Germans' insatiable love affair with potatoes – DW – 08/19/2019 (2024)

FAQs

Why are Germans obsessed with potatoes? ›

According to legend, King Frederick II of Prussia believed in the economic and nutritious value of potatoes. He tricked local farmers into planting more of the so-called apple of the earth by posting soldiers around the potato fields to protect them. It worked — highly valued goods taste even better.

Festkochende Kartoffeln | Waxy potatoes

Festkochende potatoes have a smooth, waxy, dense flesh that remains firm when they're cooked. They have a high moisture content and a very thin skin that, though you can scratch it off easily with a fingernail, doesn't tend to come off in the pan.

Chips go German-style

Much of those 60-odd kilograms eaten by the average German each year must come from potato chips, considering it takes 10,000 kilograms of potatoes to make 2,500 kilograms of chips. Although chips are not native to Germany, some of the flavor choices are.

Potatoes are typically broken into three distinct groups: High-Starch/Low-Moisture Potatoes. In Germany they are called Mehligkochend, and come in a bag with a blue tag.

Belarus is right at the top of the list with each Belarusian consuming around 170 kg of potatoes each year. Countries like Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Poland also demonstrate relatively high consumption at 100 kg per person or more.

It's called Kartoffel in both Austria and Germany and in parts of either it's also known as Erdäpfel (plural). Other terms like Erdbirne, Potaten etc are very rarely used.

German Butterball potatoes are medium to large in size and are round to oblong in shape, averaging 10-12 centimeters in length.

Germany's many varieties of potatoes are divided into three categories: festkochend (waxy), vorwiegend festkochend (medium waxy) and mehlig (mealy). German stores label potatoes based on these three categories with a colored coded strip: green for festkochend, red for vorwiegend festkochend and blue for mehlig.

A Staple in Every German Kitchen

The potato's versatility is celebrated in German kitchens. From crispy roast potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, golden potato fritters to the quintessential potato salad often paired with Vienna sausages, the dishes are as diverse as they are delicious.

Whilst there are regional variations in food culture, most German recipes focus heavily on bread, potatoes, and meat, especially pork, as well as plenty of greens such as types of cabbage and kale. Cake, coffee, and beer are all highly popular elements of German cuisine too - which will be good news to most!

What is a typical German lunch? ›

The main meal of the day is das Mittagessen, or lunch. The tradition is to have a hot meal during lunch. Sauerbraten, snitzels, Frikadellen (German meatballs), potatoes (such as Kartoffelsalat), green beans, soups, and stews are frequently served for lunch.

But in Germany, the traditional dinner time is much earlier: you'll find many German households having their evening meal between 5 and 7 pm.

The "Lueneburg Heath” potato is world-famous and very popular throughout Germany. It is healthy and contains a lot of potassium, vitamins and protein.

German Butterball Potato is an excellent storage variety and can be kept for several months after harvest. Irish potatoes are a late, cool-weather crop and should be planted in late winter or early spring while temperatures are still relatively cool.

Mehligkochende Kartoffeln are high starch potatoes, most similar to American russet potatoes, and are best for baking, puréeing, and frying.

“The German potato industry offers work for 110,000 people in 27,600 companies. With a potato cultivation area of 264,700 hectares, which is roughly the size of Saarland, Germany is the largest potato producer in the EU,” Dr.

By 1715 the potato was widespread in the Low Countries, the Rhineland, Southwestern Germany, and Eastern France, and by the mid-18th century had also been firmly established in the Kingdom of Prussia in northern and eastern Germany, due to the efforts of Frederick II's government from 1744.

Among the favorites in German cooking are potatoes, various types of cabbage, carrots, spinach, peas, asparagus, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and various types of salads.