Skip to content

South Africans in Germany

Facebook Instagram Facebook
Home » Foodies » Substitutes and Information

Substitutes and Information

Food substitutes and additional information

German meat cuts are different from those in South Africa. 
South Africa tends to follow the British way of cutting meat.
Below is a explanation of the German Beef Cuts

German beef cuts

  1. Rinderhals, Kamm or Nacken (Chuck steak)
  2. Querrippe (Short ribs)
  3. Rinderbrust (Brisket)
  4. Hochrippe or Fehlrippe (Standing rib roast)
  5. Vorderrippe or hohes Roastbeef
  6. Rostbraten or flaches Roastbeef
    5. & 6. together are the Roastbeef or Zwischenrippenstück
  7. Filet (Fillet)
  8. Spannrippe or Knochendünnung
  9. Dünnung or Bauchlappen (flank steak)
  10. Falsches Filet, Schulter, Bug or Schaufel (shoulder)
  11. Oberschale, Unterschale and Nuss
  12. Flanke, Schliem or Rindfleisch
  13. Hüfte mit Hüftsteak and Schwanzstück or Tafelspitz (Top sirloin))
  14. Hesse or Wade (Beef shank)
  15. Fricandeau
  16. Schwanz or Ochsenschwanz (Oxtail)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut_of_beef

German Beef cuts downloadable file

Pork

To be updated

Where to buy meat

Most people buy lamb at their local Turkish butcher, or at Italian Food stores that have a butchery.
For lamb and other meat cuts you can try Selgros or Metro (need a customer card), or support your local butchery.
Shops like Rewe and Edeka have their own butchery section, and if you want a specific cut you can pre-order it from them

For Boerewors and Biltong look at the listings on our website. 

You can also buy meat online. I found the following online shops, but have not personally used them so can only add them as suggestions.
Most of these also sell Venison

Vocabulary

Here is a list of translations and some additional information about meat and fish in Germany. 

ProductSubstitute & Translation
Lamb ShankDie Lammhaxe. Lamb is not very popular in Germany. The German lamb also tastes very different from a Karoo tjoppie.
You can sometimes get frozen New-Zealand lamb.
Some Italian Deli’s also sell very good lamb, and they will cut if to your liking.
I have seen frozen Lamb shank in Lidl, but it is also seasonal.
MinceDas Hackfleisch
Ribeye SteakIt is known as Entrecôte. Also know as Scotch Fillet
Cuts of BeefHere is a list of the different cuts of beef. They do not list South Africa but we follow the same cuts as the British. You can compare the German cuts
Cuts good for BiltongSilverside( Tafelstück) or Topside (Schale)
Offal/Afvaldie Innereien
Caul fat / NetvetFettnetz
Kidneysdie Nieren
Liverdie Leber
Stomachdie Magen
BaconFinding back, shoulder or lean Bacon can be a real challenge. The best options are the English Bacon you sometimes get at Kaufland or their “Frühstucksspeck nach Amerikanischer Art”. Rewe also sells English Bacon. Metro sells “streaky” bacon. You can also buy online for example at Geordie’s
Pork Sausages (Eskort) Info from Eskort – Ingredients: Pork (minimum pork content 75%, maximum fat content 22%), Water, Cereal (Maize), Salt, Phosphates, MSG (Flavour enhancer), Sodium erythorbate, Flavours, Preservative (Sodium sulphate).

A good substitute is Nürnberger Bratwurst
or Krakauer (might have Beef in as well). you can also buy online at British shops for example British Shop EU
Pork Chops with a fat rindSchweine Kotelett mit Schwarte

Related content

Making your own Biltong

There are many recipes and tips on the internet on how to make your own biltong.We want to share some basics here as well as

Braai Season

Summer is finally here and it is time to invite friends to kuier around the braai.  But before you light your charcoal, check out the

Spices and Herbs

Here is a list of the most common spices and herbs with their Afrikaans, English and German names Spices Afrikaans English German Borrie Turmeric die

Rewe has a very good page about seafood.

Where to buy fish and seafood

If  you would like to buy seafood or fish online try the following online shops:

Vocabulary

Here is a list of translations and some additional information about meat and fish in Germany.

