Being Vegetarian in Germany

Yes, it is true that Bavarian food that they have in biergartens everywhere sucks for vegetarians (except the bretze--pretzels--they're so good!). But in every other case, I've found the food here to be great. We're so close to Italy that there are quite a few Italian restaurants around and you can see the Italian influences in other restaurants, too. Greek and Turkish food also abounds here. And, if you cook a lot at home as we do, it's heaven with all the great whole wheat products and fresh veggies.

They have a wide range of whole wheat flour in Bavaria--it's not just one bag you find in normal American grocery stores. Here it ranges from all-purpose to stronger bread and whole grain flour. The flour is given type numbers and are stocked in every grocery store, not just the specialty stores. The whole wheat breads they sell are filled with all sorts of good seeds and nuts packed inside and strewn on top. Makes it easy to eat healthy!

I might have a biased opinion because it's summer right now, but the variety of fresh veggies and fruits here have been awesome. Everyone shops for their veggies and fruits daily rather than stocking up large quantities as we do in the States. Going to the store every other day takes some getting used to, but I'm having a good time experimenting with new ingredients here. Grocery stores also post signs that show clearly where the veggies and fruits come from so it's easier to shop locally by buying just the food that comes from Bavaria or Germany.

Lastly, the cheese! We're finding personal favorites and figuring out that cheddar is just nonexistent here (looks like Mexican food is taking a backseat for the next two years). We've discovered yummy goat cheese, sheep's cheese, emmentaler, and spreadable cheese so far. There also was incident of extremely smelly cheese while on a daytrip with the family. The smell of it stayed on our hands for hours, even after we scrubbed with soap and water several times. So, it's not all good. We just have to steer clear of anything like that again.

So no worries, Greg and I are eating well while here. Maybe Greg'll even post about the various wursts he's tried here...once school gives him a little break!