9 stories about Germany’s favorite food staple
Our Daily Bread

Sweet, salty, sour – German bread comes in many forms. Some varieties are so iconic, they even star in their own TV shows!

By Victor Meuche

Strawberry Jam Bread with Honey

Jam and honey are among the most popular bread toppings in Germany – and they taste even better together! This sweet combo even inspired its own children’s TV show: Tom and the Strawberry Jam Bread with Honey (Tom und das Erdbeermarmeladebrot mit Honig). The plot is simple: Tom, the hero of the series, searches for a slice of bread topped with honey and strawberry jam. He usually only gets half a slice – but it tastes “as good as if it had been a whole one.”

Powerhouse: Brown Bread

As early as 1586, a Dutch scholar grumbled: “It was black, hard to digest, and sour.” Still, Germans love their dark rye bread. Proof? Nearly one in ten loaves sold is black bread. It originates from northern and western Germany and is rich in fiber and healthy carbohydrates.

Super Sexy: The Cheese Sandwich

As far back as the 16th century, cheese sandwiches were a popular meal for working women and day laborers. Later, they popped up in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Much later, in 2006, entertainer Helge Schneider dedicated a whole song to the cheese sandwich: “Cheese bread is a good bread – super sexy cheese bread.”

A Nation Divided – Over Nutella on Bread

Do you say das Nutella or die Nutella? This debate has divided the German-speaking world. Just like the question of whether butter belongs under the Nutella or not. One thing’s for sure: Germans love their chocolate hazelnut spread. Around nine million of them regularly enjoy it on bread.

Sad Little White Bread

In ancient Rome, white bread was a luxury. Because processing wheat flour was complex and expensive, only the wealthy could afford it. Today, pure white bread has lost popularity, as more and more Germans opt for healthier whole grain options. Still, the tradition lives on – for instance in children’s television: Bernd das Brot (Bernd the Bread) is a grumpy, talking loaf of white bread with stubby arms and bread roll feet.

Delicacy or Disgrace? Mett 

Mett is raw minced pork. It’s seasoned with salt, pepper, and onions, and served on half a bread roll. Particularly popular in northern and eastern Germany, it’s also unique: Germans are the only people in the EU who enjoy raw pork this way.

Hard Shell, Soft Center: The Farmer’s Loaf

In the past, rural communities would bake this loaf for up to 24 hours in their home ovens – giving the Bauernbrot its robust crust and keeping it fresh longer. Typically made from a mix of rye and wheat flour, sourdough, salt, yeast, and water, it was named “Bread of the Year” in 2019 by the German Bread Institute.

Snack Time, Bavarian Style

A traditional Bavarian snack includes Obazda – a creamy cheese spread whose name comes from the Bavarian word obazn (to mix together). It was invented in the 1920s by a pub owner in Upper Bavaria, who wanted to salvage her ripe Camembert by mixing it with butter, onions, paprika, caraway, and wheat beer. Her guests loved it. Obazda was born. It’s served with pretzels or Bauernbrot, radish, and – of course – beer.

A Toast to Toast

Until the 1950s, airy, toasted sandwich bread was largely unknown in Germany. That changed in 1963, when nine bakeries joined forces to form the “Golden Toast Consortium” (“Arbeitsgemeinschaft Golden Toast”.) Their mission: to popularize American-style toast in Germany. Ads praised toast as a “refined and practical meal.” Today, it’s the best-selling bread in the country.