TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media

Local Eats From Berlin's Foodie Streets: A Berlin Food Tour Like No Other.

31/8/2016

 

What does a Berliner eat? We were about to find out on an incredible Berlin food tour.

​This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we may be paid a small commission. Note that we received complimentary media tickets for this tour.

Berlin food tour: A slice of apple cake and a mug of peppermint teaPicture
Yep, our Berlin food tour included amazing desserts.
What is a typical Canadian ingredient? This simple question, posed to me by a tour guide in Bern, Switzerland, caught me completely off guard. I absolutely choked and couldn’t think of a single response. We were walking around the city and the conversation had drifted to food (as it inevitably does with me). My guide enthused about her favorite Swiss ingredients but I couldn’t think of anything to say about my own.

About an hour later, I bluntly interrupted the conversation to triumphantly blurt out “maple syrup!” Yep, it took me all that time to think of the most obvious answer in the world. Clearly I needed to up my local food game and it took a tour in another German speaking city – this time, Berlin – to give me a blueprint into what recipes and ingredients can mean to a region.

Food journalist Dirk Engelhardt runs a Berlin food tour unlike any other that I’ve experienced. For one thing, it’s a "full belly" tour – there’s no sharing of samples or small plates here. We’re talking full bottles of beer, massive plates direct from the menu, and mighty servings of cake. It’s more of a neighborhood supper crawl, where each stop gives you another full course. But generous portion sizes aside, the real stars of the tour are the venues. 
Max und Moritz restaurant menu tour Picture
Dirk explains the menu to us at Max und Moritz during our Berlin food tour.
Berlin is a decidedly diverse foodie town. It’s the vegan and raw food capital of Europe, it’s home to Little Istanbul and the largest community of Turkish people outside of Turkey, and you’re just as likely to find Indian or Thai food at a corner restaurant as you are sausage and cabbage. But what constitutes a proper Berlin dish? 

I’m not talking just traditional German food, the culmination of centuries of tradition from all the different regions of the country. What does Berlin contribute to that mix? What does it offer to the German food legacy? What have Berliners been eating for the past one hundred years that no one else in Germany really does in quite the same way? I suspect most Berliners are as stumped by these questions as I was when it came to naming Canadian ingredients!

​But this archaeological quest of food evolution is Dirk’s passion and he is the only one in Berlin offering food tours that focus on authentic, traditional Berlin cuisine. There’s no curry-wurst or sauerkraut within a mile of his plates.
German quark and brown bread Picture
Traditional German bread with a side of herbed quark at Max und Mortiz.
So what was on the menu? Quark, for starters. Quark is a soft, spreadable cheese made from fermented sour milk and will likely please anyone who enjoys cream cheese, ricotta, or crème fraiche. Versions of quark are popular throughout Europe but it really seems to shine in Berlin. We had it seasoned with herbs and spread over homemade bread before our main meal, and again at dessert when it was a key ingredient for traditional German cheesecake. Our verdict: delicious!
Hoppel Poppel at Max und Moritz Picture
A close up look at a Berlin classic: Hoppel Poppel!
Authentic Hoppel Poppel Germany Picture
My serving was absolutely huge!
Also on offer was the adorably named Hopple Popple. As someone on my Instagram feed commented “I had no idea they serve this in restaurants. In a private home, Hoppel Poppel means that you throw all leftovers from the week in a pan and mix it with egg”. They’re essentially correct!

Hopple Popple is hearty comfort food at its finest. It’s seasoned potatoes, fried up with eggs, onions, (and maybe cheese?) and small chunks of what Dirk described as pickled meat – kind of like a cross between the end pieces of a roasted ham and bacon. On the side, there were pickled veggies and a huge salad. I didn’t make it through even half of my plate – and that’s with Ryan looking over my shoulder, stealing generous bites.

It was delicious, filling, and nutritious and, while it was nothing like anything I had ever tried before, it reminded me so much of the various potato hashes I had growing up. I think all potato, onion, and egg dishes must have a secret kinship with one another. I can just imagine how every family has their own special variation on the tradition and it was clearly the kind of dish whose ratios could be easily adjusted to accommodate full harvests and lean times alike.
Beef goulash and spatzle at Max und Moritz Berlin Picture
Phenomenal goulash with a side of delicious homemade spatzle noodles. Yum!
While Ryan wasn’t shy about stealing bites of my food, it wasn’t like he was going hungry with his plate. He had a heaping platter of beef goulash, complete with homemade spätzle noodles covered with butter and herbs, with a large side salad. When we frowned at Dirk and quizzed him on what goulash was doing on the menu at a 100 year old Berlin restaurant ("Hey, this is a Hungarian dish!") little did we realize that we were at the starting point of a massive pan-European goulash precipice. 
Goulash in Berlin Picture
This was the most incredible sauce.
Side salad Max und Mortiz Berlin Picture
More food on the side!
​German goulash? Why not!? Hungary is by no means Europe’s only goulash producing nation and after trying it first in Berlin, we would go on to sample it in Bratislava (both a classic and a chicken version), several times in Prague (including making a pork version at cooking class), at Frankfurt airport (surprisingly tasty) and, of course, in Budapest (where “goulash” is more of a soup than a stew.) Each region makes things to their own unique; though similar, recipe and Ryan declared the plate he had in Berlin to be the best of all. The sauce was so incredibly rich and savory and he cleaned the plate.
Outdoor seating Max und Mortiz restaurant Berlin Picture
Going strong since 1902: Max und Mortiz restaurant.
Craft beer in Berlin Picture
The selection of beer was nearly overwhelming!
Picture
Narrowing it down to just two.
The goulash and the Hopple Popple came from a restaurant with an equally charming name – Max und Moritz. The restaurant is over 100 years old and features entertainment - a harmonic quartet was performing while we were there! Talk about tradition! But the tour doesn't just visit old fashioned venues. It has a modern twist as well.

