Munich, Germany: Oktoberfest's Food with a Taste of Beer

Oktoberfest.

Opening night

Sets your beer taste buds buzzing, doesn't it? 
The festivities were first held in the early 1800s in Munich, Germany to celebrate a royal wedding.
(http://www.muenchen.de/int/en/events/oktoberfest/history.html)



 
I wasn't prepared for all the food. I had only ever heard Oktoberfest talked about as an uber-beer wonderland.  I snacked on french fries and even had good seafood paella.  Creative and monstrous signs will direct you.  

From the obvious, yet creepy,

to the traditional. 

I snapped these potato dumplings in their pot the day before Oktoberfest opened. The day before opening was a great time to stroll the event grounds at our leisure, without crowds. Neat how the storefront is a cooktop, with cookware and towel ready for use.

Popcorn kernel man is licking his lips?

Food vendors are everywhere and offer as much variety as a food festival. A pickle from this vendor was a meal for me.  Tangy and crisp, yet juicy and loaded with perfect pickle flavor. 

Large pickles, in plain, chili pepper, and garlic

The mackerel fascinated me. But I wasn't obsessed with them like I was another delicious and traditional Oktoberfest food. More on that later.

We copped a squat (a la Julia Robert in Pretty Woman) on a grassy area along the outskirts of Oktoberfest.  I dug into my mackerel with my handy wood utensils. Not pretty, but delicious.





Even less pretty was our view to the right  - a truck that became a pee spot for boys, who did their business along side it,  and girls, who did their business underneath the truck. I had read prior to coming to Oktoberfest that bathroom lines are long.  Plan to get in line 10 -30 minutes before you think you may need to.  The pee truck people gave their answer to the lack of facilities offered to the immense Oktoberfest crowd.





We did however find more pleasant viewings to our left. Two young men in their lederhosen enjoying a beer induced nap.











As we continued to spot all the food available,

I said no to the herring sandwich, no to the long wiener, and no to the spit in a beer tent.

Pretzels were everywhere. This nice woman posed her pretzel for my photo.










My obsession was these heart shaped cookies. Something about them seemed magical.  Maybe the connection to Hansel and Gretel?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebkuchen  I usually eat healthy and dairy and gluten free while traveling, just as I do at home. But I couldn't resist this cookie. I wore mine as a necklace as a girl is meant to. It was a great snack on board our train to Neuschwanstein.

And wouldn't you know, our hotel presented us with a gift at check out.


How could I share Oktoberfest with you without at least one thought on the liquid food.  Here's my thought - the beer was nothing compared to the women who served it. Consider the weight of the beer and the balance required to do their job.  This young woman has a light load and light crowds to maneuver. In denser mobs of people, barmaids walked with steins stacked three high. 
 

What food have you most enjoyed or been amazed by at Oktoberfest?  What would you want to try?