Some dishes don’t belong to any one state alone. Whether in Rostock, Cottbus or Suhl: Jägerschnitzel (breaded Jagdwurst sausage) with tomato sauce, Soljanka (sour sausage and pickle soup) or Kalter Hund (no-bake chocolate biscuit cake) were known everywhere. They were in the same cookbooks, came out of the same large-scale kitchens and onto the same menus. We collect these recipes here.
School lunch and the workplace canteen
Many classics come from communal catering. What landed on plates at midday in schools, kindergartens or workplaces was cooked in large quantities according to uniform standards. That is why Jägerschnitzel in Leipzig tasted pretty much the same as in Schwerin, and why so many people remember the same dishes.
Restaurants and after work
Then there are the restaurant dishes: steaks baked with cheese, Würzfleisch (diced meat in a creamy white sauce) and Soljanka. And what came to the table at home for birthdays and parties, from the Kalte Platte (cold cuts platter) to the Kekskuchen (biscuit cake) made in a loaf pan.
You’ll still find regional specialties on the pages of the five states. Here is what the whole GDR had in common.