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86 Worst Rated German Foods

Last update: Thu Mar 27 2025
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01
Schmierwurst
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Schmierwurst, along with mettwurst and teewurst, belongs to the category of uncooked or raw sausages (rohwurst) that are typically fermented and smoked. The sausage usually consists of finely ground pork, bacon, and spices such as white pepper and coriander, which are combined into a smooth mixture and then added into a natural or artificial casing.


The preparation of the final product involves fermentation and gentle smoking, yielding a soft sausage that is perfectly good to be enjoyed without additional cooking and can easily be spread over a slice of bread. It is this distinctive soft and spreadable nature of the sausage that has probably been the reason why it had earned the name schmierwurst, meaning smear sausage or sausage spread.

02
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Brathering is a traditional fish dish originating from Germany, consisting of marinated fried herring. Fresh herrings are rolled in flour or breaded, pan-fried, and marinated in a mixture of white wine vinegar, onions, sugar, salt, pepper, mustard seeds, and bay leaves.


The dish is traditionally served cold, and it’s typically accompanied by fried potatoes, rösti, or potato salad. The herrings can also be used in sandwiches, and nowadays canned brathering can be bought in most stores. The dish is usually enjoyed for lunch or as a snack at street food stands.

03

Stew

BAVARIA, Germany
2.9
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Pichelsteiner is a thick German stew made with several kinds of meat and vegetables. Pork, beef, and mutton are the main ingredients alongside potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and leeks. Various other vegetables can be added for extra flavor, such as onions, celery, and garlic.


The stew is seasoned with salt and pepper, then sprinkled with fresh parsley. Pichelsteiner is considered an all-time classic in Bavaria, where the dish originated from in the 19th century. Auguste Winkler, an innkeeper from the small village of Grattersdorf, is credited with inventing the stew at an open-air cooking festival in 1879. 
04

Cake

FRANKFURT, Germany
2.9
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Frankfurter Kranz is a classic German cake that originated in Frankfurt and was created around 1735. This cake is known for its distinctive crown shape, symbolizing the city's historical association with the German emperors as the place where coronations took place.


The cake consists of multiple layers of sponge cake, which are filled and frosted with a rich buttercream. Often, the layers are interspersed with a layer of red jam, adding a tangy contrast to the creamy filling. The entire cake is then coated with more buttercream and adorned with golden toasted almond brittle, known as krokant, giving it a crunchy texture and an elegant appearance. 
05
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Bayerischer Wurstsalat is a traditional salad originating from Bavaria. It's made with Regensburger knockwurst sausage, diced onions, olive oil, wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and paprika. The wurst is peeled and sliced thinly, then tossed with the onions, olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings.


Before serving, it's chilled, then dusted with paprika on top. The salad is sometimes also served as an appetizer, and it's recommended to serve it with beets, pickles, bread rolls, and butter.

OTHER VARIATIONS OF Wurstsalat
06
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Gefilte fish, or stuffed fish (from gefilte, which means filled or stuffed in Yiddish), is a ubiquitous Jewish appetizer that is based on chopped or ground fish. This dish is typically prepared with ground carp, pike, or whitefish that is combined with a variety of other ingredients before it is shaped into balls or oval patties, which are then usually simmered in fish stock.


Typical ingredients that go into gefilte fish include matzo meal, eggs, onions, carrots, leeks, parsley, goose fat or oil, and various seasonings and spices such as salt, pepper, allspice, sugar, cinnamon, or bay leaves. Gefilte fish may be more on the savory side, with a distinctive peppery flavor, as it is usually prepared in countries such as Lithuania and Russia, or sweet, a version that is typical of Polish cuisine. 
07

Bread Soup

BAVARIA, Germany
3.0
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Brotsuppe, meaning bread soup, is a humble German dish based on stale bread and meat broth (usually beef) or vegetable broth. Pieces of leftover bread (usually rye bread) are fried in butter or lard alongside onions until nicely colored and crispy before they are added to a hot broth seasoned with salt and pepper and enhanced with aromatic spices such as marjoram, caraway, or nutmeg.