ProductSubstitute & Translation
PilchardsSardine
“Sardine” and “pilchard” are common names used to refer to various small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. – Wikipedia. Herring also belongs to this family
SardinesSardellen.
Sardellen is smaller than Sardinen (Pilchards). They are not longer than 20 cm.
When they are found in salty or sweet-sour lakes they are called Anchovies in Europe
AnchoviesAnchovis or Sardellen that are found in salty or sweet-sour lakes are called Anchovies in Europe
SalmonDer Lachs
MackerelDie Makrele
DoradoDer Schwertfisch
SoleDie Seezunge
HakeDer Seehecht or Der Hechdorsch
Cape horse mackerel Die Bastard- oder Holzmakrele (Trachurus trachurus), auch Stöcker oder Suri genannt
Fish FingersDie Fishstäbchen
SeafoodDie Meeresfrüchte
MusselsDie Miesmuschel
ScallopsDie Jakobsmuschel
ClamsVenusmuscheln or Vongole
CrayfishDie Flusskrebse or Die Langusten
LangoustinesDie Langusten
King prawnsDie Hummerkrabben or Die Riesengarnelen
PrawnsDie Garnalen.
ShrimpsTiefseegarnalen or Grönlandshrimps or just shrimps or Nordseekrabbe
LobsterDas Hummer
Calamari/SquidDer Tintenfish or Die Calamares. Fried Calamari is Frittierter Tintenfish
OystersDie Austern
CrabDie Krabben

Related content

South African Recipes

Click here to submit your recipe Seasonal recipes Resources on the web Ina Paarman Pinterest – on the Braai Jan Braai Watertand resepte vir oud en

Substitutes and Food Info

Many South African products can be bought online. For those items you cannot find in Germany, most have a substitute. We list our substitute suggestions here,

Braai Season

Summer is finally here and it is time to invite friends to kuier around the braai.  But before you light your charcoal, check out the

Many South African products can be bought online. 
For those items you cannot find in Germany, most have a substitute.
We list our substitute suggestions here, as well as some German translations

Meat

German meat cuts are different from those in South Africa. South Africa tends to follow the British way of cutting meat.Below is a explanation of the

Fish

Rewe has a very good page about seafood. Where to buy fish and seafood If  you would like to buy seafood or fish online try

Substitutes – Drinks

Looking for Milo, Horlicks, Frisco, Ricoffy or Lime Cordial?  We compiled a searchable list of substitutes for some of the popular hot and cold drinks

Substitutes – Other Products

Here is a list of substitutes and translations for general food and kitchen items like cling film, maize meal, custard and biscuits    Related content

Frozen products

Here is a list of suggestions for ready-made pasty (dough) products and some translations. Related content Inspiration

Baking ingredients

For all of the passionate bakers out there! We have thoughtfully compiled a comprehensive list of alternative ingredient options that can be used for baking

Types of Sugars

Here is a list of suggestions for types of sugars, as well as some translations. Related content

Dairy substitutes

Here is a list of suggestions for dairy products, as well as some translations. You can also read more on Rewe’s site Related content

Spices and Herbs

Here is a list of the most common spices and herbs with their Afrikaans, English and German names Spices Afrikaans English German Borrie Turmeric die

Related content

South African Recipes

Click here to submit your recipe Seasonal recipes Resources on the web Ina Paarman Pinterest – on the Braai Jan Braai Watertand resepte vir oud en jonk Cape Malay Cooking with Fatima Sydow Boerekos Related pages

German Cuisine and Recipes

Many will describe German food as hearty, heavy and unrefined. Comfort food comes to mind, as many dishes are based on starch. But I think that German food can be very refined “sehr fein”  as well, and they have the best bakeries in the world. Apparently, there are more than

Shopping

Shopping in Germany can be a daunting experience if you are not familiar with how things work here. The worst is probably grocery shopping. In South Africa there is usually someone at the till that bags your groceries for you. It is mostly a relaxed experience and you can even

Looking for Milo, Horlicks, Frisco, Ricoffy or Lime Cordial?  We compiled a searchable list of substitutes for some of the popular hot and cold drinks loved by South Africans

