Non pork dishes in Germany?

Question

I've been reading about all the regional, local specialties in Germany. I'm traveling there this summer with family. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. But 4 of the people traveling with me are Jewish. They can't eat pork. They can't eat sea food unless it has fins. They can't eat hooved animals unless they have split hooves. While I'm excited about the various pork dishes, I know we are going to have problems finding places where the rest of us can enjoy the total gamut of choices and yet there will be good food for them as well. Any ideas of places/types of food we should be looking for? We will be in Trier for lunch one day, Luxembourg City one evening for a meal, Rothenburg ob du Tauber, and Munich. I've got a bit of a problem at times with highly spiced food so that will probably end up another factor we have to work around. When we were in Venice last year, my Jewish family ate a lot of tomato and mozarella salads. They can pretty much exist on bread, cheese and veg.

Answer 1

Beef should be okay, right? You could try Gulasch (I know, it's originally hungarian), Rouladen (rolled up meat and/or cabbage) or one of the numerous other beef dishes, that don't come to my mind that late at night.

Grilled chicken (Brathähnchen / Broiler) might be a good choice as well.

A doener of lamb meat could be an acceptable fast food choice too.

For meatless meals, pancakes (Pfannkuchen or Eierkuchen; name differs between regions) are worth a try.

The exclusion of pork makes the spectre a bit narrower (the fish story has not that big influence, as you're not travelling the coast areas), but you'll find a menu in every restaurant without problems.

And about your problem with strong spices, don't worry, it's the same about most Germans, so most meals are prepared a bit weaker. ;-)

Greets from Germany

Answer 2

One of my favorite things is "Gemuse Struedel".  It is definitely German, but is not a meat based dish.  Basiacally if you think of the dessert Apfel Struedel (which I also recomend!) but instead it is a more bread like covering with vegetables in the middle.  No meat.  Delicious.  Very German.  My other favorite thing which I find in many traditional German restaurants is "Gabacken Camenbert".  As it sounds, this is a breaded and baked round of Camenbert cheese.  Often served with some salad on the side, and some type of red berry jam to eat with it, sometimes served also with the jam in a halved pear.  This is DELICIOUS and also something I've only found in Germany, but can find even at hard core beirhalles where you're also finding all your great platters of meat.  (Same as the gemuse streudel.)  Another gool thing is spaetzel.  I think I spelled that right. :-)  It is a pasta type dish with cheese.  Can also get with veggies in it too.  Found at many traditional German places.  I think this gives you a chance to go and experience local foods, but with options for everyone you're travelling with.  That's probably more fun for them too, instead of always having to eat boring salads and bread.

Answer 3

Really good answers  so far I would like to add a link for you with address of kosher Restaurants in Germany

In Munich eg there is one also in Heidelberg not too far from Trier.I am sorry the link is in German but I hope it still is of some help for you.

http://www.talmud.de/cms/Geschaefte_Rest...

Answer 4

I don't think you are going to run into big problems. Even when you are just looking for a snack. Most restaurants have a well-mixed menu, offering something for almost everyone. There are also a couple of traditional local fish-dishes, with sweet-water fish such as trout and carp, though I would not recommend the carp (that's just me though. I just don't like it.), but look out for "Forelle Müllerin Art" (I don't know exactly how that is prepared), "Forelle blau" (that's trout cooked in a bit of broth with wine), or "geräucherte Forelle" (that's smoked, skinless trout, served warm).

If your jewish family is very very strict, than you need to watch out when you are ordering soups or stuff as an entree, because they are often garnished with a bit of whipped cream. Oh, and if you should try Döner, there's joghurt in the sauce, and most of the time the meat you will have in it is either veal, lamb, or turkey (and I have never seen one where there was pork), but depending on the restaurant/stand you're in you might not be able to choose a meat. If you can't choose or find out what meat they are giving you, your jewish friends might settle for the "Falaffel", which most Döner restaurant also have on the menue. "Falaffel" is a dumpling of chick pea dough, and it is served basically just like the döner. Or they might try to eat soemthing from "Nordsee", which is a chain restaurant that offers everything fish, and it's all over Germany.

Well, anyway: Guten Appetit while you're here! ;)