Some variations of the soup call for the addition of meat, egg yolks, or cream for extra flavor, and a more filling meal. Brotsuppe is also often referred to as fränkische brotsuppe as it is mainly associated with the region of Franconia, although different versions of the soup have been traditionally consumed in other parts of the country as well. 
08
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Also known as little jumper or little knight, springerle is an anise-flavored biscuit made from wheat flour, eggs, and powdered sugar. In the past, the dough used to be leavened with hartshorn salt, but modern day recipes typically use baking powder.


The designs and images on top are made with flat molds, presses, and boards, or specially crafted wooden rolling pins. The origin of these biscuits can be traced back to southwestern Germany and the 14th century. The oldest mold for springerle comes from Switzerland, and it was also made in the 14th century.

09

Sweet Pastry

ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER, Germany
3.1
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This German specialty consists of thin strips of shortcrust pastry that are loosely intertwined and wrapped into balls which are deep-fried until golden and crispy. Traditional versions are dusted with sugar, but there are also variations may be covered in chocolate glaze or different combinations of nuts, coconut, cinnamon, or marzipan.


Schneeballen, which translates as snowballs, are traditionally associated with Rothenberg ob der Tauber, but they can be found throughout Bavaria. Although they were once enjoyed only on special occasions, nowadays they are a staple at numerous Bavarian pastry shops.

MOST ICONIC Schneeballen

1
10
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Handkäse mit Musik is a German dish originating from Hesse. It consists of hand-formed handkäse (sour milk cheese) that's topped with raw onion vinaigrette. The onion marinade stands for music (Musik) from the name, which comes in the form of flatulence caused by consuming raw onions.


However, the real reason why it has music in its name is because in the past, the onions were served on the side, while vinegar and oil were served in tiny jars that made music while the servers carried them on a plate. The dish is often served only with a knife, and it's typically accompanied by bread, caraway seeds, and apfelwein (apple cider) on the side.

MOST ICONIC Handkäse mit Musik

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13
Feast
BAVARIA, Germany
3.1
14
Vegetable Soup
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany
3.2
15
16
Sweet Bread
NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA, Germany
3.3
17
18
Spread
BAVARIA, Germany
3.3
19
20
21
22
Stew
DORTMUND, Germany
3.3
23
Sausage Dish
NUREMBERG, Germany
3.3
24
Appetizer
BERLIN, Germany
3.4
25
Pork Dish
PALATINATE, Germany
3.4
26
Sandwich
COLOGNE, Germany
3.4
27
28
29
30
Pudding
FRANKFURT, Germany
3.4
31
32
Dessert
GERMANY  and  one more region
3.5
33
34
35
American Beef Cut
GERMANY  and  2 more countries
3.5
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
Sauce
GERMANY  and  one more region
3.7
44
45
46
Soup
BAVARIA, Germany  and  2 more regions
3.7
47
48
Veal Dish
GERMANY  and  one more region
3.7
49
50
Stew
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany
3.7
51
Deep-fried Dessert
GERMANY  and  2 more regions
3.7
52
53
German Beef Cut
GERMANY  and  one more region
3.7
54
Cake
SAXONY, Germany
3.7
55
56
57
58
59
60
Stew
STUTTGART, Germany
3.7
61
Bread
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany
3.7
62
63
64
65
Sandwich
BAVARIA, Germany
3.8
66
67
68
69
Side Dish
RHINELAND-PALATINATE, Germany
3.8
70
Pancake
BAVARIA, Germany
3.8
71
72
Mussel Dish
RHINELAND-PALATINATE, Germany
3.8
73
Sandwich
SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN, Germany
3.9
74
Dessert
MANNHEIM, Germany
3.9
75
Cookie
GERMANY  and  one more region
3.9
76
77
Pork Dish
BERLIN, Germany
3.9
78
79
Soup
GERMANY  and  one more country
3.9
80
81
82
Cookie
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany
3.9
83
Cake
EAST FRISIA, Germany
3.9
84
Bread Pudding
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany
3.9
85
Pizza
BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany
3.9
86
Side Dish
SAARLAND, Germany
3.9

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “86 Worst Rated German Foods” list until March 27, 2025, 14,850 ratings were recorded, of which 12,812 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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