Lebensmittel (Meals)

Whenever I go to a new place, I love to try the most outlandish and weird foods I can find. I believe that when you travel, it's extremely important to not only take in the sights, but also the food. Berlin has a very eclectic and diverse food culture. Of course, you will get the classic German food (yes, it really is mostly bratwurst and potatoes), but being such a progressive city, there are a number of different popular kinds of foods from all over the world. The large Arabic population has given rise to a number of Arabic restaurants, which is a staple for the common Berliner. It has been extremely interesting seeing the combination of cultures being expressed in the food they eat, which I think is a symbol of Berlin as a whole.

My First German Meal - Currywurst

My jet-lagged self was extremely surprised to see something called "currywurst" on the menu. Curry, being something I know only to exist in Indian food, seemed like a weird addition to a German sausage. In fact, in 1949, after some Germans obtained ketchup and curry powder from British soldiers, currywurst was born. The flavor was extremely interesting, and seemed like someone just cut up sausage and put it in an Indian curry dish. This was a little strange, and probably won't be something I will order again, but it was worth the try.

The Berliner Classic - Bratwurst from a guy wearing a grill

Yes, the guy was actually wearing a grill. In Alexanderplatz, a shopping plaza located a short distance from where we are staying, there are guys walking around with grills strapped to themselves. On these grills are none other than the enormous sausages known to the Germans as bratwurst. Though it slightly annoyed me that the bratwurst was exponentially larger than the bun, it was nevertheless an enjoyable street food. At this point in the trip, I had already devoured sausage twice in two days, so I was getting pretty sick of it.

Classy Bratwurst

Okay, so I know this is my third bratwurst experience within the first few days of my trip, but just look at this thing. Who could pass up a bratwurst alongside a massive potato smothered in cheese, cabbage, and herbs? We went to Pratergarten, Berlin's oldest beer garden. The prodigious potato on my plate was nicely complimented by a classic red Berliner Weisse, one of the most popular (and sweetest) beers in Berlin.

Not a Bratwurst

Proof that I did not commit to a sausage diet while in Berlin. This gnocci covered in a mustard-based sauce and topped with lettuce was absolutely amazing. This restaurant was interesting because you place your order on a tablet and then pick up your food from the counter. It was very efficient and fast. However, it is ironic that my first non-bratwurst meal was actually Italian.

Riverboat Dinner Cruise

The Riverboat Dinner Cruise was probably one of my favorite things about Berlin. The Spree River was gorgeous, and I felt like I was living a life of luxury floating down the river and enjoying a gourmet meal. I ordered the fish from the predetermined meal choices. Though I grew up in Florida and am used to seafood, this fish was probably one of the best seafood meals I've ever had. It was very fitting for a river cruise as well.

The dessert from the Riverboat Cruise was a crepe with ice cream and caramel sauce. This tasted eerily like a pancake breakfast from back home, which really highlights how bad American food is for you. However, this dessert was very scrumptious to say the least.

 

Syrian BBQ

You might have read about my new Syrian friends in the previous blog post. This is the food they made for us when we had a BBQ in the park. Layers of pita bread were smothered in crushed red peppers and garlic cream. Then, we wrapped the pita around sheep meat and spicy chicken. This was probably my favorite meal in Berlin, even though it's actually Syrian. The care they put into their food was impressive, and the fact that everyone ate out of the same dish really stood as a symbol of solidarity between my culture and theirs.