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It is never easy to understand the menu of a traditional Bavarian restaurant. Unfortunately, Bavarian restaurants do not usually provide bilingual menus, only those affiliated to a hotel usually do. However, that should not deter you from trying Bavaria's unique cuisine - this little glossary can help you to find your personal favourite.

Hauptgerichte – main courses

Apfelblaukraut/Apfelrotkohl: cf. Rotkohl
Auflauf: casserole
Blaukraut: cf. Rotkohl
Blumenkohl: cauliflower
Bohnen: green beans
Braten: roast
Bratwurst: fried sausage
Breze/Brez'n: soft pretzel, normally hand-sized, at Oktoberfest and in beer gardens pizza-sized
Dorsch: cod
Ei: egg
Ente: duck
Erbsen: peas
Erbsensuppe: pea soup
Essig: vinegar
Fisch: fish
Fleisch: meat
Forelle: trout
Gans: goose
Gebraten: fried
Geflügel: fowl
Glühwein: mulled wine
Gurkensalat: cucumber salad
Hackbraten: meatloaf
Hauptgericht: main course
Huhn/Hendl/Hühnchen: chicken
Jägerschnitzel: cutlet with mushroom sauce
Kalbfleisch: veal
Karotten: carrots
Kartoffeln: potatoes
Kartoffelknödel: potato dumplings
Kartoffelsalat: salad of sliced cold potatoes, with cucumber, onions and vinegar
Käse: cheese
Käsespätzle/Kaasspatzen: Swabian noodles with melted cheese and fried onions
Knödel/Klöße: dumplings
knusprig: crunchy
Kraftbrühe: broth
Krautsalat: sour cabbage salad with vinegar and caraway seeds
Krautwickerl/Kohlroulade: cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat
Kraut: cf. Sauerkraut
Kutteln: entrails
Lachs: salmon
Lamm: lamb
Lammkotelette: lamb cutlet
Leber: liver
Leberknödel: liver dumpling
Leberwurst: liver paté
Lüngerl: sour lung casserole
Möhren: carrots
Nieren/Nierchen: kidneys
Nudeln: noodles
Nürnberger: traditional pure pork sausages from Nuremberg
Obatzda: camembert and butter spread with pepper and caraway seeds
Ochsenschwanzsuppe: ox tail soup
Pfifferlinge: chanterelle
Pilze: mushrooms
Pommes (frites): chips, french fries
Pute: turkey
Radi: horseradish
Reherl: Bavarian for chanterelle
Reis: rice
Rindfleisch: beef
Rippchen: smoked ribs
Rosenkohl: Brussels sprouts
Rösti: fine chopped potatoes, fried with onion and butter
Rotkohl: sweet and sour red cabbage, cooked in vinegar, with apple chops
Salat: salad or lettuce
Sauerbraten: beef roast braised in wine or vinegar
Sauerkraut: fermented sour white cabbage, cooked with red wine, bayleaf and juniper, rich in vitamin C
Saure Zipfel: sour fried sausages
Schinken: ham
Schlachtplatte mixed sausages, sauerkraut and potatoes
Schmankerl: delicious all-time favourites
Schnitzel: scallop
Scholle: plaice
Schwammerl: Bavarian for mushrooms
Schwein: pork
Schweinsbraten: pork roast with crust in beer sauce
Schweinshaxn: grilled knuckle of pork
Semmel: roll
Semmelknödel: bread dumpling
Spargel: asparagus
Spätzle/Spatzen: Swabian noodles
Spiegelei: fried egg
Spinat: spinach
Suppe: soup
Surhaxen: boiled knuckle
Tafelspitz: braised beef with horseradish
Thunfisch: tuna
Truthahn: turkey
Vorspeise: starter
Weißwurst: white veal and herb sausage (traditional Bavarian breakfast)
Wirsing: savoy
Wurst: sausage
Wurstsalat: savoury salad of sliced sausages, cucumbers and onions with vinegar
Zwiebeln: onions

Nachspeise/Süßspeise/Süßes: dessert

Apfelkücherl: deep fried apples with cinnamon
Apfelmus: thick sweet and sour apple sauce
Apfelstrudel: apple and raisin compote baked in puff pastry
Bayerische Creme: Bavarian vanilla creme
Eis: ice cream
Dampfnudel: fluffy warm yeast dough with vanilla sauce
Erdbeeren: strawberries
Himbeeren: raspberries
heiß: hot
Johannisbeeren: curran
Kaiserschmarrn: hot chopped pancake with raisins
Kirschen: cherries
Kuchen: cake, tart
Obstsalat: fruit salad
Reiberdatschi: potato pancakes
Rote Grütze: red berry and cherry compote, usually served with vanilla sauce
Schlagsahne: whipped cream
Schokolade: chocolate
Stachelbeeren: gooseberries
Süß: sweet
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte: Black Forest Cake, a chocolate cake with cherries and whipped cream
Topfenstrudel: sweet white cheese and raisins baked in puff pastry

Guten Appetit! – Enjoy your meal!