German - American Cooking Glossary
This glossary evolved from my finding myself confronted not only with the need to adjust to metric measures, but also to new ingredients, to the difficulty or impossibility of finding "common" ingredients like vanilla extract, brown sugar or all-purpose flour, to following recipes written in German. I've also shared some American recipes with German friends of mine.
This glossary is by no means exhaustive, but has developed from the ingredients in the specific recipes I've come across or wanted to share. There is an American-based version for those trying to cook in a non-American environment and a German-based version for those who are either in a non-German environment or simply would like to have some fun with American recipes. There are many recipe sites online, but of the ones I've visited, the only one that was translated was done by machine (with predictably hysterical and unintelligible results).
The alphabetical order follows the English names of things in the American version and the German names for things in the German version. Separators are done in the English style in both versions, so one thousand is written as 1,000.00.
One other thing I ought to mention is that at some point in time, I noticed that my newer cup measures, which I believe I bought in the States, seem to be trying to stretch the US standards so they are more easily transposed into metric measures. I used these for several years without realizing these cup measures did not all share the same base. I've never noticed any particular problems in cooking or baking, but I'm not a professional in such matters. What this says to me is that my chart below, made with painstaking care before this discovery, is accurate to a degree that may be unnecessary. My little cup measures round up to the simplest quantity: 250 ml for one cup, 125 ml for 1/2 cup, but use a base of 240 ml for the smaller measures of 1/3 and 1/4 cup (80 ml and 60 ml for the mathematically challenged).
Weights & Measures / Maße und Gewichte
| American | Abbreviations | Equivalent | German |
| ounce | oz. | 28.375 g | |
| pound | lb., # | 16 oz. | 454 g |
| fluid ounce | fl. oz. | 2 Tbl. | 29.53 ml |
| cup | c., C. | 8 fl. oz. | 236.25 ml |
| pint | pt. | 2 cups | 472.5 ml |
| quart | qt. | 2 pints | 945 ml |
| gallon (wet) | gal. | 4 quarts | 3.78 L |
| peck (dry) | 4 quarts | 3.78 L | |
| teaspoon | tsp., ts., t. | Teelöffel, 5 ml | |
| tablespoon | T, Tbl., tbsp. | 3 tsp. | Eßlöffel, 15 ml |
| inch | in., " (z.B. 9" = 9 inches) | 2.54 cm | |
| bar of cream cheese | 8 oz. | 227 g | |
| pat of butter | ein Stückchen Butter | ||
| pinch, dash | Prise | ||
| stick of butter or margarine | 4 oz., 8 Tbl. | 113.5 g | |
| envelope of unflavored gelatine | 1/4 oz. or 1 Tbl. | 9.0 g (ein Päckchen) |
Temperaturen / Temperatures
If you're in the States, you can buy an oven thermometer, which will probably have both Fahrenheit and Celsius on it (like mine). Or you can just enter your temperature in the converter below.
