Germany perhaps doesn’t beat Asia in terms of dishes that surprise foreigners, but there are still a few that need some time getting used to — from a raw meat hedgehog to mustard donuts, here are our favorites.The Old Low German word “Mett” was originally a general term for food. In modern English, it became the word “meat.”
Nowadays in Germany, Mett refers to raw minced pork meat. It’s also known as Hackepeter in Berlin.
The appetizing snack is still served on bread rolls in many German butcher’s shops and bakeries — and it will forever keep amazing foreigners who haven’t grown up it with it.
From the 1950s to ’70s, it was typical to serve a big plate of Mett at parties in the shape of a “Mettigel,” the Mett hedgehog.
Read more: 10 things you won’t find at a German grill party
Museum-worthy Mett creations
Even though the EU warns against eating raw meat, the party treat is actually making a comeback in some meat-lovers’ circles, inspiring humorous creations such as “Kermett” the frog, “Mettallica” or “Mett Damon.” There’s even a very popular Facebook community called the Museum of Modern Mett.
There is arguably nothing that beats Hackepeter in terms of weird German foods, but the gallery above will introduce you to a few other unusual specialties, while the one below lists German foods that are tastier than they sound.
