Oktoberfest will once again be celebrated in Munich, Germany on September 20 thru October 5 this year. With the plethora of food and drinks available during this 16-day event, it's a great idea to learn German to be able to pronounce them.
Delight Your Palate
The many types of "wurst" (German sausages) are never far behind when you think of Oktoberfest. The frankfurter is the most common sausage, but you will also love the bratwurst (pork, beef, and/or veal), knackwurst (pork or beef with fresh garlic), and bockwurst (pork, lamb, turkey, chicken with salt, paprika, white pepper, chives, and parsley), among other sausages. To avoid embarrassing yourself, study German in order to eloquate the German monikers of these delicious sausages.
As the perfect accompaniment to beer, you must also sample the many varieties of noodles, or spatzle. Basic ingredients for the spatzle are diverse spices, flour, milk, eggs, and salt. Sample the cheese noodles with fried onions, the kasespatzle. It's a must to study German to be able to show your appreciation.
You can also sample other German dishes such as hendl (roasted chicken), sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), and Apfelpfannenkuchen (apple pancakes). And before you think you need to not learn German for these, think again when you get to the beers.
Beers and Wines
More than anything else, Oktoberfest is famous for the plethora of beers and wines served in its fourteen tents. You'll be able to tell each one with a good grasp of the language.
You can opt for sekt, sparkling wine that is fizzier than most because of high carbon dioxide contents. Opt for the Deutscher Sekt, or sekt formulated from Riesling and Pinot black grapes and gris for special dates.
Brush up on your German to enjoy German wheat beer. You can avoid mixing up one from the other if you study German because the monikers hint of the strength of the alcohol. Also, the alcohol content increases as the wheat gets darker. Enjoy the unfiltered Hefeweizen and the traditional Kristallweizen (crystal wheat beer), Weizenstarkbier (strong wheat beer), and Dunkelweizen (dark wheat beer).
Of course, you can't miss the marzen (pale lager), an Oktoberfestbier brewed specially for the event. Yes, the Oktoberfest is all about showing the numerous types of beers and wines. Why, there are about fifteen wines served in the Weinzelt tent alone!
Obviously, to drink bacchanalian pleasures, dine on great food, meet new people, and appreciate Oktoberfest, you need not learn German. Still, if you wish to be heard over the Oktoberfest noise, learning German is a plus.
