What to Eat in Munich

What to Eat in Munich

Snacks

It seems that Munich loves to snack, and a tempting array of food is available almost anytime, save in the wee hours when absolutely nothing is open in the city center. The generic term for snacks is Imbiss, and thanks to growing internationalism you'll find all types of them, from the generic Wiener (hot dogs) to the Turkish Döner Kebap sandwich (pressed and roasted lamb, beef, or chicken). Almost all butcher shops and bakeries offer some sort of Brotzeit snack, which can range from a modest sandwich to a steaming plate of goulash with potatoes and salad.

Some edibles come with social etiquette attached. The Weisswurst, a tender minced-veal sausage -- made fresh daily, steamed, and served with sweet mustard and a crisp roll or a pretzel -- is a Munich institution and is served before noon with a Weissbier (wheat beer), supposedly to counteract the effects of a hangover. Legend has it that this white sausage was invented in 1857 by a butcher who had a hangover and mixed the wrong ingredients. A plaque on a wall on Marienplatz marks where the "mistake" was made. Some people use a knife and fork to remove the edible part from the skin; the rougher crowd might indulge in auszuzeln, sucking the sausage out of the Weisswurst.

Another favorite Bavarian specialty is Leberkäs -- literally "liver cheese" -- although neither liver nor cheese is among its ingredients. It's a sort of meat loaf baked to a crusty turn each morning and served in succulent slabs throughout the day. A Leberkäs Semmel -- a wedge of the meat loaf between two halves of a crispy bread roll slathered with a slightly spicy mustard -- is the favorite Munich on-the-go snack.

Good Home Cooking

Old Munich inns feature solid regional specialties and gutbürgerliche Küche, loosely translated as good home cooking. The settings for such victuals include boisterous brewery restaurants, beer halls, beer gardens, rustic cellars, and Kneipen, restaurant-pubs serving any manner of food depending on the owner's fancy. The crowd here is generally a mix of students, white-collar workers, and chic artist-types.

A Real Meal

Typical, more substantial dishes in Munich include Tellerfleisch, boiled beef with freshly grated horseradish and boiled potatoes on the side, served on wooden plates (there is a similar dish called Tafelspitz). Among roasts, sauerbraten (beef) and Schweinebraten (roast pork) are accompanied by dumplings and sauerkraut. Hax'n (ham hocks) are roasted until they're crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. They are served with sauerkraut and potato puree. Game in season (venison or boar, for instance) and duck are served with potato dumplings and red cabbage. As for fish, the region has not only excellent trout, served either smoked as an hors d'oeuvre or fried or boiled as an entrée, but also the perch-like Rencke from Lake Starnberg.

You'll also find soups, salads, casseroles, hearty stews, and what may well be the greatest variety and the highest quality of baked goods in Europe, including pretzels. And for dessert, indulge in a bowl of Bavarian cream, apple strudel, or Dampfnudel, a fluffy leavened-dough dumpling usually served with vanilla sauce.