Rare Specialities at the Oktoberfest

Chicken, roast pork, pork knuckle, duck, Kasspatzn (cheese noodles), and so on. The menus at the Oktoberfest tents are very similar depending on the category. Just like in the city itself, you have to know where to go to break out of the uniformity of the food on offer. To appreciate those who make the effort to offer something at the Wiesn that may be a little out of the ordinary, and to help our readers in their search, we have created this little overview. If classics are increasingly spurned, eventually there will only be hamburgers left. At other Bavarian volksfests, the kebab skewers are already turning.

The example of Schweinswürstl shows how quickly a great classic can disappear. Once one of the biggest dishes at the Oktoberfest, so big that the city kept separate statistics for it, six of the large tents no longer have it on their menus. However, their declining popularity is likely to be linked not least to their price. Schweinswürstl with cabbage, which are more expensive than a chicken, simply don't make sense.

One classic dish that has already been threatened with extinction are sour lungs (Saures Lüngerl). It is now only available on the menu at the Augustiner tent (€13.50) and, since the change of management, at the Bräurosl (€17.50). At the Armbrustschützenzelt, it is only on the lunch menu on Wednesdays and Thursdays (€16). Its closest relative, Kalbsrahmbeuscherl, is available at the Festzelt Tradition (€19.80).

The Schützenzelt also uses the cheeks (€28.90) and livers (€22) of its suckling pigs. Surprisingly, suckling pig liver in a sour and spicy onion sauce is even new on the menu this year. Backerl is also available at the Ochsenbraterei, where it is made from beef rather than ox (€34.50), and at the Knödelei, where it is made from veal (€34.50).

The Schlachtschüsselessen (slaughter bowl meal) in the Augustinerzelt is quite well known. Blood and liver sausage, wammerl, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes are available there every Wednesday at noon (€17.20). The tent is also the only one to offer Surhaxn (€24.30). The equally unique Gansjung is unfortunately no longer on the menu.

Bräurosl also offers blood and liver sausage every Wednesday (€15.90). In fact, this tent is the frontrunner among the large tents in the rarities segment. In addition to the dishes already mentioned, it also offers Kronfleisch, beef diaphragm with potatoes and horseradish (€17.50), and baked veal tongue with potato and cucumber salad and remoulade (€25.50).

The Poschnerzelt is also noteworthy. It is the only one that serves Märzen beer from Hacker-Pschorr, and even from a wooden barrel. There is also roasted chicken liver, but this year it is no longer served as a main course with dumplings, but as a starter with romaine lettuce. The tent is also known for its chicken stomachs with spicy sauce and bread dumplings.

Although there is a wide selection at the stands, there are relatively few traditional dishes. However, we would like to mention the original shish kebab skewer (€15) from Schaschlik Dehner in front of the Armbrustschützenzelt. Unlike most meat skewers, this one also contains kidney.