| Temperature Converter | |
| °F | °C |
Ingredients / Zutaten
| American | German |
| all-purpose flour* | eine Mischung aus harten und weichen Weizensorten. Für Kuchen, Brot und andere Backrezepte geeignet not available in Germany, per se; Nr. 405 Weizenmehl can be used for cake, Nr. 550 for bread |
| American cheese | orangener Quasikäse, mehr Gummi als Käse; ein milder Cheddar oder Butterkäse wäre ein guter Ersatz There is no German version of this, although Butterkäse is a kid-friendly, mild substitute |
| applesauce | Apfelmus |
| apple cider | Apfelsaft (naturtrüb) unfiltered apple juice is really all that's available; note: "Zider" is alcoholic |
| bacon (strips) | Speck (dünne Scheiben) bacon in Germany is generally sold in big hunks and is chopped or diced for use, rather than cut into strips as in the States; if you want strips, go to a butcher and ask him to cut some thin slices for you (the only thing sold in supermarkets that is close to American bacon is awful and doesn't have enough fat to fry itself) |
| baking chocolate | nicht gesüßte Schokolade Couverture or Kuverture, which is comparable to the sweetness of milk or dark chocolate chips, is easier to find |
| baking powder | Backpulver |
| baking soda | Natron oder Speise-Natron (Natrium-Hydrogen-Carbonat) |
| barley (pearl) | Graupen |
| bell pepper | Paprika |
| bran | Kleie; Weizenkleie |
| bread crumbs | Semmelbrösel |
| photo | Rohzucker; Farin(zucker), nicht raffinierter, gelblichbrauner, leicht feuchter Zucker mit Melasse, sehr klebrig the closest I've been able to get is "Melasse von Rohzucker," sugar made from molasses (in spite of the German translation)** |
| celery | Staudensellerie (celeriac, or celery root, is easier to find) |
| chicory; escarole | Endivie |
| Chinese cabbage | Chinakohl |
| chocolate chips | Schokoladentröpfchen (they're sold in very small boxes of about 100 g or you can "make" your own by hacking up a bar of "Couverture") |
| clarified butter | Butterschmalz |
| confectioner's sugar; powdered sugar; icing sugar | Puderzucker |
| corn syrup (light, dark) | Mais-Sirup zum Kochen (hell, dunkel) specialty shop item |
| cornmeal | Polenta; Maisgrieß |
| cornstarch, starch | Speisestärke |
| cottage cheese | körniger Frischkäse, Hüttenkäse |
| curly endive; frisée | Frisé |
| cranberries | Preiselbeeren (preisel berries) look something like a small cranberry and are cooked and sweetened and served with goose, etc. Cranberry is now a new fad flavor in Germany. The word is not translated. I've found dried cranberries that are actually pretty good and I can now buy cranberry juice in my local supermarket. |
| cranberry juice or cranberry juice co*cktail | Cranberry-Saft, normaleweise mit Traubensaft gesüßt Now available in some supermarkets in Germany (just Ocean Spray®, which I actually like best anyway). |
| cranberry sauce (jellied) | Cranberry-Gelée specialty shop item |
| cream, heavy or whipping | Sahne, Schlagsahne, Schlagrahm |
| cream cheese | Frischkäse (Doppelrahmstufe); Philadelphia® (Frischkäse just means "fresh" cheese and is also the word used for cottage cheese and other non-aged cheeses) |
| cream of tartar | Weinsteinsure, Kaliumhydrogentartrat Not generally known in Germany; specialty item |
| Crisco® | Markenname von Backfett (sehe: shortening) Palmin Soft® is a substitute, although I don't know the water content. (Crisco has no water in it.) There is also vegetable fat sold in bars |
| currants | Korinthen |
| dough | Teig |
| Durum wheat | Hartweizen |
| egg(s); fried (sunny side up), scrambled (light), soft-boiled (2 min.), hard-boiled (10 min.) | Ei(er); Spiegelei, Rührei (fast flussig), weichgekochtes Ei (4 min.), hartgekochtes Ei (8 min.) |
| endive; Belgian endive | Chicorée |
| ginger snaps | eine Art Keks |
| green onions; scallions; shallots | Schalotten |
| half and half | Sahne-Milch (50% Sahne, 50% Milch) not sold as is, you'll have to make your own |
| Italian sausage (hot, mild, sweet) | italienische Bratwurst mit Fenchel; salsiccia (scharf, mild, leicht süßlich mit Paprika, Fenchel und Zucker drin) You can find this in Italian food shops as "salsiccia," though they may only have one variety |
| junket | Dickmilch |
| kale (curly) | Grünkohl |
| Karo® (syrup) | Markenname von Mais-Sirup |
| kosher salt | surely not kosher, but otherwise körniger Küchensalz can be used as a substitute |
| lard | Schmalz |
