In April, something odd happens in Germany. Roadside huts appear overnight, restaurants print a second menu, and a pale vegetable most of the world ignores becomes a national event. It's Spargelzeit — white asparagus season — and it runs until the 24th of June, not a day longer.
Fruit and vegetables in Germany are seasonal in a way supermarkets elsewhere have made people forget. This page covers the words, the regional names that change at the Bavarian and Austrian borders, and how to buy by weight at a market stall without holding up the queue.
Vegetables
potato
die Kartoffel
tomato
die Tomate
cucumber
die Gurke
onion
die Zwiebel
garlic
der Knoblauch
carrot
die Karotte / die Möhre
cauliflower
der Blumenkohl
red cabbage
der Rotkohl
white asparagus
der Spargel
leek
der Lauch
spinach
der Spinat
courgette
die Zucchini
pumpkin
der Kürbis
radish
das Radieschen
mushrooms
die Pilze
Practice these words
die Kartoffel
Quick notes:
- Spargel in Germany means white asparagus unless someone says grüner Spargel. It's eaten with boiled potatoes, ham and melted butter or hollandaise.
- Radieschen are the small red radishes. The big white Bavarian radish, sliced thin and salted in beer gardens, is der Radi.
- Kürbis season in autumn is nearly as big as Spargel in spring — pumpkin soup appears on every menu in October.
Fruit
apple
der Apfel
pear
die Birne
plum
die Pflaume / die Zwetschge
cherry
die Kirsche
apricot
die Aprikose
peach
der Pfirsich
strawberry
die Erdbeere
raspberry
die Himbeere
blueberry
die Heidelbeere / die Blaubeere
redcurrant
die Johannisbeere
grape
die Traube
banana
die Banane
orange
die Orange
lemon
die Zitrone
rhubarb
der Rhabarber
Practice these words
der Apfel
Quick notes:
- Zwetschge is a type of plum, and it's what goes into the famous Zwetschgendatschi (plum sheet cake) in Bavaria. Most Germans use Pflaume and Zwetschge loosely.
- Johannisbeere is named after St John's Day — the 24th of June — because it ripens around then. That's also the day Spargel season ends.
- Apfelsine is an older northern word for orange. You'll see it on market signs and hear it from older people.
When You Cross the Border: Bavarian and Austrian Names
Southern Germany and Austria have their own words for everyday produce, and on a menu in Vienna the standard German names won't be there.
| Standard German | Bavaria / Austria | English |
|---|---|---|
die Kartoffel | der Erdapfel | potato |
die Tomate | der Paradeiser (Austria) | tomato |
die Aprikose | die Marille (Austria) | apricot |
der Blumenkohl | der Karfiol (Austria) | cauliflower |
der Rotkohl | das Blaukraut | red cabbage |
die Pilze | die Schwammerl | mushrooms |
die Johannisbeere | die Ribisel (Austria) | redcurrant |
die Sahne | der Rahm, das Obers (Austria) | cream |
Quick notes:
- Blaukraut and Rotkohl are the same dish — sweet-sour braised red cabbage. North Germans call it red, southerners call it blue, and the cabbage doesn't take sides.
- Schwammerl is what Bavarians go looking for in the forest in late summer. Schwammerl suchen is a real weekend activity.
Buying by Weight
A kilo of potatoes, please.
Ein Kilo Kartoffeln, bitte.
Half a kilo of tomatoes.
Ein Pfund Tomaten.
200 grams of cherries.
Zweihundert Gramm Kirschen.
A bunch of radishes.
Ein Bund Radieschen.
A punnet of strawberries.
Eine Schale Erdbeeren.
Three apples, please.
Drei Äpfel, bitte.
Can I try one?
Darf ich mal probieren?
Where are these from?
Woher kommen die?
Are these from the region?
Sind die aus der Region?
Are they organic?
Sind die Bio?
Practice these words
Ein Kilo Kartoffeln, bitte.
Quick notes:
- Ein Pfund — 500 grams — is still how most people order at a market. Nobody says fünfhundert Gramm at a stall.
- Ein Bund is a bunch of anything tied together: radishes, spring onions, herbs.
- At a market, don't pick the produce up yourself unless there's a basket and a scale. The stallholder serves you.
Three Mistakes to Avoid
Picking up produce at a market stall. Tell the stallholder what you want; they'll weigh it.
Asking for "asparagus" and expecting green. In Germany, Spargel means white unless you say otherwise.
Using Paradeiser or Marille in Germany. They're Austrian. In Munich you'll be understood; in Hamburg you'll get a blank look.