Interesting Food Discoveries in Berlin

My brother Matt and I spent two full days exploring the city of Berlin, Germany. We tasted more traditional German foods, such as pretzels, bratwurst, pork knuckle, and gulasch soup from various stands and restaurants. However, on the day of our departure, we tried some more modern German food.

We found ourselves in a time crunch (what else is new) at Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Our train to Prague was leaving in about 30 minutes, so unfortunately we did not have time to try out another German restaurant. So, we had to resort to fast food. I can honestly say that this was the only time during my whole study abroad experience that I bought fast food. Hey, at least it wasn’t McDonalds....

Matt noticed a tiny shop with a sign that read ‘Currywurst’. He recognized the name from a History Channel show and suggested that we try it. I previously never tasted curry, so this was a completely new option for me.

The sausages were boiled then fried and sliced into inch thick bites. They were basically hot dogs smothered in a curry ketchup and they were surprisingly delicious. I chose to add a layer of fried onions and jalapenos below the thick layer of red goodness. I also got a side of creamy potato salad that refreshed my palate from the kick of curry and jalapenos. 

We also sampled Schnitzel Hawaii from a fast food stand. The thinly sliced veal was deep fried and topped with broiled pineapple, ham, and havarti cheese. It was not my personal favorite, but I also do not have a liking for warm pineapple.

After munching on some unique combinations of spices and fruit, I then naturally craved dessert. We walked by Kamps bakery and I eyed down a crumbly, gooey, cookie looking treat. I discovered that this mystery baked good was known as streuseltaler. This one in particular was about the size of a slice of pizza.

It was a thin layer of doughy, moist yellow cake that was topped with streusel, which is reminiscent of the crumbles from an American coffee cake. The whole treat was then covered with a sticky white icing glaze. For once in my life, I did not finish this dessert in one sitting because of it’s extreme abundance of sugar. This is a dessert that I’ve searched for back home in Philadelphia, but still have not had success in finding it. One day I will attempt to re-create this yummy treat.

Have you ever tried any of these German foods?