20 Oktoberfest Recipes: German Recipes to Celebrate Autumn (2024)

FAQs

What is the traditional German Oktoberfest? ›

Oktoberfest Today

The current iteration of Oktoberfest is a celebration of German culture, food, and (of course) beer. The only beer served at the event comes from the original 6 breweries in Munich, and the celebration gets kicked off with the mayor tapping the keg in as few swings of the hammer as possible.

These German recipes celebrate some of the dishes Germany is most known for: crispy fried schnitzel, robust sausages, chewy pretzels, and all manner of mustard-tinged delights. We've even included a handful of items on the sweeter side, too, like a tangy apricot kuchen and a berry-studded German pancake. Guten appetit!

A bratwurst (like a hotdog) or schnitzel (pounded, breaded and fried meat) is a great place to start. For slightly less picky eaters, try a spaetzle (potato noodles - usually with onions and cheese), konigsberger klopse (German meatballs), or a German potato salad or marinated cucumber salad!

As we've already mentioned if you want to say cheers in German you use the word “prost,” one of many must-know phrases for the beer halls of Oktoberfest. Beware that Germans insist on making eye contact when saying cheers. Failing to do this will result in several years of bad luck!

"O'zapft is!"

A Bavarian saying and the official call for the start of Oktoberfest.

If you want to fit in with the locals, DON'T call it Oktoberfest. Instead, you go to the “Wies'n”. This is actually a nickname for the place where Oktoberfest is actually held - Theresienwiese in central Munich.

Pretzels: whether you bake your own pretzels, buy them, or get some snack pretzels, they are definitely a must for your Oktoberfest party at home. Beer cheese dip: also called Obatzda, this is what Germans eat with their pretzels. Chicken: any roast chicken, whole or pieces, is another typical beer garden food.

Oktoberfest Pretzel

During Oktoberfest in Munich a much larger pretzel is baked. The crust is light golden brown, and the texture of the bread is more like a soft, white bread.

What is the tradition of German food? ›

Germans are known to be intensive consumers of meat. Schweinefleisch (pork) is the most popular meat in the country, followed by Hänchehfleisch (chicken) and Rindfleisch (beef). As well as eating meat fried, baked, or boiled, people also enjoy it in the form of hams, pâtés, and sausages (Wurst and Würstchen).

Oktoberfest Food – The Ultimate Guide

But it is not all about the beer at the end of the day. Let's have a look at the food statistics : 549,899 chicken units; 140,225 pairs of pork sausages; 44,320kg of fish; 75,456 units of pork shanks (Haxen).

Märzen (German: [ˈmɛʁt͡sn̩]) or Märzenbier (German: March beer) is a lager that originated in Bavaria, Germany. It has a medium to full body and may vary in colour from pale through amber to dark brown. It was the beer traditionally served at the Munich Oktoberfest.