10 Best Local Dishes from the Black Forest

Venison Baden-Baden gets its name from the region where it comes from, Baden-Baden, which is a fashionable spa town in the Black Forest. The area’s cuisine has been influenced by French and Swiss cuisine, and also incorporates a lot of local meat and produce.

A characteristic of some Baden dishes is the combination of sweet and wholesome, which is exactly what you get with the berry-focussed venison Baden-Baden. The venison is roasted and typically served with juniper berries or lingonberries, pear, Brussels sprouts or cabbage, and sour cream.

Schwarzwälder schinken, also known as Black Forest ham, is a popular dry-cured, smoked ham produced in the Black Forest. It is registered as one of the EU’s Protected Geographical Indications, meaning most of the ham-making process takes place within the region.

While the outside of the ham is dark from being smoked, the inside is a vibrant red, and a characteristic of Black Forest ham is that it must have a portion of white fat to round out the flavour. The ham is so popular that there is even a Black Forest Ham Museum!

Schwarzwaldforelle, also known as Black Forest trout, can refer to brook trout or rainbow trout raised in southwestern Germany. The region has cool waters thanks to the surrounding mountains, which make it well-suited to trout farming.

The characteristic flavours and texture of the fish are often attributed to the cold waters which means the fish naturally take longer to reach the desired size. The fish is eaten in a variety of different ways in the region, from smoked to fried.

Knöpfle is a sort of pasta made with soft dough. It is specific to the Baden area but is much like a wider variety of German pasta dumplings called spätzle. Knöpfle are typically shorter and rounder.

Knöpfle (and spätzle) are typically served as a side with meat dishes and sauce. They are made with flour, eggs, and water. But instead of being rolled out like regular pasta, the dough goes through a press to make the shapes, because it is so soft.

Flammkuchen, sometimes called tarte flambée, is made with bread dough that is rolled out very thinly and then topped with cheese or crème fraiche, and other toppings like meat or onions. It is a bit like a lighter pizza.

The dish is a specialty not just in the Baden region, but can also be found in nearby areas like Alsace and Moselle. It is typically rectangular or oval in shape and makes for a great lunch or hearty snack.

Schneckensuppe, also known as snail soup, is a rich and creamy traditional German soup made in the Black Forest and Baden area. The soup has a yellow hue and typically actual pieces of escargot throughout.

The soup is often made first with a kind of mirepoix of carrots, celery, and shallots in a garlicky, buttery pan. The snails are usually heated separately in butter and then added to the soup, along with cream and parsley. It is commonly served as a small dish or starter with bread.

Lange rote is a long red sausage typical of the Freiburg Market in the Black Forest. The market (Münstermarkt Freiburg) is a great place to try it out, alongside the various fruits and vegetables of the region.

What sets the lange rote apart from other sausages is not just its red colour, but also its 35 cm length. This long sausage is actually skinless, and best served grilled and in a bun with plenty of mustard. Locals will always eat it at its full length, but there is usually a folded or halved option, too.

Bibiliskäs is a dish made with cheese curds and herbs and typically served with, or on top of, roast potatoes. The dish was once used to feed farm animals and was made with curdled milk and oats. It was then adapted to be served to people, so now uses the cheese curds from the cheese-making process, most commonly for Munster cheese.

The dish is almost always served with potatoes, but it can appear in a variety of different forms. While you might find it in a jacket potato at one place, at another it may be served on hash browns and yet another with boiled potatoes.

Maultaschen are a bit like giant ravioli. They are a dumpling typically filled with meat, vegetables, and herbs, and are a registered Protected Geographical Indication given their significance in the Baden-Württemberg region.

The dumplings are typically served in a soup-like broth, or simply dressed with butter and onions. Unlike ravioli which have a variety of fillings and shapes, Maultaschen are most commonly made with a combination of minced meat and bratwurst mixture alongside onions and herbs and are cut into a square shape.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, also known as Black Forest gateau, is a delicious layered chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries. Schwarzwälder means "Black Forest", and Kirschtorte means "cherry torte". For the cake to be considered Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, it must be made using kirschwasser, a clear spirit made with sour cherries.

The kirschwasser usually appears in the indulgent chocolate cake either by soaking the layers of chocolate cake, or by soaking the cherries. Either way, it feels like almost enough to get you tipsy on one slice alone. It’s decorated with lashings of cream and chocolate shavings, then topped with bright red cherries.