ProductSubstitute
Hot Drinks
MiloMost African and Asian Shops stock Milo
You can also buy it at online shops.
Some suggest this one from Ovomaltine
Instant Coffee like Frisco and RicoffyYou can buy it at SA Shops in Germany.
Also look out for Nestle Ricore Kaffee which is similar to Ricoffy. It is available on Amazon
Black / Ceylon Tee like FreshpakYou can buy Freshpak at SA Shops in Germany.
Good substitutes are brands like Tetley or PC Tips in Asian or British shops or
Teekanne Ostfriesen tea
HorlicksYou can buy online at Amazon or GreatBritishfood.de
A cheaper option is to look in Indian/Pakistani shops
Koffiehuis Pronto BagsYou can buy similar products online.
Coffeefair offers a wide variety
Rooibos TeasIn Germany you can buy Rooibos Tea in most food stores, but many are flavoured. Make sure you buy the “pur” or unflavoured one if you want traditional Rooibos tea. Health shops also sells Rooibos tea. Another thing to consider – SA teabags weigh more than the bags in Germany. Freshpak weighs 2.5 grams, and the Teekanne teabag weighs 1.75 grams. Loose tea can be bought in a Tee Laden
Cold Drinks
Roses Lime Cordial or any other Cordial/Syrup You can find it at most shops like Rewe or Edeka, else online at Amazon.
Monin also makes syrups
Nesquik Chocolate milkyou can find the chocolate variety in the shops, although people suggested that Kaba tastes like the one in SA
Stoney Ginger BeerThomas Henry Spicy Ginger
Cream SodaCream Soda is actually Vanilla flavoured. Some suggest you can use Waldmeister to flavour your sparkling water for a similar taste. You can also find it online at SA Shops in Germany
Fanta GrapeTem´s Grape Soda
ElectrolytesHeydrate

Related content

Meat

German meat cuts are different from those in South Africa. South Africa tends to follow the British way of cutting meat.Below is a explanation of the

Substitutes – Other Products

Here is a list of substitutes and translations for general food and kitchen items like cling film, maize meal, custard and biscuits    Related content

Frozen products

Here is a list of suggestions for ready-made pasty (dough) products and some translations. Related content Inspiration

Baking ingredients

For all of the passionate bakers out there! We have thoughtfully compiled a comprehensive list of alternative ingredient options that can be used for baking

Types of Sugars

Here is a list of suggestions for types of sugars, as well as some translations. Related content

Dairy substitutes

Here is a list of suggestions for dairy products, as well as some translations. You can also read more on Rewe’s site Related content

Spices and Herbs

Here is a list of the most common spices and herbs with their Afrikaans, English and German names Spices Afrikaans English German Borrie Turmeric die

Where to buy South African products

Sonja Kohlöffel – Gem Squash

Gem Squash tastes just like home Postal orders 6kg total cost for postage and packaging is 20€ Collections in either Ulm or Bad Waldsee cost

Outer Africa

Restaurant and shop Here you will find the best of what the amazing and intriguing continent of Africa has to offer – in particular from

SA Food Store

Bringing you the taste of South Africa. We deliver anywhere in Europe Some of our products include: Ouma Rusks Tennis Biscuits Salticrax Zoo Biscuits Peppadews

Saffa Shop

A variety of South African products Home made biltong, boerewors, droëwors and chilli bites. Lamb chops. Maize Meal and Samp Maltabella, Jungle Oats, Kreemymeelm and

Die Spens

Die Spens shop is situated next to the A1 in Amersfoort, easily reachable from all over The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Come and have a

Here is a list of substitutes and translations for general food and kitchen items like cling film, maize meal, custard and biscuits

ProductSubstitute
Foildie Aluminiumfolie, auch Alufolie oder Silberpapier
Cooking spray (Spray and Cook)It is called Trennspray or Backspray in Germany and can be found in most shops
Clingfilmdie Frischhaltefolie
Maize MealYou might find it in African shops, although mostly the yellow variety.
Best it to buy online.
Polenta / Maisgrieß is not the same!
Peanut Butterdie Erdnussbutter or die Erdnusscreme.
Marmite or BovrilNo substitute. You can buy online or find it in British shops. Sometimes you can find Marmite in shops like Edeka
Taystee WheatIt is made from Semolina (hartweizengrieß or just Griß), to find substitutes look for Grießbrei. You can buy Grieß and make it from scratch or buy pre cooked in packets.
All Bran FlakesCan be bought at Lidl
Custard PowderYou can buy the Dr Oetker Dessert Soße, but it is not exactly the same. It is a good substitute though.
Some of the major shops have Bird’s Instant Custard which is more like the custard we know.
Other options:
South African Shops in Germany (see the list here)
Indian/Pakistani shops
British shops
Peppermint CrispMarabou Mint Krokant. Found in most big shops
Tennis or Marie BiscuitsLeibniz Butterkekse .
A member also noted you can add 2 tablespoons of coconut flakes when making a recipe that calls for crushed Tennis biscuits. For a nice twist, you can also use Spekulatus biscuits, they are spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg
Graham CrackersYou can buy it in British Shops. As alternative you can use the following:
Leibniz Vollkorn crackers
For Custard Slices you can use Phyllo or Puff pastry
Jelly Powderdie Götterspeise.
My own and other peoples experience is that the German jelly powder is stronger than those in SA.
The German product does not contain any sugar like the SA one.

