German Candy
Although in recent years, German candy by brands such as Haribo and Kinder has been popping up around stores in the US, they are usually not Made in Germany. They don’t taste quite like the real thing to Germans. Duplo, Knoppers und Schaumküsse… Maoam, Hanuta, and even more basic, Brause, and Traubenzucker. These are among the sweets that haven’t yet found their way overseas and are thus in the highest demand by Germans in America.
To be fair, if you’ve lived in the States, you will also find yourself missing Oreo cookies and Butterfingers, but given the choice between American and German candy, Americans and Germans alike will surely choose the latter. Germans just put more focus on flavor and take pride in using less sugar and chemicals. This is also what makes sweets and chocolates from Germany easier to enjoy and appreciate, while American candy is guaranteed to come with the same addictive side-effect as potato chips.
German Condiments
Yes, America has an amazing choice of condiments, and it makes sense. Who doesn’t love to add some spicy goodness or zesty yum-yum to their meals? It’s a great way to customize any meal to suit your personal taste. Tabasco, Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce, Heinz Ketchup & co set the worldwide standard, nonetheless, Germans might miss the slightly sweeter Ketchup they are used to from back home or the pre-made Curry-Ketchup that usually comes in a really inconvenient tube. Yet, when it comes to mustard, Germans can indeed claim that theirs is the “gold” standard. In fact, that weird yellow sauce sold in America might taste well squirted onto a fast-food burger or cheap hotdog, yet calling it mustard is quite a slap in the face of any German food lover.
Soda and lemonades, coffee and beer
The first surprise that awaits Germans coming to America is that sparkling water isn’t just uncommon, but incredibly hard to come by. And although this might seem like a tough pill to swallow at first, it only gets worse from here, once a German tries coffee in America. They’ll likely receive something incredibly sweet with some sort of flavored creamer, that is more reminiscent of dessert or perhaps a thawed milkshake than a flavor-rich pick-me-up. As a result, they’ll usually order their next coffee black, only to find that it tastes like three days old watered down coffee. It’s absolutely horrendous! Yes, we don’t grow coffee beans in Germany, and one would think we get ours from the same places as Americans, but somehow they are worlds apart.
Beer is a similar story, but not nearly as much of a surprise. Germans are well aware of their absolute beer pro status, so expectations are low. When it comes to sweetened lemonades, however, one would think America is the leader. Who doesn’t love Mountain Dews and Dr. Peppers? Yet, Germans will find that Coca Cola tastes too chemical, Fanta tastes nothing like orange and the mixture of the two, sold in Germany under the name Mezzo-Mix, doesn’t even exist in America. Oh well, tea and water are healthier for you anyway.
We hope you enjoyed our insights into the typical German’s culinary experience while overseas. If you’re a German living in America, or simply curious what all the fuss is about, visit GermanShop24! The online store is run by Germans with a location in Germany and Georgia. They sell Made in Germany products, actually sourced directly from Germany. Don’t worry, the premium prices are definitely worth it, for their products are definitely fresh, survived the long travel. You’ll even find that they sell foods that need to be kept cold, which are shipped inside a dry icebox. Guten Appetit!
