A recent exploration of Germany’s culinary history reveals a complex relationship between food, culture, and national identity, tracing developments from the immediate postwar period to the present day. This narrative was inspired by the book *Leibspeisen* (“Favourite Dishes”) by south German food writers Eva Gritzmann and Denis Scheck, who use a recipe for each year to chronicle the shifting tastes and social contexts of eight decades of German cuisine.

The gastronomic journey begins with the scarcity of the “hunger winter” of 1946-47, when food shortages were so severe that some people resorted to cooking crows and cats—nicknamed “roof rabbits.” With the aid of the Marshall Plan, West Germany recovered rapidly, lifting food rationing by 1950, ahead of Britain. This recovery ushered in the “economic miracle,” marked by an eagerness to indulge in calorie-rich foods and the emergence of new culinary icons such as Clemens Wilmenrod, Germany’s first television chef and inventor of the Toast Hawaii—a dish consisting of toasted bread topped with ham, cheese, and canned pineapple.

Despite increasing multicultural influences represented by dishes like döner kebab and frozen pizza, traditional fare retains symbolic importance. Prominent German politicians have publicly identified with familiar “everyman” foods, including Helmut Schmidt’s preference for pea soup, Gerhard Schröder’s choice of currywurst, and both Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz favoring Königsberger Klopse, meatballs in cream sauce. In contrast, Friedrich Merz’s fondness for spaghetti with frutti di mare has been seen as pushing culinary boundaries for German palates in recent years.

The book also highlights regional culinary diversity and tensions within Germany. The authors note how southern German food is generally regarded as more flavorful, while northern cuisine is described as austere. Western industrial areas are known for robust dishes such as Mett, raw minced pork. Germany’s vast array of more than 1,500 sausage varieties and 3,200 types of bread underscores this regional fragmentation.

An example of the country’s inventive, sometimes controversial recipes was demonstrated at a recent dinner party, which featured a mix of nostalgic and unusual dishes from postwar Germany. These included the Käse-Igel (cheese hedgehog), prawn cocktail, “fly agaric eggs” (boiled eggs topped with cherry tomatoes and mayonnaise), and the divisive “Swabian tuna” — wild boar neck cooked and preserved to mimic tinned tuna. The event showcased both appreciation and skepticism towards some classic German recipes.

At the official residence of the German president, culinary traditions emphasize the use of exclusively domestic produce, with the longtime in-house chef Jan-Göran Barth reportedly avoiding olive oil to maintain this standard.

While culinary preferences and traditions vary across Germany’s regions and generations, the shared history of food offers insights into the country’s evolving identity, reflecting broader social and economic changes. Notably, at the recent dinner gathering, the most popular item was an alcoholic punch called Kalte Ente, combining Riesling, sparkling wine, and other ingredients—a reminder of how conviviality often transcends regional and historical divides.