It also tastes a lot more like gelatine Your dessert will be much stiffer.
You will also not find all the flavours we have in SA.
You can find pinapple and lemon flavours at online shops like Saffa Shop
A good alternative has come to our attention. RUF makes jelly powder with sugar in the mix.
Make sure that you look out for “Zucker enthalten”.
They have a lemon flavour.
We have not tested it in South African recipes yet, but will soon.
“Government” Bread. A normal loaf of bread as we know it in South AfricaThe sliced variety you can find in most big shops. Look for das Toastbrot.
If you are looking for whole loaf that is not sliced, aks for das Kastenbrot in the bakery.
Hotdog or Hamburger buns.I have not find similar buns in Germany yet. You can find ok alternatives in the bread section of major shops. They tend to be very dry and are not freshly baked.
SagoCan be bought in most shops. Tapioca is a good alternative – Tapioca is made from the starchy root of the cassava tree, whereas sago is made from the inner part, or pith, of the stem of the sago palm tree. They are similar, flavorless starches that are used in cooking and baking, and they can be used interchangeably in many recipes. Both tapioca and sago are used to make puddings and baked goods, and to thicken soups, stews and pie fillings.
Goldyn SyrupCalled Sirup in Germany.
You can find Lyles Golden Syrup at Edeka and Rewe (also in their online shops)
You can also buy at Amazon or online British Shops
Grafschafter makes a Karamell sirup
Jamaika GemmerAccording to the Aspen website, Lennon’s Jamaika Gemmer 20 ml. Each ml contains the alcoholic extractives of: Ginger – 0.5g. Contains: Ethanol (100%) – 84% v/v. Sugar free.
VinegarFor normal white wine vinegar, you can buy Tafelessig or Weißweinessig. Be very careful of Essigessenz, this is a very concentrated (25%) vinegar and is mainly used for cleaning. You can of course water it down to use in cooking. The general consensus is one part Essigessenz and four parts water. There should be instructions on the bottle as well.

  

Related content

Meat

German meat cuts are different from those in South Africa. South Africa tends to follow the British way of cutting meat.Below is a explanation of the

Substitutes – Drinks

Looking for Milo, Horlicks, Frisco, Ricoffy or Lime Cordial?  We compiled a searchable list of substitutes for some of the popular hot and cold drinks

Frozen products

Here is a list of suggestions for ready-made pasty (dough) products and some translations. Related content Inspiration

Baking ingredients

For all of the passionate bakers out there! We have thoughtfully compiled a comprehensive list of alternative ingredient options that can be used for baking

Types of Sugars

Here is a list of suggestions for types of sugars, as well as some translations. Related content

Dairy substitutes

Here is a list of suggestions for dairy products, as well as some translations. You can also read more on Rewe’s site Related content

Spices and Herbs

Here is a list of the most common spices and herbs with their Afrikaans, English and German names Spices Afrikaans English German Borrie Turmeric die

Where to buy South African products

Sonja Kohlöffel – Gem Squash

Gem Squash tastes just like home Postal orders 6kg total cost for postage and packaging is 20€ Collections in either Ulm or Bad Waldsee cost

Outer Africa

Restaurant and shop Here you will find the best of what the amazing and intriguing continent of Africa has to offer – in particular from

SA Food Store

Bringing you the taste of South Africa. We deliver anywhere in Europe Some of our products include: Ouma Rusks Tennis Biscuits Salticrax Zoo Biscuits Peppadews

Saffa Shop

A variety of South African products Home made biltong, boerewors, droëwors and chilli bites. Lamb chops. Maize Meal and Samp Maltabella, Jungle Oats, Kreemymeelm and

Die Spens

Die Spens shop is situated next to the A1 in Amersfoort, easily reachable from all over The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Come and have a