Give Me a High Five #6: Berlin Specialities

The other day, I went to KaDeWe to run an errand. Since I can never go to KaDeWe without visiting the 6th floor, I went to go see if they had Snapple. I cannot tell you how badly I am craving Snapple's Diet Peach Ice Tea. Sadly, no Snapples were to be found, which shocked me, as I would consider Snapple a staple drink in American culture.

That sparked the idea for this post. When I think of typical "American" foods, I think BBQ, peanut butter, burgers, Kraft Mac & Cheese, pizza, Snapple, Relish, Chips, and the list goes on. Most of you are American; you don't need me to tell you what typical American specialities are! However, many of you do not know what typical Berliner specialities are. With that being said, here is a list of 5 (unordered) specialties that are native to Berlin. Notice that I said native to BERLIN...not Germany!

1. Berliner Kindl Weisse
This has been mentioned a few times in my blog. Click the link if you want a refresher.

2. Currywurst
You either love it or you hate it. Jack loves it, I hate it. Currywurst is very popular in Berlin, found at fast food stands (called Imbiss) and in German restaurants. It is a wurst (aka sausage/hot dog) sliced into rounds with a curried ketchup. Usually, it is served with Pomme Frites and a colorful plastic fork. You can make a DIY currywurst. Mix a generous portion of curry powder with ketchup. Get a Hebrew's national, top it with the curried ketchup. Voila!

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3. Döner Kebab; aka, Döner
Döners are everywhere...not kidding. Döner shops are more popular than Starbucks are in the States, and for good reason; they're delicious. Döner Kebab is actually a Turkish dish made popular here in Berlin, but I'm counting it as a Berlin delicacy anyways. A Döner is a pita with veggies, meat, and your choice of garlic and/or hot sauce. Basically, it's a gyro. The meat, however, is unknown. Is it beef? Chicken? Pork? No idea...you see the meat on a vertical spit that spins around a grill, and the Döner man scrapes the meat off per order. Unless the Döner place specifies (and they usually specify Chicken when they do), you're guess is as good as mine as far as what the meat actually is. However, they are absolutely delicious, unless you find a bad Döner, in which case, they are disgusting. A tip to those in Berlin; the best Döner is in the Wilmersdorferstraße U-Bahn as you walk out to the S-Bahn. It's a chicken Döner, and they even grill up artichoke hearts. Super lecker and Amaze-balls!

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An amazing picture of "Mutti" (Angela Merkel) shaving meat from the spit for a döner

Click here for an article on how to order a döner properly, as well as a few German words!

4. Berliner Pfannkuchen
It's a jelly doughnut filled with plum jelly. Yep...that about sums it up...

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5. Boulette
This is a food I have yet to experience, but was recommended by some American friends. Boulettes are large meatballs, served with a side mustard, pickled eggs, and pickles. Most of the time, they are the size of falafels, but I have seen them as large as a burger and as small as swedish meatballs. Most bars and German restaurants serve it, sometimes with a bun, making it a Berlin version of the hamburger.

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Bon Appetit!