Do you like to visit magical places and eat amazing food? If you are planning travel to Europe over the holiday season, be sure to research which Christmas markets are close to your destination. The gorgeous decorations, dazzling lights, and the memorable ambiance make shopping for holiday gifts a pleasure. But, I bet you can guess the reason I go to the Christmas markets… the food! While the festive atmosphere will delight your senses, I go to appease my salivating taste buds with the seasons best delicacies and beverages. Apparently, I am not the only one who goes for the food because I asked some friends for help with this post and their food photos started pouring in.
Shiloh and Daddy enjoying the Christmas Market
Top 10 Christmas Market Food & Drinks:
Beverages of the adult persuasion
Glühwein
Ashley and Brenda toast with Gluhwein
What is it?
A warm mulled wine infused with fruit and spices such orange, clove, star of anise, cinnamon sticks, and sugar. Glühwein is served in a super cute mug specific to the market which you pay a deposit for and are welcome to keep.
What does it taste like?
Sweet, spicy, warm and comforting. If you are cold, have a few swings – it’s sure to warm you right up!
Gluhwein stand
Gluhwein toast: Tammy and Emily
Eierpunsch
What is it?
Translated to egg punch, eierpunsch is an egg-based drink similar to eggnog, only spiked. Eierpunsch is made with white wine, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and cloves.
What does it taste like?
Sweet, creamy, warm, and dangerous. When you have spent all of your money at the Christmas market, blame it on the egg-punch!
Eierpunsch Taste-testing
Heiße Schokolade
Kristen with two Heisse Schokolade… Maybe they are both for her 😛
What is it?
Okay, so you have probably had hot chocolate before, but typically at European Christmas markets, hot cocoa is made with real chocolate! Great for the kiddos or you can ask for one of the amazing flavored liquors to be added.
What does it taste like?
Dessert in a cup.
Teddy and Toby drinking Heisse Schokolade
Mouth-watering Food
Champignons Mit Knoblauchsoße
Christmas Market Champignons
What is it?
Sautéed and seasoned mushrooms smothered with Garlic Sauce. Make sure you get your own because I promise you won’t want to share. They also put these mushrooms into sandwich form if you prefer finger-food.
What does it taste like?
Wonderfully savory and fragrant, you can smell the garlic and onions cooking from several stalls away. These mushrooms topped with the creamy garlic sauce are crave-able all year long. (So I make them at home!)
Christmas Market Champignons with garlic sauce
Tammy taste-testing Christmas Market champignons on a sandwich
Loch Sandwich
Christmas Market Loch Stand
What is it?
Salmon filets cooked over an open fire, tucked inside a fresh roll and topped with lettuce and sauce of your choice – usually dill or honey mustard.
What does it taste like?
Tender, flavorful and oh so delicious. The smoky, flakey salmon on a fresh roll that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside is so good I would honestly travel to a Christmas market just to eat one.
Loch Sammy
Taste-test Loch Sandwich
Kartoffelpuffer or Reibekuchen
Frying Kartoffelpuffer
What is it?
A deep-fried potato pancake served with applesauce or sour cream.
What does it taste like?
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside – similar to hash browns only waaaayy better!
Emilia and Sam eating Kartoffelpuffer
Deciding what to eat first… Champignons or Kartoffelpuffer
Bratwurst or Rostbratwurst
Schwenkgrill
Naomi loved the brat because it was “savory and simple… just what you’d expect for a German brat.”
What is it?
A sausage most commonly made from pork and often cooked on a schwenkgrill (a circular swing grill suspended from a tripod over hot charcoal).
What does it taste like?
It’s the wurst. 😛 Sorry, I promised myself one food pun in this post.
If you like sausage, you will drool over the large variety of juicy, flavorful meaty offerings on the schwenkgrill. Typically the best of the wurst (sorry couldn’t help myself) are served on a small roll, topped with a little mustard and warm sauerkraut.
Is that drool?
Shiloh and Daddy waiting for a Bratwurst with sauerkraut
Maronen
What is it?
Chestnuts roasted on an open fire, yes, the song is true.
What does it taste like?
Sweet, tender, warm, and fragrant. Peel the paper-thin shell and bite into the soft warm nut! I prioritize picking up a small bag of maronen at each market because mine never come out quite as good at home
Shiloh taste testing maronen
Delicious Goodies
Schokoküsse
Schokokusse Assortment
What is it?
Schokoküsse, also known as a chocolate kiss, is a small waffle wafer, topped with a soft marshmallow cream, covered with chocolate.
What does it taste like?
These sweet delicious treats come in over 35 different flavors (depending on the vendor). They have a light chocolate crunch on the outside and inside is soft and smooth marshmallow cream. I love choosing a variety of flavors to sample.
Waffeln
What is it?
Freshly made waffles topped with various icings and confections.
What does it taste like?
The best waffle you have ever had! Sweet, warm, and tender, your market trip would not be complete without a small bite – sharing is appropriate with waffles!
Waffeln Variety
You hungry yet? What is your favorite Christmas market food?
Christmas markets with the hubby!
This top 10 list is primarily based on Christmas market food and drinks in Germany and Netherlands. Do you have favorites from other countries that should be included in this list? Please share!
Find more in the hashtag #adventuresinfood
0 Comments