| lemon curd | Zitronenkrem |
| lettuce (head of) | Kopfsalat |
| marmalade | Zitrusfruchtkonfiture, normaleweise Orangenmarmelade (in German, "Marmelade" means preserves, jam) |
| marshmallow | Süßigkeit aus Gallerte, Zucker und Mais-sirup, kann auch mit Eiweiß gemacht werden; sehr klebrig. generally hard to find, but not impossible |
| millet | Hirse |
| molasses | Melasse sold at Reformhaus, but is very dark and strong; Zuckerrüben-sirup (sugar beet syrup) may be a better match in taste and it's sold in supermarkets |
| oats (rolled) | Haferflocken |
| passion fruit | Maracuja |
| pumpkin | Kürbis "Kürbis" includes pumpkins and squash. Gourds are called Zierkürbisse. I've seen pumpkins sold under the name "Halloween Pumpkin," but there is no unique word for "pumpkin" |
| prunes | Backpflaumen |
| raisins; golden raisins | Rosinen; Sultaninen |
| romaine (lettuce) | Romana (Kopfsalat) |
| salt pork | fettes gepkeltes Schweinebauchfleisch |
| shortening; vegetable shortening | Bratfett or Backfett; Pflanzenfett (kann durch Margarine nur ungenügend ersetzt werden) |
| silver beet; stock beet | Mangold |
| snow peas | Zuckerschoten, Zuckererbsen or Kaiserschoten or Mangetout |
| split peas | Schälerbsen |
| squash | Kürbis (Amerikaner kennen drei Arten von Kürbissen: Pumpkins, Squash und Gourds) |
| summer squash (also yellow squash) | gelbe Zucchini |
| Swiss cheese | Emmentaler |
| tahini | Sesam-Paste |
| tapioca | Tapioka (small pearl); Sago (very small pearl) the box of Sago I bought said it was made from tapioca root and potato; I've only seen Tapioka at a Reformhaus and once in a Sri Lankan shop |
| tomato paste | Tomatenmark |
| vanilla wafers | Vanillekeks |
| whipped topping | synthetischer Sahneersatz; "Hexenschaum" Germans like real whipped cream, period |
| whole wheat flour | Volkornweizenmehl |
| yellow squash (also summer squash) | gelbe Zucchini |
| yogurt, plain | Naturjoghurt |
*All-purpose flour doesn't exist in Germany. I'm not any sort of expert baker, but I do have a cookbook (and general food guide) for Americans living in Germany. It has an excellent chapter on baking and the various types of flour available in Germany. Called Beyond Beer & Bratwurst, it was produced by the American Women's Club of the Taunus. They now have a web site where their book can be ordered, though it's nearly sold out and you may have to wait for the new one.
**I found my little brown brick of "Melasse von Rohzucker" in a small Sri Lankan shop. (The French translation, "sucre de mélasse," is more accurate.) It comes in light and dark and is sold in plastic pouches in big chunks and lumps, as well as a brick (which was awful to work with). It looks a little like brown sugar, but being molasses, lacks the lighter flavor of brown sugar.
Spices & Seasonings / Kräuter und Gewürze
| American | German |
| allspice | Piment; Nelkenpfeffer |
| arrowroot | Pfeilwurz |
| basil | Basilikum |
| bay leaves | Lorbeerblätter |
| caraway seed | Kümmel |
| celery seed | Selleriesamen, Selleriesaat |
| chives | Schnittlauch |
| cilantro | Korianderblätter |
| cinnamon | Zimt |
| cloves | Nelken |
| cumin | Cumin, Kreuzkümmel |
| curry | Curry (but it's mostly turmeric, so you need to seriously beef up the cumin if you want it to taste like it does in the States) |
| fenugreek, fenugreek seed | Bockshorn, Bockshornsaat |
| garlic; clove(s) of garlic; garlic powder | Knoblauch; Knoblauchzehe(n); Knoblauchpulver Granulat |
| ginger | Ingwer |
| kosher salt | Substitute: körniges Küchensalz |
| mace | Muskatblüte |
| marjoram | Marjoran |
| nutmeg | Muskatnuß |
| parsley | Petersilie |
| rosemary | Rosmarin |
| sage | Salbei |
| summer savory | Bohnenkraut |
| tarragon | Estragon |
| tartar, cream of | gereinigter Weinstein; doppelweinsteinsaures Kali |
| thyme | Thymian |
| turmeric | Gelbwurz, Curcuma, Kurkuma |
| vanilla extract | flüssige Vanille; Vanilleextrakt; Vanille-Essenz; Vanille-Aroma*** Substitute: Vanillenzucker (vanilla-flavored sugar); one packet equals 1 tsp. vanilla extract |
| zest (of a lemon or orange) | geriebene Zitronenschale oder Orangenschale |
***Vanilla "aroma" is made from bourbon vanilla (as is most vanilla flavoring in Germany), alcohol and water. It's stronger and not as sweet as the American, which has corn syrup in it. My bottle of McCormick vanilla extract has 35% alcohol. My bottle of Ubena Vanille-Aroma isn't labeled, but smells stronger.
