Germany itself is part of the larger cultural region of Central Europe, sharing many culinary traditions with neighbouring countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic (and Slovakia as well).

[2] As of November 2017[update], Germany had the fourth-highest number of Michelin three-star restaurants in the world, after Japan, France, and the United States.

The döner meat is typically served as a plate with rice or chips and a salad, or for a quick snack or meal it may be enjoyed in a wrap.

[10][11] Popular freshwater fish on the German menu are trout, pike, carp, and European perch also are listed frequently.

[27] Spargel season (German: Spargelzeit or Spargelsaison) traditionally begins in mid-April and ends on St. John's Day (24 June).

[33] Dinner (Abendessen, pronounced [ˈaːbn̩tˌʔɛsn̩] ⓘ, or Abendbrot) was always a smaller meal, often consisting only of a variety of breads, meat or sausages, cheese and some kind of vegetables, similar to breakfast, or possibly sandwiches.

Today, many people eat only a small meal in the middle of the day at work, often also a second breakfast, and enjoy a hot dinner in the evening at home with the whole family.

The most popular herbs and spices are traditionally anise, bay leaves, borage, caraway, chives, curry powder, dill weed, juniper berries, lovage, marjoram, paprika, and parsley.

[39][40] Cardamom, anise seed and cinnamon are often used in sweet cakes or beverages associated with Christmas time, and sometimes in the preparation of sausages, but are otherwise rare in German meals.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cake, made with cherries) is probably the most well-known example of a wide variety of typically German tortes filled with whipped or butter cream.

[58] Spaghettieis, which resembles spaghetti, tomato sauce, and ground cheese on a plate, originated in Germany and is a popular ice cream dessert.

In fact, one of the major complaints of the German expatriates in many parts of the world is their inability to find acceptable local breads.

Bread rolls, known in Germany as Brötchen,[71] which is a diminutive of Brot, with regional linguistic varieties being Semmel (in South Germany), Schrippe (especially in Berlin), Rundstück (in the North and Hamburg) or Wecken, Weck, Weckle, Weckli and Weckla (in Baden-Württemberg, Switzerland, parts of Southern Hesse and northern Bavaria), are common in German cuisine.

[73] Cheese, honey, jam, Nutella, cold cuts such as ham,[73] fish, or preserves are then placed between the two halves, or on each half separately, known as a belegtes Brötchen.

Korn, a German spirit made from malt (wheat, rye or barley), is consumed predominantly in the middle and northern parts of Germany.

All cold drinks in bars and restaurants are sold in glasses with a calibration mark (Eichstrich)[76] that is frequently checked by the Eichamt (~ Bureau of Weights and Measures) to ensure the guest is getting as much as is offered in the menu.

Coffee is very common,[77] not only for breakfast, but also accompanying a piece of cake (Kaffee und Kuchen) in the afternoon, usually on Sundays or special occasions and birthdays.

Germans are unique among their neighbors in preferring bottled, carbonated mineral water, either plain (Sprudel) or flavored (usually lemon) to noncarbonated ones.

Due to Baden's physiogeographical situation in the Upper Rhine Plain, with Germany's warmest climate and fruitful volcanic soils, it had good prerequisites to develop a high-quality gastronomy.

Already in the beginning, Bavarians were closely connected to their neighbours in Austria through linguistic, cultural and political similarities, which also reflected on the cuisine.

Due to its centuries-old history as a harbour town, the traditional cuisine of Hamburg is very diversified and sapid as the supply of ingredients was safe.

International trade made spices and exotic food items from Asia and South America available since the 16th century, and these were soon incorporated into civic kitchens.

Due to its high economic importance, Hamburg features many internationally recognized gourmet restaurants: 11 of them were awarded a Michelin star in 2010.

It is a cold sauce based on sour cream with the local herbs borage, chervil, cress, parsley, pimpinelle, sorrel and chives.

In the cider taverns, "Handkäs mit Musik" is offered as a snack, a sour milk cheese served in a marinade of onions, vinegar and spices.

Tomatoes, lettuce, broad beans, onions, and cucumbers are grown in the eastern portion of the region near Jena under glass centers on about 5 ha (12 acres) of land.

[91] Kuchen, Sauerkraut (known in Portuguese as chucrute, is also used as derogatory term to designate Germans, and people of Central European origin or descent in general), Eisbein, new types of sausage and vegetables are some examples of food introduced in Brazil by the immigrants.

The first breweries date from the 1830s, although the brand Bohemia is claimed to be the first Brazilian beer, with production starting in 1853 in the city of Petrópolis founded by the German-Brazilian Henrique Kremer.

The first wave of foreigners coming to Germany specifically to sell their food specialties were ice cream makers from northern Italy, who started to arrive in noticeable numbers during the late 1920s.

[106] Arab (mostly Syrian, Lebanese or Moroccan), Chinese,[107] Balkan, Japanese (especially Sushi) and Greek (especially Gyros)[108] restaurants and bars are also widespread in Germany.