A vegetarian's guide to the Christmas markets in Düsseldorf (2019)

Düsseldorf has seven main Christmas markets and many small ones dispersed throughout the city.

When I was new in Germany, I didn't know most of the dishes (except french fries 😁). I often overlooked the vegetarian varieties simply because the meat was highlighted more in the pictures or in the samples kept in front of the stall. Over the years, I understood what to look for and tried various dishes in the Christmas markets and thought it could be useful for someone new to Germany to know about them in advance. The aim of this is post is to familiarize the reader with the names.

More information about the Christmas markets can be found on the city's official website: https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/our-top-events/duesseldorf-christmas-market/.

Many dishes have eggs in some form, either in the dough or in the sauce. It is debatable if eggs are vegetarian😀. I have considered them in this list as most of the vegetarians I know eat them 😇. 

I have ordered the list from my most favorite item to my least favorite and finally those which I have not yet dared to try ;)

Flammkuchen

This is like a thinner, softer pizza with less cheese. We can order it with the toppings of our wish. Perhaps due to the familiarity of taste I like it the most 😊😋

You can find the stalls in the Engelchen Markt at the Heinrich-Heine-Platz and Märchen Markt at Shadowplatz.
There is also one far back in the Kö-Bogen Markt but it is a totally different variety of flammkuchen. Its very thick and dry so I did not like it. 

Flammkuchen is not special to Christmas markets, we can also get it at 4-5 restaurants throughout the year but the flammkuchen made in front of your eyes is special 😍.

Langos

Yummy Langos topped with cheese, garlic and chili sauce

Neither Flammkuchen nor Langos are German dishes but somehow they entered the German Christmas markets and they are so loved that you will often find long queues outside the stalls😇

Langos is basically deep fried dough. It is very filling! It comes close to the Indian 'Bhatura'.

You can find the stalls at two places:

1. In the Kö-Bogen Markt at the Joachim-Erwin-Platz

2. In the market near the giant ferris wheel in Altstadt.

Reibekuchen

Finally, a German dish on the list. Reibekuchen is a fried potato dish. Locals prefer to top it with apple sauce. I prefer it plain. 

It is always sold as a bunch of three cutlets, so it is perfect to share. Keep tons of tissue handy as it is normally dripping with oil. Sometimes the smell of the oil is quite overpowering. Smell or no smell I do enjoy this crunchy cutlet once a year 😊

Indians can relate it to the 'aloo-tikki'.

Any Christmas market here is incomplete without a stall of Reibekuchen, so you can find it in every market.

Throughout the year, it can also be found at a shop outside the main train station.

Crepes, waffles and poffertjes

These are very popular and available in all Christmas markets. All of them are sweet treats.

Crepes are soft round thin pancakes with a wide variety of toppings available.

Poffertjes are small fluffy pancakes of Dutch origin.

Soups!

Since the last few years I have seen a stall only for soups in Shadowplatz! They have a good variety of vegetarian soups. 💚

Raclette

This stall is easy to miss. It is located in the Kö-Bogen market towards the end (near the empty dome) if walking from the Shadowstrasse U-bahn stop. The dish consists of a piece of a long bread (baguette) with fresh melted cheese.
The stall also has cheese fondue!

Potato twister and fries (pommes)!

Potato twisters can be also be found at the Kö-Bogen market.

Curly fries can be found beside the ice rink on the Königsalle.

French fries or pommes can be found everywhere! All year round! Throughout the world! 😄

Maronen (chestnuts) and other varieties of nuts (nüsse)

Freshly roasted Maronen (chestnuts) are very very popular here. They are a bit soft and have a sweet taste. As they are normally sold warm, it feels great to carry them around in the cold weather 😉.

Fried sweetened Mandeln (almonds) are my favorite! You can get a wide variety of fried sweetened nuts in many shops across all Christmas markets.

Champignons and Backkartoffel (Mushrooms and baked potatoes)

The first photo is clicked at the Kö-bogen market. The big green board brings our attention to the vegetarian food being sold at the stall.

Both these items are also easily found in every Christmas market.
Shops selling Champignons boil the mushrooms and garnish them with a sauce. You can eat them with a toothpick.

Backkartoffel is a very popular dish in Germany. It is basically a whole baked potato with skin, cut in the middle and topped with either of these - quark, sour cream, tzatziki (yogurt with cucumber), cheese, etc.

Spätzle

Spätzle is a famous south German dish but not a very popular choice at the Christmas market. It is rough little pasta noodles made of egg. I saw this stall in the Kö-Bogen market. 

Brezel (Pretzle)

Bretzels are used for the most typical German stereotypical representation.

They are a type of bread twisted in a heart shape. Normally they have salt crystals infused on top but in Christmas markets we get a bit more variety.

This photo is taken in the Shadowplatz market.

Sweets, sweets and more sweets!!!

Churros

Churros are thick sticks of deep fried dough. It is served with an option of powdered sugar or chocolate syrup.

Fruits dipped in chocolate

I love these! They should be somewhere at the top of my list! Many stalls sell fruits like strawberries, grapes, banana or grapes dipped in chocolate on a stick 😍. 

More candy!

After all the sweet and fried dishes, if you still need pure sugar rush 😆 there are such candy shops in every market.

Now, the dishes that I have not tried yet 😇

Muzen, Apfelpfannkucken, Dampfnudeln

These dishes can be found in all Christmas markets. I do not have a sweet tooth, so I have not yet felt motivated (or hungry enough) to try them. 😝

Muzen is a deep fried ball of quark, flour, eggs, sugar and some more ingredients 😄.

Apfelpfannkuchen means apple pancake. Pieces of apple are coated in flour and deep fried.
Dampfnudeln are steamed dumplings. It is a traditional pastry of southern German and Austrian cuisine.

Different varieties of bread and sweets

This shop in Markplatz in Altstadt sells glutenfrei and vegan breads and sweets.

Odd ones out!

Found a pasta stall at the very end of the Sternchen Markt.

In Shadowstrasse, came across this Wok stall.

I hope you enjoy your visit to the Christmas markets! 💚

Feel free to write a comment if you need more information or if you know of more vegetarian dishes!
Note: All the photos were clicked by asking for permission from the stall attendant :)

Christmas tree in front of the Rathaus in Altstadt.