In Germany in the 90’s, there was one lonely British Goods shop on the mall where I lived. Occasionally you could find marshmallows in a grocery store as a specialty. I got excited when I saw my first bottle of Pam Spray, even though it cost $5. When you are far from home, something familiar can be very important.
It works the other way around, too. But nowadays with the internet, it’s much easier to find products that you need to cook or bake that certain something. Some products are interchangeable with American products, some aren’t. Although I try to include alternatives in the recipe or make food from scratch, it is nice to know that you can get it if you need it.
In order to make sense of the shopping possibilities for German products, I have created a numbered list of the most common specialties available in the US. Several shops that sell these items online are then printed below that, with the numbers 1-16 listed corresponding to the food they sell, along with their unique offerings.
- Coffees: German coffee is strong and has a particular roast. We can now order Dallmayer, Tschibo, Eduscho and other brands roasted and ground in Germany to be delivered within the US.
- Teas: Some specialty teas and loose tea is sold by these online companies.
- Packaged goods: Dry soup mixes, gravies, bouillon and other spice mixtures. Maggie is a liquid seasoning mix that many Germans use at the table (like soy sauce or Worsteshire sauce).
- Cookies: These tend to be less sweet than our counterparts and with a lot of hazelnuts. Bahlsen cookies are found in well-stocked groceries in the US and Cost Plus and other import chains have a good selection, especially around Christmas time.
- Candy: These days it is easier to find Haribo licorice, Milka, and liquor-filled chocolates, as well as marzipan in various forms.
- Christmas specialties: Nurnberger Lebkuchen, marzipan and Christmas chocolates flavored with coriander and cinnamon.
- Sauerkraut and pickles: My sister-in-law swears that the canned sauerkraut from Germany is much better than what you get here. Other people think so too, since it is easy to find several different brands to buy. I find German pickles to be incomparable since I have not had an American pickle that tastes the same.
- Red Cabbage: Although you can make it yourself, red cabbage is also found in jars. This is one product you cannot find in the American grocery store.
- Fresh Sausage and liverwurst, etc. : the shipping costs will be high but to you, it may be worth it.
- Packaged meats: Some sausage and bacon can be shipped without refrigeration.
- Cheeses: Fresh cheeses and quark can be shipped from several sources.
- Tinned bread and cellophane-wrapped breads: Pumpernickel and Vollkornbrot are fairly easy to come by.
- Baking needs: Baking powders, whipping cream helper, cheesecake helper, Zitronat. Sometimes the real thing is just better.
- Specialty spices, like hot paprika, Potash and Hirschhornsalz.
- Pasta and potato products: Dried Spätzle, dumplings, bread dumplings, potato pancake mix.
- Herbal bitters: Untermeyer, Mellisengeist and others, which are good for the digestion.
Bavaria Sausage, in Wisconsin. (sells categories 1-15) Articles that may be unique to them: Palmin (shortening), fresh Pretzels and breakfast hard rolls to finish baking, curry ketchup, Lindt Weihnachtsschokolade with coriander and cinnamon.
Globe Delicatessen based in Costa Mesa, California with a bricks and mortar store, California (sells 1-5, 12-16). They also sell Kindereier (Children's chocolate and milk eggs), various tinned herring, and sweet and hot Hungarian paprika.
German Grocery in New York, NY (sells 1-16). Special finds are Hanuta (hazelnut cookies, Mozartkugeln, Dominosteine (Christmas cookies), Rollmops (pickled herring).
German Gourmet in Falls Church, Virginia has a bricks and mortar store (sells 1-15). Specialties include Chocolate Christmas Rings (to decorate the Christmas tree), sponge bottoms (for fruit tortes), German magazines.