​We visited a beer store specializing in locally produced brew and got a brief lesson on the Berlin beer scene. Speaking with the staff about the emergence of the craft beer industry, the changing attitudes towards beer brands, and even seemingly innocuous things such as local preferences for bottles versus cans was a fascinating discussion.

I am not much of a beer drinker, something that has always worked out well for Ryan on previous food tours as he would always inherit all my discarded samples. But this wasn’t the case in Berlin, as we found a beer that perfectly suited my taste. And again, no samples here – everyone got a full bottle to enjoy. Germany is synonymous with beer and gaining some valuable local insight into the changing beer scene was a highlight of the evening.
Outdoor seating at Kuchen Kaiser cake shop in Berlin. Picture
Just set back from the street, the cafe was the perfect place for resting and chatting.
Our tour concluded with a final stop at another 100 + year old establishment, Kuchen Kaiser. I had the aforementioned apple cheesecake made with quark, while Ryan had an absurdly delicious custardy-cake concoction. What I loved about this spot (aside from the obvious: cake!) is that we were free to order any kind of cake our hearts desired. You NEVER see that on food tours! Chocolate lovers would have been in heaven and there were several less-sweet varieties of fruit based cakes as well. We topped off the evening with coffee and delicious mint tea (made with a fresh fistful of mint leaves).
Quark cheesecake Berlin Picture
Apple cinnamon quark cheesecake.
Picture
Ryan never even offered me a bite of his cake. The nerve!
Picture
Is tea a German tradition? Who cares! It was delicious!
Picture
Another view of the cake Ryan would not share.
While I loved the “full belly” tour concept and really, really loved the focus on true Berlin cuisine, what made the evening so worthwhile and memorable was chatting with Dirk. He truly appreciates and celebrates German cuisine and all the nuanced differences among the regions. We had a great chat about the wonders of a special herb based sauce from around the Frankfurt area that’s nearly impossible to get in Berlin, as well as the struggling tradition of home gardens in a city that’s increasingly strapped for space. This guy knows his stuff!

Dirk is a wealth of knowledge of what to see, do, and eat around the city and we were so incredibly touched that, prior to our arrival in Berlin, he sent us an email with a list of his favourite restaurants in the city. It felt like a tour that was designed for one evening really guided us throughout our entire time in Berlin and, in our adventures in the following days, we kept seeing things that he had mentioned to us and we suddenly had a real sense of the city.
Food tours in Berlin Picture
Setting out on the tour and quizzing Dirk about the neighbourhood.
I found Berlin a challenging place to get to know. At times I found it difficult to get an accurate read of the city but things felt much homier after the tour. It is hard to think of a city that has underwent as much change, transition, and development over the past century as Berlin. It's remarkable how the city has managed to hold onto it's culinary identity in the face of so much change and it's inspired me to think more about what food means in my own backyard. I still don't have a great answer for what great Canadian classic ingredients are, but if Dirk can search out truly local fare in an ever changing city like Berlin, I can start a homegrown search for myself.

For more information on Dirk's tours, visit his website. Note since we took the tour, the pricing model is now 25 Euros for the tour and participants pay for their food directly, which amounts to about 35 Euros.


If you enjoyed this article, you'll also like:

Touring Ontario's Cheese Country in Oxford County
The Best Places to Splurge in Portland Maine
Holy Wisdom and Heavenly Food in Trabzon, Turkey
Drew link
4/9/2016 02:53:18 am

What a unique food tour. The one downside of a food tour is having all of the food selected for you in smaller portions. Love the idea of getting items directly from the menu, for a more authentic experience. Based on the portions, sure you were quite full by the end. German food is anything but light!

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:44:23 am

I was glad we had done a lot of walking around the nearby East Gallery of the Berlin Wall before the tour - we didn't feel so guilty afterwards about all that we ate!

