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Weinkraut is a traditional side dish and a version of the famous sauerkraut. It's usually made with a combination of sauerkraut, butter, onions, sweet apples (e.g. Red Delicious), bay leaves, juniper berries, white wine, and peppercorns. The onions are sautéed in butter until translucent, and then mixed with thin strips of apple, sauerkraut, juniper berries, bay leaves, peppercorns, water, and white wine.
The dish is cooked over low heat until the sauerkraut is not too dry nor too liquid and it's then served with grilled sausages.
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As the name suggests, this German specialty hails from Leipzig, and it is typically based on a mix of vegetables. The dish usually consists of a combination of young vegetables, crayfish tails, morel mushrooms, and bread dumplings which are doused in a creamy, buttery sauce.
Typical vegetables used in the preparation of this regional dish include carrots, asparagus, kohlrabi, cauliflower, and peas. Leipziger allerlei is traditionally enjoyed in May and June, either as a main course or a side, and it is often sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley or chervil on top.
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Different versions of apple sauces have been prepared since ancient times—a combination of pork and apples is even mentioned in Apicius, a collection of Roman cookery recipes, while different medieval varieties appear in English as well as various Central and Northern European cookbooks.
Apple sauce is made with cored apples that are cooked until they are soft enough to be mashed in a purée. Other ingredients typically include sugar and spices such as cinnamon or cloves. Unlike apple butter, the sauce is lighter in color and has a more liquid consistency.
Pellkartoffeln refers to boiled or steamed potatoes with their skins intact. This traditional German dish can be enjoyed on its own or served as an accompaniment to a variety of different dishes. The potatoes are usually scrubbed to remove any impurities and then cooked whole in water seasoned with salt and (sometimes) caraway seeds or bay leaves.
Leaving the skin intact allows the potatoes to cook better and retain more of their natural flavor and nutrients. Once done, the potatoes can either be peeled or eaten with their skins intact. The simplest way to enjoy pellkartoffeln is with salt and butter, although another popular way is to accompany them with kräuterquark (quark mixed with fresh herbs).
Kartoffelklöße or kartoffelknödel are traditional German potato dumplings that are consumed all over the country but are especially popular in Bavaria, Thuringia, and the Rhineland area. Depending on the variation, the dumplings may consist of cooked potatoes, raw potatoes, or a combination of both.
The potato mixture can further be enhanced with the addition of other ingredients such as beaten eggs, potato starch, cornstarch, or flour, and herbs such as chives or parsley, while some versions also call for filling the dumplings with croutons, sauerkraut, or ham.
MOST ICONIC Kartoffelklöße
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Himmel und Erde is a traditional dish originating as far back as the 18th century. Literally translated, the name of the dish means Heaven and Earth, derived from the old word for potatoes – Erdapfel. The dish consists of mashed potatoes that are paired with apple sauce.
It is most commonly served with meat dishes, while purists insist on having a blood sausage on the side. In that case, the dish is sometimes referred to as Himmel, Erde, und Höllen (Heaven, Earth, and Hell). Today, there are numerous variations on the original recipe depending on the region, but the classic version is still the most popular in Rhineland, its place of origin.
MOST ICONIC Himmel und Erde
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Rotkohl is a traditional salad and side dish made from red cabbage that is finely shredded and then braised or slow-cooked with ingredients like apples, onions, vinegar, sugar, and various spices such as cloves, bay leaves, and sometimes juniper berries.
The dish is known for its sweet and sour flavor, which comes from the combination of sugar and vinegar, and its deep purple color, which can be enhanced by adding a bit of acidic liquid like apple cider vinegar or red wine during cooking. Rotkohl is often served as a side dish, particularly with hearty German meals such as roast pork, sausages, duck, or goose.
Originally from Saarland, dibbelabbes is a combination of grated potatoes, leeks, and diced smoked or cured meat such as bacon or pork belly. This traditional German hash is typically seasoned with marjoram, nutmeg, parsley, salt and pepper, and then cooked in a large pot.
The dish got its name from the Saarland local dialect’s words Dibbe, meaning a stewpot, and Labbes, which refers to a big piece of something. Traditionally accompanied by home-cooked apple purée, the dish is served while still hot, usually with a glass of beer or wine on the side.
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 “8 Worst Rated German Side Dishes” list until April 19, 2025, 1,281 ratings were recorded, of which 1,161 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.