The German word for ice cream is Eis, pronounced similar to “ice”. This leads to countless renditions of Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” by any North American English-speaker in Germany. In fact, it can be hard to get the song out of my head in summer because Eis is everywhere.

A beloved summer tradition, it is not uncommon for Germans to eat ice cream whenever the sun shines (and even when it doesn’t). Ice cream in Germany brings in over $3 billion with an average annual consumption between 6 to 8 kilo per person. On the high end, that is 113 scoops a year!

Add kids into the mix, and our family has a near obsession with ice cream.  It defines our summer diet and is a highlight of (nearly) every day. Discover the background of ice cream in Germany, what is available, and how to order Eis auf Deutsch.

Milchbar Penguin – Ice Cream Cafe in Leipzig PHOTO: Erin Porter

History of Ice Cream in Germany

Italians didn’t just bring Germany’s favorite cuisine to the country in the 1800s, they brought Germany’s favorite summer dessert.

One of the country’s first Eis Diele (Ice Cream Shops) was founded in Munich in 1879 by the Sarcletti family. Italians would seasonally immigrate to Germany and the Netherlands each spring for agricultural work, then to sell their food and gelato (more on this in a minute) from food carts. This practice slowed during World War 1, but by the 1920s they were at it again. However, the anti-immigration sentiment that would devastate the country had already been seeded. New regulations made selling from food carts more difficult, so entrepreneurial ice cream dealers started selling ice cream from their Erdgeschoss (ground-floor) apartments.  These shops grew so successful that whole families joined the ice cream business and settled in Germany full-time.

World War II again interrupted the ice cream-fueled immigration with much more serious issues, but by the 1950s Italians were moving to Germany in droves delivering their delicious ice cream. The Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle) meant rapid reconstruction and re-development of West Germany and ice cream was the perfect accompaniment to this optimistic time. Gelaterias were often named Veneto, Dolomito or Cortina as the families honored where they came from. Even today, many of the estimated 4,000 Eis Diele in the country are owned by the same Italian families that brought the first ice cream.

Ice cream immigration didn’t just come from the south, however. Danish-German Eis am Stiel (ice on a stick) was popular from the 1930s on. The option of Eis im Becher (ice cream in a tub) eventually joined the stick version with popular brands Langnese and Schöller. Their offerings became available in hard-pack options as refrigeration and freezers became more widely available.

No matter the origin, there is no ignoring the popularity of ice cream in Germany. Jaunty ice cream cones mark the many ice cream shops which can be found dotting city streets and every Dorf Marktplatz (village square).

Types of Ice Cream in Germany

Ice cream shops with glowing tubs of decedent Eis are tucked into storefronts, at seasonal stands at the mall, and simply everywhere in summer. Outdoor seating usually spills out from the small shop with the omnipresent giant ice cream cone and an umbrella providing shade. Lines are common for the best shops, but move quickly as people look over their options and choose carefully. While you can certainly ask for a taste, this is much less common than in the USA. And ice cream is not just for kids. Single adults are just as likely to wait for a scoop than the gaggles of kids and families. A German scoop tends to be smaller than in North America, but only costs $1.20 to $2 per scoop. And oh my! What a scoop.

What is usually served as Ice cream in Germany is actually gelato. Key differences between ice cream and gelato:

• Gelato is made with milk instead of cream,

• Gelato is just under 4% fat (compared to ice cream’s 10%)

• Gelato isn’t as heavily whipped meaning it is denser with more intense flavor

• Gelato doesn’t need to be kept at as cold a temperature meaning the texture is much smoother

Ice cream in Germany is usually enjoyed in a Waffel (cone) or a Becher (cup). It can be individually topped with Sahne (whip cream) or Streusel (sprinkles). If you want the full experience, check out the sundae Speisekarte (menu). Offerings are usually around 8 euro and they are luscious, topped with mounds of fresh cream, fruit, nuts, sauces, cookies, etc. There are Mokka Becher, Schwarzwald Becher, and Biene Maya (looks like a children’s bee character) for the kids, plus Eis Kaffee which is made with ice cream rather than ice. But the most iconic of these is Spaghetti Eis. It is exactly what it sounds like – a sundae made to look like a bowl of pasta.  Dreamed up by a Mannheim-based gelato maker named Dario Fontanella in 1969, this classic ice cream sundae is a rite of passage in Germany. It is made by vanilla Eis being pushed through a large spoon with holes to make the noodles, then topped with a strawberry sauce and coconut shavings for Parmesan. I found the idea distasteful for years but finally succumbed this summer and have to admit, it is pretty good.

Spaghettieis By Frank C. Müller via wikipedia

I recommend you start simple with a scoop.

“Eine Kugel _____eis, bitte.” – A scoop of (flavor), please.

“In der Waffel oder im Becher?” – In a cup or cone?

Ice Cream Flavors in Germany

Even a small ice cream shop typically has 15-20 flavors so you won’t be short on choice when ordering Eis. Among Germany’s most popular flavors:

• Vanille – Vanilla
• (dunkle/weiss) Schokolade – (dark/white) chocolate
• Erdbeere – Strawberry
• Stracciatella – An Italian classic of vanilla ice cream with chocolate shavings
• Pistazie – Pistachio
• Haselnuss – Hazelnut
• Joghurt – Yogurt
• Maracuja – Passionfruit
• Himbeer – Raspberry)
• Malaga – Rum raisin
• Waldmeister – Sweet woodruff. A unique flavor also used in Berliner Weisse
  
• Walnuss – Walnut
• Amarena – Yogurt with some cherry
• Kirsch – cherry
• Kaffee – Coffee
• Kinder Bueno – Made of the chocolate bar called Kinder Bueno (milky ice cream with chocolate)
• Waldfrucht/Waldbeeren – Mix of berries
• Pfirsich – Peach

So, what’s your flavor?