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When you live in a different country there are certain things you miss. And one of those things might be food. Many German food items you can get in the US, there are many Aldis and Lidls in most states now. But they might not have what you crave. In my case it is licorice and when I say licorice I mean the strong, salty kind, not twizzlers.
Anyway, here are some online stores where you can get many German food items and two subscription boxes that would make a good gift.
German Food Box Subscription
For the people in your life (or yourself) who miss German food, this German Food Box subscription is ideal. Per box you’ll receive 6-8 German food products (I also always had a drink in each box) and German recipes.
Gift subscriptions are available for 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months, and the subscription ends automatically, so you don’t have to remember to cancel.
Price per box per month range from $49.80 in the 3 month subscription to $44.82 in the 12 month subscription. You can look at the products and sign up on their website www.germanfoodbox.com.
I personally like to give subscriptions because it’s a gift that lasts longer than the Christmas season. Every month the person receives another gift, and in this case it is also surprise because you don’t know what will be in the box. Though I’m sure they are going to love it, I always did!
Candy German Subscription
For the Naschkatzen (sweet teeths) in your family, maybe a German candy subscription is the way to go. Candy German sends out a box with 6-8 German candy items every month directly from Germany.
As you can see from the pictures, there is a wide variety: chocolate, gummies, licorice, crackers, and cookies. Subscriptions run 1 month, 3 months, or 6 months and automatically renew, however you can cancel anytime. The boxes are normally packed on the 15th of every month, so you want to be aware of that should you decide to cancel.
The plans cost €28 – €30 and shipping is free. While they do charge in euros (since the company is located in Germany), you can still pay with an American credit card, the price will automatically convert into dollars.
Take a look around on their website and sign up in a few easy steps to get your German candy fix, … I mean sign up for German candy loving friend.
German Groceries
If you don’t have a German or International supermarket or store in your area or if Aldi and Lidl don’t carry the things you crave, you might have to look online to get your hands on some German food.
Luckily, there are a couple of online stores where you might find what you need.
Germanshop24
Germanshop24 has a large selection of German food and beverages but also non-food items like decorations and magazines. Shipping is free for orders more than $150. Honestly, I don’t know why I haven’t ordered from them yet.
If you were looking for food or gifts for Christmas however, the orders won’t be filled in time. According to their website, some staff members are in quarantine and therefore no orders will be processed until December 22nd. However, you can still get a gift certificate that can be delivered via email. And I think that’s what I’m going to do (for myself).
Here are some examples of what you can get at Germanshop24.
German Grocery Store
The German Grocery Store has a physical location in Laguna Hills, CA, however due to the pandemic they are closed at the moment. You can place your order online, though the items will probably not arrive before Christmas. But you can get a gift card and send to the person you need a present for. I’m sure they’ll enjoy browsing online and finding all kinds of goodies.
Shipping will be calculated based on weight and zip code. Some items are fragile so it’s best to not order them with heavy items. Just read the instructions and recommendations on the website to ensure proper delivery.
Again, I have listed some items you can buy at the German Grocery Store. The Tortenboden is out of stock right now but I was excited when I found it so I included it here. You can also sign up to be notified when it comes back in stock.
Also, remember to keep the glass with the mustard to use as a drinking glass.
European Deli
At the European Deli you can not only shop for German food but also some items from Austria and Switzerland plus, like the name suggests, from other European countries. But they don’t only have food but also German woodcrafts (which are 15% off as of 12/12), Nut Crackers, lotions, baking utensils, and a Glühwein kit.
Again, I pinned a couple things on my German Food pinterest board, so I can link them here.
German Deli
The German Deli offers a wide variety of food, beverages, and also has a link to traditional Bavarian clothing. They have a brick and mortar store in Huntington Beach, CA, so you can stop by.
Shipping charges will be calculated at checkout and gift cards are also available. I think I’m going to order some Bockwurst for Würstchen mit Kartoffelsalat for New Year’s Eve. And of course, the Hot Peppers Fire Trucks! I guess they are technically Dutch but it’s probably close to Türkisch Pfeffer which I love!
The Taste of Germany
The Taste of Germany offers a good selection of food items, sampler boxes and also some decorations and other non-food items. You can also order items in bulk.
Shipments usually go out within 3-4 days and shipping is calculated at check out. I love Haribo Stafetten and the Kathi Black Forest Cake mix is actually really good.
Amazon: Grocery and Gourmet Food
If you have an Amazon Prime account shipping on many German food products will be free but double check before you submit your order. When you are on the amazon website you can type “German food” in the search bar and voilá all the German food comes up. Though other foods and sponsored content will sneak in your search results so be careful.
If you know exactly what you want you can just search for it directly. For example, I order licorice from amazon and since Germany doesn’t really have the monopoly on licorice I will also order from Danish sellers for Türkisch Pfeffer or Dutch sellers for softer licorice.
Remember that these products often come directly from Germany so the prices will reflect that. For some products it might be worth it, for others it might be sufficient to get it from Aldi.
Below I listed a couple things that you can get from amazon.
igourmet
At igourmet you can buy international food and you can also purchase perishables like German butter. You might not want to do your weekly grocery shopping here but they have a good selection of specialty items.
Just go to igourmet.com and select “Shop by origin” and then “German cuisine” or click here.
Below are things I found on the website and I might consider buying.
