German cuisine

The cuisine of Germany consists of many different local or regional cuisines, reflecting the country's federal history. <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a> itself is part of the larger cultural region of <a href="/facts/Central_Europe/VdxzSbJz">Central Europe</a>, sharing many culinary traditions with neighbouring countries such as <a href="/facts/Polish_cuisine/aDUpu2Fk">Poland</a> and the <a href="/facts/Czech_cuisine/cIE0lcJV">Czech Republic</a> (and <a href="/facts/Slovakia/gmJwpwM3">Slovakia</a> as well). In <a href="/facts/Northern_Europe/u77t0yJI">Northern Europe</a>, in <a href="/facts/Denmark/KVtykzsw">Denmark</a> more specifically, the traditional <a href="/facts/Danish_cuisine/5up4d0t8">Danish cuisine</a> had also been influenced by German cuisine in the past, hence several dishes being common between the two countries (e.g. <a href="/facts/Potato_salad/sTkWLuf0">potato salad</a>).
At the same time, German cuisine also shares many similar characteristics with Western European cuisine, as is reflected by some common traditional dishes served in the <a href="/facts/Low_Countries/umPWQ5hV">Low Countries</a> (i.e. <a href="/facts/Netherlands/y8xn5stT">Netherlands</a>, <a href="/facts/Belgium/YKuMXP5j">Belgium</a>, and, most notably, <a href="/facts/Luxembourg/vRN04l7f">Luxembourg</a>). Southern German regions, such as <a href="/facts/Bavaria/CLbr6NIG">Bavaria</a> and <a href="/facts/Swabia/lymMtyP5">Swabia</a>, share dishes with <a href="/facts/Austrian_cuisine/UtKJruwC">Austrian cuisine</a> and parts of <a href="/facts/Swiss_cuisine/e3LdNWIX">Swiss cuisine</a> as well. The German cuisine has also influenced other European cuisines from Central-<a href="/facts/Eastern_Europe/f5CDGzNA">Eastern Europe</a> such as those of <a href="/facts/Hungary/YRedQLtI">Hungary</a> or <a href="/facts/Romania/yolzk5cN">Romania</a>, both countries sharing past and current German heritage in general, through their ethnic German minorities (see also, for example in this regard, the <a href="/facts/Transylvanian_Saxon_cuisine/6M6cB11r">Transylvanian Saxon cuisine</a>).
The <a href="/facts/Michelin_Guide/4WvTvc33">Michelin Guide</a> of 2025 awarded a <a href="/facts/List_of_Michelin_starred_restaurants/nSAFCLCA">three-star ranking</a> (the highest designation) to 10 restaurants in Germany, while 46 more received two-star rankings and 265 one-star rankings. As of November 2017, Germany had the fourth-highest number of Michelin three-star restaurants in the world, after <a href="/facts/Japanese_cuisine/xIM9GWR6">Japan</a>, <a href="/facts/French_cuisine/gHvq6Erk">France</a>, and the <a href="/facts/American_cuisine/TeUw69tN">United States</a>.

German cuisine open-in-new

German cuisine