Where to find foreign cooking ingredients in Berlin

Cooking American, English or even Italian recipes can be a nightmare in Germany, as even the common ingredients back home can be difficult to find here. This article should help you gather everything you need to bake home sickness away.

The ingredients below are sorted in alphabetical order. If you feel like something is missing from that list, write us in the comments.

American cheese

American cheese, the square, "radioactive yellow" cheese that's also known as Kraft Singles, can be found in the dairy section of most grocery stores.



Baking soda

Sodium bicarbonate is called Natron in Germany. It can be found in small paper packets and boxes in the baking section of all grocery stores. Look for the green Kaiser Natron boxes.

Baking powder

Baking powder is called Backpulver in Germany. It can be found in small paper packets in the baking section of all grocery stores. German baking powder is usually single-acting, while American and English baking powder is double-acting, and the difference is important. Broken English and many Asian markets carry double-acting baking powder. If you are in a pinch, use substitute double-acting baking powder with 1.25x the amount single-acting baking powder.

Boneless chicken thighs

This is unfortunately not a normal product in Germany1, but some people have seen it on sale at Penny on occasion.

Brown sugar

Brown sugar is surprisingly hard to find. Don't be fooled by German Rohrzucker. Despite its brown colour, it does not contain molasses and will ruin any recipe that calls for brown sugar. Tate+Lyle sells light and dark brown sugar on Amazon, and you can also find it in most asian supermarkets. Go Asia, Metro, Galeria and some Edeka stores usually carry brown sugar.

Caramelized condensed milk

LEDO supermarkets carry caramelized condensed milk, as well as many other Russian staple foods.

Cheese curds

Q-Regio now carries poutine cheese made in Brandenburg.

Chipotles

Chili & Paprika carries chipotles in its Berlin shop.

Chorizo

Chili & Paprika carries chorizo in its Berlin shop.



Condensed milk

Condensed milk is called Kondensmilch. Germans frequently used as a coffee creamer1, so you will find it in small cans next to coffee cream and H-Milch.

Condensed milk can be a false friend for people from the UK at least. If a recipe calls for condensed milk, you might want gezuckert Kondensmilch, also known as Mädchenmilch.



Corn tortillas

Corn tortillas are sold at Super Iberico, Chili & Paprika and Aqui España.

Couscous spices

According to Quora, you can find Couscous spice at Galeria under the name Ras el-Hanout. Turkish markets and spice kiosks at Berlin's many Wochenmärkte should also carry couscous spices.

Evaporated milk

See Condensed milk.

Flour

Mehlstübchen carries flours of all types from all over the world, including Manitoba and type 00 dopio zero flour. Self-raising flour can be found at Galeria Kaufhof.

Graham crumbs

Graham crumbs are hard to find, but you can buy a pack of Leibniz crackers and grind the cookies into crumbs. I used Leibniz crackers several times to make Nanaimo bars. You can find those in every grocery store.

Hot dog sausages

Most Turkish grocery stores carry packs of chicken and beef sausages that taste exactly like the hot dog sausages you would find in America.

Kerrygold salted butter

Edeka, Lidl, Penny and REWE usually carry Kerrygold salted butter.

Maple syrup

Most grocery stores carry pure Canadian or American maple syrup. REWE keeps it close the the Nutella and peanut butter.

Marmite

Marmite is found at Galeria Kaufhof and Broken English. It was also spotted at Asia Mekong near Hackescher Markt and in the English section at Real,- and at KaDeWe1.

Molasses

Molasses is called Melasse in German. You can find it at Edeka and in many bio shops. You can also order it off Amazon.

Mustard powder

This staple ingredient of American BBQ can be found in most Wochenmärkte. I get mine from the Winterfeldtplatz market. Just look for Senfpulver at the spice kiosks. Colman's Mustard Powder can be found at KaDeWe or ordered from Amazon.

Pancetta

Italian pancetta can be found at KaDeWe.



Peanut butter

Most grocery stores carry peanut butter. REWE has both creamy and crunchy peanut butter. You will find it next to the Nutella.

Poutine cheese

See Cheese curds

Powdered sugar

Powdered sugar (also called confectioner's sugar or icing sugar) is called Puderzucker or Staubzucker. It's sold in small 250g boxes in the baking section of all grocery stores. There is a slight difference between powdered sugar and confectioner's sugar. If you need confectioner's sugar, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per cup of powdered sugar.

Pumpkin puree

Both KaDeWe and Galeria Kaufhof sell Libby's pumpkin puree at a premium price. American Lifestyle also carries it. You can also make your own.

Sal de Guzano, sal de Chapulín

Chili & Paprika carries agave worm salt and grasshoper salt in its Berlin shop.



Self-raising flour

You can get self-raising flour from most asian supermarkets. You can make your own by adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder for every 150g of flour. Self-raising flour can be found at Galeria Kaufhof.



Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract is rather hard to find in Germany. I usually buy cheap vanilla aroma vials, but real vanilla extract is available on Amazon, at Galeria Kaufhof and at Metro.

Vegemite

Australia Shopping World carries Vegemite in its Berlin store. You can also order it from Amazon, but it ain't cheap.

Yeast

Yeast is called Backhefe in Germany. It can be found in small paper packets in the baking section of all grocery stores.

Stores that sell international foods

International

Galeria Kaufhof: Large selection of international products

KaDeWe: Large selection of international products

Mehlstübchen: Flours from all over the world

real,-: Department store with small international foods section

Australia

Eastern Europe

Kasatschok: Russian supermarket

LEDO: Russian supermarket

Greece

Grigorios Commatas: Greek supermarket

Latin America

Aqui España: Carries some Latin American products

Chili & Paprika: Food from Mexico, Brasil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru

Super Iberico: Latin American supermarket

Spain

Aqui España: Spanish products

United Kingdom

Broken English: Britain

United States and Canada

American Lifestyle: American snacks and drinks

But what about...

If something is missing from this list, try asking Found in... Berlin, or ask us in the comments below and we'll do our research. Below is a list of shops that carry foreign ingredients, drinks and snacks.