Veganism in Germany

People constantly ask me if it’s hard, or even possible, to be vegan in Germany. It’s a silly question to ask someone who went vegan when she lived in a small town in Idaho. Right now I live in a town of around 25,000 people. It has two health food stores and an Asian market. My town in Idaho didn’t have either of these things. My biggest problems with getting vegan food have been because of the language barrier and because I live with a family, not on my own, and I think those would be problems anywhere. There are actually some amazing vegan products available here that are pretty hard to get in America. If you’re ever in Germany, buy these things in bulk:

Chocoreale—the aforementioned vegan Nutella. I’ve only had the hazelnut kind that is actually like Nutella, but there is also a dark chocolate kind, and Duo, which is dark chocolate and white chocolate swirl. Rapunzel also makes a chocolate spread, but I don’t think they have a hazelnut kind.

Tartex. I know it sounds like a type of toothpaste, but it’s actually a spread. I’ve only had the paprika (bell pepper) variety, but it was pretty good. Actually, the first time I had it was kind of a letdown, and then I found myself craving more, and then I really liked it. There are also a ton of other vegan spreads here, and I have yet to sample them all. German bread is awesome, so I am glad there is good stuff to put on it.

Alpro and Provamel soy puddings. I have a pack of Alpro vanilla right now because it’s available at the supermarket a block away from my house, but my favorite is the Provamel Moka. I like Zen Soy but this stuff is better, cheaper and available all over the place.

Ritter Sport bars, marzipan and peppermint flavor. Yeah, you can get them in America, at Target and some other places, I think, but at the Norma here I can get them for 69 cents. Beat that.

Germany also has soymilk in weird flavors, like tropical. That was actually really gross. There is also tofu in jars, which is both gross and overpriced, but I still find it amusing.

My secret love affair with peanut butter

Above: Peanut butter banana cupcakes, with some margarita ones thrown in for good measure. Aww yeah.

Peanut butter is really normal, right? If you’re American, you have probably had approximately a bajillion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in your lifetime. They’re so ubiquitous that we can just say PB&J. No need for real words! And of course, the amazing thing is that peanut butter is vegan, and when people say “You’re vegan? What do you eat?” you can say, you know, normal stuff, like peanut butter sandwiches, vegetables, shit like that. Then you can mention that Oreos are vegan and just boggle their minds, which is pretty great.

And then you move to Europe. Or, I moved to Europe. Germany to be exact. And I moved in with a family who have a pretty normal German diet (lots of potatoes and cold cuts and who knows what else) and they do not eat peanut butter. It’s not like peanut butter is completely unheard of in Germany. It’s available in grocery stores, next to the wide array of chocolate spreads. But as far as I can tell, Germans are grossed out by every way that I can possibly think of to eat peanut butter, so I have no idea how the Germans who actually buy it use it.

Here are some ways that I like to eat peanut butter:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches

Peanut butter and agave nectar sandwiches (messiest meal ever)

Peanut butter spread on quartered apples

Carrot sticks dipped in peanut butter

Peanut butter spread on a tortilla

Peanut butter off a spoon

Peanut butter cookies

Peanut butter cake/cupcakes

Peanut sauce on noodles

Ants on a log (celery, peanut butter, raisins)

Peanut butter on a spoon with raisins on top

Peanut butter on Wasa crispbread

Peanut butter on various other types of crackers

Squares of dark chocolate dipped into peanut butter

Chocolate peanut butter ice cream

Peanut butter filled pretzels, or normal pretzels dipped in peanut butter

Peanut butter on toast

Basically, I fucking love peanut butter. And I am living with a family who thinks that’s really weird. They actually think that everything I eat is weird– brown rice, beans, quinoa, soy milk, I don’t know what else. I’ve actually become really self-conscious about eating or making food in front of them. Once I was spreading peanut butter on apples in the kitchen and the mother came in and said “Peanut butter on apples?” and I was annoyed. Yes, I am overly sensitive, I know that. I am in every other aspect of my life too! Anyway, I started sneaking peanut butter. Well, it was more like, I would put peanut butter on two pieces of toast, and grab a banana and bring it back to my room and make a peanut butter and banana sandwich (possibly my favorite application of the holy paste) because I didn’t want to hear “Peanut butter and banana? Seriously?”

But in seven short days I will be back in America, land of the free (as well as land of Big Macs and George Bush…oh well, nobody’s perfect), home of the peanut butter and banana sandwich. I could not be happier.

But you know what’s also good on a sandwich with bananas? Vegan nutella, also known as Chocoreale. Which I can get here but not in the States. Shit.