It’s hard to believe that I’m nearing my last month in Berlin. I arrived here over two months ago, but it feels as though it’s been maybe two weeks. In honor of the months I’ve spent here, and the short time that remains, I decided to dedicate this blog post to my favorite topic: food! Coming here, I wasn’t too excited about eating traditional German food, but I was eager to try some of Berlin’s famous Turkish food. Berlin has a large Turkish population as a result of the guest worker programs of the 1950s and 1960s, and many of these immigrants brought their cuisine with them. In fact, one of Berlin’s most famous Turkish dishes is the Döner kebab, which can be found in stands all over the city. Döner can look a little intimidating to people who are unfamiliar with them; essentially, the process involves shaving meat off a giant spinning meat cone, then serving it in pita bread along with lettuce, tomato, onion, and some kind of sauce. Don’t be put off by the meat cone though. When done right, Döner taste delicious and are basically the perfect drunk food- greasy but not too greasy and amazingly filling.
Another cuisine which is surprisingly prevalent in Berlin is Italian! Seriously, it seems like every street has at least three different places advertising cheap pizza and pasta, usually with an Italian flag on the sign as well. This may also have to do with Berlin’s guest worker policies- not only did Germany bring in guest workers from Turkey, but various Southern European countries as well. Either way, I love the wide availability of Italian food here in Berlin. The pizza flavors are somewhat different than the flavors typically found in the United States- there are more traditional Italian flavors and toppings, such as margherita and prosciutto. However, there are also some strange toppings which are unique to Germany, like tuna. Another place I found has a pizza with cut-up hot dogs on top. I’ve yet to try either of those flavors. For now I think I’ll stick with the classics.
Along with fast-food pizza and Döner, Berlin also has some great restaurants. The neighborhood where we study, Mitte, is full of delicious lunch spots. 
One of my favorites is a Syrian restaurant called Yarok, which serves this yummy grilled goat cheese called halloumi, amazingly fresh tea, and beautiful pita and hummus. (I’ve attached a photo so you can see how beautiful it is.) In the same neighborhood, I’ve also gotten some delicious ramen (check out that egg!), fresh-baked French madeleines, and even decent Mexican food, a rare find in Europe. In Schöneberg, the neighborhood where I live, I’ve found housemade spätzle (a German pasta-dumpling hybrid) and comforting vegetarian wonton soup. To be honest, I could probably spend a year just eating my way through the city.
This isn’t to say that I spend all my time (and money) eating out, though. Sometimes I cook for myself, like a functioning adult. The fact that food is cheaper in Berlin makes this much easier. I generally shop at a biomarket (bio being the German word for organic) near my house, not out of a preference for organic food so much as the fact that this was the first grocery store I found and I’m a creature of habit. Something I’ve noticed is that bread, cheese, and chocolate (aka my three favorite things) are much tastier here than in the United States. I have a feeling I’m going to be sad to go back, but when I do you can bet that my suitcase is going to be full of Ritter Sport.