It is the same every year.
Millions of visitors, locals and tourists alike, make their way to Munich each year to celebrate one of Germany’s biggest fairs…
It’s time for Oktoberfest!
It is a great feast, and during the festival season, grocery stores offer lots of typical foods, decorations and beer – although the festivities do not affect the whole country.
Nevertheless, the prestigious event has become a global tourist magnet.
Of course, there are lots of traditional things around this celebration. Beers are served in liters while leather pants and dirndl dresses dominate the scene. The Wiesn dress code is like an unwritten law.
And where there is beer, food is not far away.
The most popular Schmankerl or delicacies at Oktoberfest are all hearty and hefty: grilled chicken, lye pretzels, Weisswurst, cheesy Obatzda dip, pork knuckle, onion tart, radish, coleslaw, potato salad, and bread dumplings are all favorites.
There’s also nothing like the perfect cheese pairing with your favorite Oktoberfest beer.
So, to allow those of you who are not able to visit Munich this year (including myself), I put together some famous recipes so that we all can enjoy a little Bavarian coziness wherever we are.
Don’t forget to make it authentic with the correct saying: An Guàdn! (or simply stay with “Cheers!”)
Obatzda – Creamy Cheese Dip
Obatzda is a classic Bavarian dish, often served as a light snack in between meals. It is a savory, creamy cheese that is usually eaten with a slice of dark rye bread or pretzels, and a cold beer.
Originally, the dish was developed to use up leftover cheese. Although this is not the main reason for its preparation today, the recipe hasn’t changed a lot.
Keep in mind:
Obatzda should be consumed on the day of preparation, because the onions can infuse the spread with a bitter flavor after awhile.
Cabbage Salad with Warm Bacon
A savory bacon-enhanced white cabbage salad is another typical recipe to make your Bavarian experience more authentic.
The original dish is made of only a few ingredients with a subtle marinade of just salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. Plus, you wouldn’t want to forget about that special something, the caraway seeds.
They not only provide the characteristic flavor but also promote digestion (which can be quite useful if you think about all the other rich and hearty meals around at this time of year).
Enjoy it with some warm and crispy bacon on top as a wonderful easy meal.
Classic Bread Dumplings
These dumplings are a popular side dish to serve with savory meat dishes. They are easy to prepare and a nice idea for using up older buns or slices of white bread.
While dumplings are classically savory masterpieces of baking, southern Germany does have a sweeter dumpling more geared for dessert: the sweet Dampfnudel yeast dumpling, which pairs excellently and traditionally with a creamy vanilla sauce topping.
Whether intentionally or because you couldn’t manage to eat them all on one day, here is a great way to jazz them up the next day:
Just cut into slices and fry in a pan with some butter until crispy. Really tasty!
The only thing you should not do is try to heat them up in your microwave, because it extracts all the moisture and makes the dumplings dry and flavorless.
Did you enjoy these authentic recipes? Get more Oktoberfest ideas now.
Photos by Nina-Kristin Isensee unless otherwise noted, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Cover and title photo via Shutterstock.
About Nina-Kristin Isensee
Nina lives in Iserlohn, Germany and holds an MA in Art History (Medieval and Renaissance Studies). She is currently working as a freelance writer in various fields. She enjoys travel, photography, cooking, and baking. Nina tries to cook from scratch every day when she has the time and enjoys trying out new spices and ingredients, as well as surprising her family with new cake creations.
Yum. My husband has been sampling a variety of Oktoberfest beers, so now I’ll have some ideas for what to pair them with as he explores. It’s as good an excuse as any to sample some of these delicious recipes, ha ha. I noticed some of these earlier, and I will be back to make a copy so I can give them a try. Kidding aside, I think this will make a nice surprise for him the next time he wants to try a new variety.
Great photos and tips, as usual. Thanks for all these great ideas. This is going to be fun.
I am looking for an Oktoberfest mustard recipe. Schneider used to make one that I loved. But no more. Please send me one if you have it. Thks. Karin Ott
Perhaps it is a sweet Bavarian style mustard that you are looking for? You can find descriptions and details for purchasing several different types of German mustard in our guide, as well as instructions for preparing homemade mustard in this article.