Cooking Terms & Utensils / Kochvokabular u. Hilfsmittel
| American | German |
| baking pan; baking tin | Backform (f.) |
| baster | Bratenspritze |
| bean pot photo | glasierte Steinzeug-Topf (mit Deckel) Boston baked beans being mostly unknown in Germany, bean pots are even harder to come by |
| blend | vermengen |
| braise | schmoren |
| bring to a boil | aufkochen, zum Kochen bringen |
| Bundt pan | Gugelhupf-Backform |
| cast iron cookware (pot, pan, skillet) | Gußgeschirr (Gußtopf,Gußbratentopf, Gußbratpfanne) |
| cream (v.) | schaumig rühren oder schlagen (z.B. Butter mit Zucker) |
| crimp (v.) photo | pressen |
| cut in | untermischen |
| deep fat fryer | Friteuse |
| defrost | auftauen |
| dollop (of cream, etc.) | Schlag (m.) |
| double boiler | Wasserbadtopf (m.) |
| drain | abtropfen |
| drizzle | träufeln |
| Dutch oven | Bratentopf (rund und tief) |
| flute (v.); fluted photo | kannelieren; kannelierte |
| fold in | unterheben; unterrühren; untermischen |
| food mill | Passiergerät (n.), Passiersieb (n.) |
| food processor | Küchenmaschine (f.) |
| grapefruit knife, spoon photo | specialty item not generally known in Germany, though I did once find one in a gourmet shop for 20 euros! |
| grate | reiben; raspeln |
| grind (fine/coarse) | mahlen (fein/grob) |
| knead | kneten |
| loaf pan | Königskuchenform (f.) |
| lukewarm | lauwarm |
| mortar and pestle | Mörser mit Stößel |
| muffin pan; muffin tin | Muffinbackform (f.) |
| parboil | halb kochen; ankochen |
| pare, peel (v.) | schälen; pellen |
| pastry blender photo | not known in Germany; specialty item which I have found twice at a flea market! |
| peel (n.) | Schale |
| pit (v.) | entsteinen |
| saucepan; pot | Topf (m.) |
| sausage casing | Schweinedärme |
| season, flavor | würzen; abschmecken |
| seed (v.) | entkernen |
| serving (n.) | Portion (f.) |
| sift; sifter | sieben; Einhand-Mehlsieb (n.) |
| simmer | ziehen lassen |
| skewer (n.) | Fleischstieß |
| skillet | Bratpfanne |
| skim | abschöpfen |
| spatula | Teigschaber |
| stir | rühren, umrühren |
| stuff; stuffing | füllen; Füllung (f.) |
| tea infuser | Teesieb (or Tee/Gewürzsieb, since large ones can also be used for spices in making soups and such) |
| toothpick | Zahnstocher (m.) |
| to taste | nach Geschmack |
| vegetable steamer | Gemüsedünster (m.) |
| waxed paper | not available or difficult to find Germans use parchment (Backpapier) |
| wire whisk | Schneebesen (m.), Schwingbesen (m.) |
| zester | Zestenreißer, Zitronenreißer |
