Mix.' Regardless, sugar is used more as a garnish, much in the same way salt is; it isn't used much. This causes an unwanted, but necessary revelatory shock of flavor. When you bite into strawberry cake, you don't taste the sugar as you would in the States, but rather you taste the strawberries. It's refreshing.



4. Tipping is confusing. Tip too little; you're inconsiderate. Tip too much; you're insulting. My German teacher told me to round up to the nearest Euro. Even with these bits of wisedom I find tipping an arduous and confusing ordeal.



5. Germans love luke-warm water. They do not need their wasser to be ice cold. Most of it is in bottles, which are kept around the house. The water comes in two varieties: stillenwasser und gasswasser. Normal water and bubbley water. Some people find the bubbles a sort of false alarm for soda, and don't like being surprised that they're drinking water with every sip. It's not for everyone.

That is all.