From Buttery Pastries To Creamy Cheeses, Why Germany's Breakfast Is A Feast Worth Waking Up For

If you haven't traveled through Germany, you might be surprised by the opulence offered by its breakfast spread. Some dishes are recognizable adaptations of familiar foods, others more unique, but one thing is for sure: They're all delicious. And while anyone who has been to an Oktoberfest won't be shocked to hear that the meals tend to be on the hearty side, there are options for all diets and palettes.

German breakfast is often somewhere in between a continental breakfast and a charcuterie board. Butterbrot — a German open-faced sandwich topped with butter — whether rolls or pumpernickel, is a common starting point and accompanied by boiled eggs, cheeses and cured meat. And of course, no meal is complete without a wurst or two. For a breakfast experience that will make you feel as German as it gets, try weisswurst, one of 10 German sausages you should know come Oktoberfest. Weisswurst is a dish of plump white sausages served in warm water (which is not for drinking, but keeping the meat warm) with pretzels, sweet mustard, and, of course, a weissbier Just make sure not to eat the casings.

A regional item you'll see on many menus is quark, a dish halfway between cheese and yogurt. A high-protein, low-sodium dairy product, it can be served sweet with muesli and honey or mixed with sour cream and herbs for a savory meal. If you're in the west, keep your eyes peeled for a delicious dish of sautéed pears, green beans, and bacon.

If that sounds like a lot of heavy, savory food, don't worry. For those with a sweet tooth, the Germans have an abundance of options, which makes sense, considering they come from the country that produces the most chocolate in the world. Apfelpfannkuchen may sound like a mouthful of a word, but it's worth it for the mouthful of delicious apple pancake topped with cinnamon sugar. 

If pancakes are good, you know what's even better? Kaiserschmarrn, a dish hailing from Austria but popular in Germany as well. Pancakes are cooked, then torn into small, bite-sized chunks, bathed in butter and served with powdered sugar or plum butter. Similar to the apple pancake is apfelkuchen, an apple custard cake that, yes, is meant for breakfast. The apples are beautifully cooked, cinnamon-spiced, and occasionally topped with streusel. And franzbrötchen are German cinnamon rolls that you will never be able to forget.

Whatever your taste preferences are, one thing is clear. When traveling in Germany, you should never, ever consider skipping breakfast. Not only is it the most important meal of the day, but it's so important that many Germans enjoy a second breakfast, known as zweites Frühstück, which usually contains a small sandwich, fruit, or, naturally, a sausage.