Evan Kristine link
4/9/2016 07:29:38 am

Ah, I love food tours! In fact I have a couple lined up for my travels. Berlin's food looks delicious and diverse!

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:44:43 am

They are one of my favourite travel activities.

Bernard Tan link
4/9/2016 10:09:41 am

The cakes look delicious. I have never been on a food tour, and would love to go for one soon.

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:45:19 am

I'd suggest starting with a cake or dessert themed one! You have to indulge a little when you travel.

Loredana link
4/9/2016 04:46:21 pm

Berlin is indeed a diverse foodie town - it has a lot to offer to any type of traveler. For some, the dishes served are very different than what they usually eat, for others (Europeans mostly) are similar to some they know. But it is indeed a great tour idea - and so surprising to hear about this food tour with huge plates and cakes.

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:46:05 am

We loved hearing all about Berlin's history of food and recipes. It's such a melting pot for all of Germany and you can see so many different regional influences in each dish.

Natalie Deduck link
4/9/2016 10:02:51 pm

Beers in Berlin, I have tried a bunch (and all delicious), but traditional food...hmmm... I have always been a bit skeptical about German Food, but the dishes you eta proved that I'm probably wrong. All the plates look yummy and with a homey feeling. Time to open my mind and stomach for some local and traditional German recipes.
Cheers,
Nat

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:47:07 am

I too was a bit skeptical. I wasn't keen at all on the idea of endless bratwurst! It was really great to have my eyes opened a bit. And I think a lot of people will be reassured that it's more diverse than they think.

Christina link
4/9/2016 11:15:25 pm

In Australia, we have something called a Berliner, which is a round doughnut filled with jam. I wonder if they have that in Berlin and if they are actually called Berliners in Berlin??

Jenn and Ed Coleman link
5/9/2016 03:05:37 pm

JFK would have proudly announced he was a jelly donut if that was the case ... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner). Furthermore, although the word "Berliner" is used for a jelly doughnut in the north, west and southwest of Germany, it is not used in Berlin itself or the surrounding region, where the usual word is "Pfannkuchen."

Random facts for free...

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:47:50 am

This is so awesome Jenn and Ed! Donut research is the best research of all!

Dirk link
18/2/2018 03:32:03 am

absolutely correct!

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:49:13 am

Such a good question! We did not see any local donut shops or similar. BUT we did see several Dunkin Donuts (the American chain) in train stations, etc. They have plenty of donuts but they all looked super un-appetizing - ultra neon colored frosting, looked like they had been sitting out for a while.....

Carmen's Luxury Travel link
4/9/2016 11:57:08 pm

I love food tours and foodie posts in general :) This was a great one! I'm hungry now! Thanks for sharing :)

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:49:36 am

I could definitely go for a slice of cake right now.

Lauren Meshkin @BonVoyageLauren link
5/9/2016 01:50:27 am

I'll be living in Europe next year and Berlin is high on my list of places to visit! So glad to hear it a great foodie city :)

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:50:03 am

It's a fantastic place to explore for foodie minded individuals.

Cristina link
5/9/2016 12:29:13 pm

I have never done a food tour, but you might have just convinced me to do one :). Loved the photos too!

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:50:41 am

They're one of my favourite things to do when I travel. It's such a great way to get to know different neighbourhoods and to chat with so many local people.

Jenn and Ed Coleman link
5/9/2016 03:10:52 pm

That looked like a lot of food but very hearty stuff. I love food tours with local guides. You have done us all a great service by providing not only a foodie tour of Berlin but a local expert who we could use.

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:51:14 am

Dirk was amazing to chat with - you know when a food journalist is showing you around that you're going to get some pretty amazing dishes.

Christopher link
6/9/2016 03:01:58 am

I really like Berlin. Such a modern city. Lots of history, most of it sad stories but that food would cheer up any one. Beautiful pictures, great post.

Vanessa
6/9/2016 09:52:33 am

I think that's what made the really old restaurant and cafe so interesting - it's incredible that they have survived for so long, with such a turbulent history in the city. I feel food is such a unifying factor now in Berlin that it brings a lot of happy stories to a city with so many sad ones in its history.

Ryan Biddulph link
8/9/2016 11:57:12 am

Hi Vanessa,

After wrapping up a 1 month stay in Istanbul I'd be in to the Berlin food scene for its Little Istanbul.

LOVED the meat and veggie Turkish foods we enjoyed daily at the place.

Really cool tour here and kudos to Dirk for not getting chintzy LOL.

Ryan

Vanessa
12/9/2016 09:25:48 am

So from what Dirk tells me, Little Istanbul is filled with tons of casual take out places (kebabs, baklava) - great for lunches and such. But he also said that there are far fewer places that are doing more complex Turkish dishes or doing upscale menus for dinner. Can't say for sure if that's true or not but it was interesting nevertheless.


Comments are closed.
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media