University of Wisconsin–Madison

Germany: Quentin Schultz (Food in Freiburg)

Good morning everyone! Or whatever time of day it may be when you read this. I am Quentin, a participant in this year’s Academic Year in Freiburg program, and I’ll be providing you with eight different blog posts throughout my year here. We’re starting things off a bit simpler by talking about food in Freiburg.

A white plate on a dark, wooden table with french fries and salad greens covered in shredded meat and drizzled in both a white sauce and an orange sauce.
A Döner Teller (in English a Döner Plate), a variation of a popular Turkish-German Street Food

I have about two things I want to touch on regarding food in Freiburg. The first (and least developed) is the major lack of spicy food that I can find in standard grocery stores. I should not really be surprised about this — it’s not like Germans are well known for their spicy food — but as a lover of fire, it is often disappointing. I went to a restaurant that sells Irish pub-style fare (for unrelated reasons), and the wings labeled “very spicy” barely registered. I need to go visit some of the Asienmarkt (literally “Asian markets”) in Freiburg to see if I can find something with enough heat for when I next cook.

The other important food item I want to point out is Döner, a highly popular street food imported from Turkey. In the early 1960s, after World War II, West Germany opened its borders to migrants to expand the labor pool available to their now-booming economy. A lot of Turkish people came over, so there is a now strong Turkish subculture in Germany, and they brought along Döner Kebab, which has become massively popular among Germans as well. It’s hard to find a place without a nearby Kebab Haus, which is fine by me — Döner ist sehr lecker!

 

Quentin stands in front of a brick half-wall around several trees.

Quentin Schultz

Hometown: Mukwonago, Wisconsin

Major: Physics, Computer Science

Program: Academic Year in Freiburg (AYF)

My primary goal during AYF is to improve my fluency in German as much as possible. I’m most looking forward to the Schwarzwald (the Black Forest) to be completely honest, but I’m very exited to be there and will find plenty of things to enjoy.