"Brötchen" ("Brot" is German for bread, the -"chen" is a diminutive suffix) are a staple all over the German-speaking world, but the word used to order the crusty rolls at the bakery counter vary greatly. You'll find "Schrippe" in Berlin, "Wecken" in Swabia, "Rundstück" in the North and "Semmel" in southern Germany. Austrians call the little breads "Laibchen" and in Switzerland they're "Weggen."

What looks like a donut without a hole and is deep-fried sweet yeast dough is a "Berliner" in northern and western Germany and Switzerland. But beware: Don't ask for a Berliner in Berlin! In eastern Germany, the pastry is called "Pfannkuchen" (pancake). In southern Germany and Austria, it's a "Krapfen." No matter the name, it is often filled with jam and covered with icing or powdered sugar.

Food trucks in cities and towns across the country sell roast chicken on the spit: "Brathähnchen." In Bavaria and Austria, the roasted chickens are called "Hendl" or "Grillhendl." In eastern Germany, they are "Broiler" to this very day, decades after communist East Germany ceased to exist, where a roast chicken was a "Goldbroiler" — or, more flippantly, "Gummiadler" (rubber eagle).

In southern Germany and Austria a carrot (from the Latin carota) is simply "Karotte." In northern Germany, the orange veggie is called "Wurzel" (root) or "Möhre," and "Mohrrübe" in eastern Germany. In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, a carrot is a "Rübli" — which makes carrot cake "Rüblikuchen."

"Kartoffel" is the most common term for potatoes, but in some areas the German staple is likened to fruit: "Erdäpfel" (apples of the earth) in southern Germany and Austria, "Grundbirnen" (pears of the ground) in southwestern Germany. If you see "Kartoffelbrei," "Kartoffelpüree" or "Kartoffelmus" on the menu - expect mashed potatoes.

Eaten hot or cold and dipped in mustard, a "Frikadelle" is a fried hamburger made of ground beef or pork mixed with bread, onions, egg and seasonings. A bar snack or part of a hot lunch, it's a "Bulette" in northeastern Germany, "Fleischpflanzerl" (meat plant) in Bavaria and "Fleischküchle" (little meat cake) in southwestern Germany.

Lamb's lettuce in English, this hardy winter green is widely known as field lettuce throughout most of Germany: "Feldsalat." The tiny green leaves are called "Rapunzel" in eastern and northern Germany, "Nüsslisalat" (nut lettuce) in Switzerland and "Vogerlsalat" (bird lettuce) in Austria. A close look at the tiny leaves shows why some people also know it as "Mausohrsalat" (mouse ear lettuce).

Pflaumenkuchen is a classic German cake - traditionally a sheet cake - made with yeast dough and plums. In southern Germany the tangy treat is "Zwetschgenkuchen" or "Zwetschgen-Datschi." The term "Datschi" is said to refer to the act of pressing the halved fruit into the dough. Topped with whipped cream? That's "Sahne" or "Rahm" in most of Germany and Switzerland, but "Obers" in Austria.

No matter how you slice it, potatoes make up a large part of the average German diet. Whether in soups, mashed, fried, or served as French fries or chips, an average of roughly 60-65 kilograms of potatoes are eaten per person per year in Germany.

Native to the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes, the potato first arrived in Germany in 1630. According to legend, King Frederick II of Prussia believed in the economic and nutritious value of potatoes. He tricked local farmers into planting more of the so-called apple of the earth by posting soldiers around the potato fields to protect them. It worked — highly valued goods taste even better.

With over 5,000 varieties of potatoes now grown today, it's important to select the right fruit for your dish. Potatoes are sorted not by color, but by how they cook up. The firm and dense types are best for frying or making potato salad, while the fluffy, floury sorts are ideal for mashing and baking.

Pot lucks can prove problematic in Germany, since potato salad is a popular dish to bring. However, everyone's version is different. Some smother the sliced potatoes in hot oil and bacon; others prefer theirs chilled and coated in mayonnaise and accompanied by pickles. Either way, German potato salad is a must at any grill party.

Hearty German fare often includes potato dumplings, which come in different varieties. Some are made with cooked potatoes, while others mixed with flour for a starker consistency. Known as either Klösse or Knödel, the potato dumpling is a favorite side with pork roast.

Much of those 60-odd kilograms eaten by the average German each year must come from potato chips, considering it takes 10,000 kilograms of potatoes to make 2,500 kilograms of chips. Although chips are not native to Germany, some of the flavor choices are. Originally limited to only paprika or salt, flavors now include currywurst, ketchup and mayonnaise — and even the African sauce chakalaka.

Known as "Pommes" in Germany, French fries are often served with currywurst (pictured) or as a side dish with any other hearty meal. But street vendors also sell them all by themselves, often in paper cones and with a wooden fork - a trend in neighboring Holland and Belgium, too. They are offered with a wide variety of sauces, included standard ketchup, curry-flavored ketchup and mayonnaise.

A delicious, utterly basic dish that gets a lot of play in the German kitchen, the baked potato is cooked in its skin and often comes wrapped in aluminum foil. Served with a hefty helping of a herbed "Quark" (like yogurt) and a side salad, the "Pellkartoffel" will fill you up — even without a portion of meat.

"Reibekuchen" are shredded potatoes mixed with onions, deep fried and topped with applesauce, molasses or smoked salmon and yogurt sauce. They are a delicacy found at many Christmas markets in Germany. Popular with kids, the potato pancake can be quite filling despite its simplicity - but they're greasy, so grab a napkin when you buy them to-go.

Potatoes play a central role in German idioms, too. While the "dumbest farmer harvests the fattest potatoes" is a lament in German, it's similar to the English "fortune favors fools." And being dropped like a hot potato can happen no matter your native tongue. It seems Germans don't just like to eat potatoes - they also like to talk about them.