Where Expats Buy Their Christmas Ingredients in Berlin (2025)

Berlin’s holiday season smells like a world map: chili, anise, citrus, sesame, cinnamon. For expats, December isn’t just about Christmas markets — it’s about chasing the taste of home. Somewhere between the currywurst stands and Glühwein huts, Berlin hides a network of global grocers that turn homesickness into feasts.

Latin America in Berlin — The Warmest Aisles in Winter

Walk into Chili & Paprika in Prenzlauer Berg and you’ll feel it right away — the tropical heat of nostalgia. Pyramids of dried chiles, jars of mole, and stacks of hojas para tamales sit beside Peruvian ají amarillo and Colombian panela. The owners know their regulars by name; conversations drift between Spanish, Portuguese, and German. You come for tortillas and leave with stories about family Christmas dinners back home.

And when the weather or workload keeps you indoors, HolaMexico.de ships masa flour, tamale husks, and real corn tortillas straight to your door — the secret weapon of many Berlin kitchens on Nochebuena.

Pro tip: Don’t try to shop at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. As we warned in What Not To Do in Berlin, the city practically powers down at noon.

Latin American Markets Shortlist

• Chili & Paprika — Danziger Str. 118, 10405 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg) | Tue–Sat 11–19 h | chilypaprika.de
• Hola Mexico Online | Shipping across Germany | holamexico.de

Iberian Christmas — The Season of Turrón and Wine

Sol y Sombra in Kreuzberg is where Iberian wines, anchovies, and jamón ibérico flow freely. Around the holidays, you’ll find polvorones, chorizo picante, and an entire display of Spanish sweets that make you forget you’re five metro stops from Kottbusser Tor.

Portuguese Berliners, meanwhile, whisper about A Pérola, a tiny Nollendorfplatz deli fragrant with salted cod and pastéis de nata. December shipments bring bolo rei — Portugal’s jewel-topped Christmas cake — and enough saudade to fill the U7.

Spanish & Portuguese Markets Shortlist

• Origens — Gabriel-Max-Str. 19, 10245 Berlin (Friedrichshain) | Tue–Sat 11–19 h | origens-berlin.de
• Sol y Sombra — Bergmannstr. 39, 10961 Berlin (Kreuzberg) | Mon–Sat 11–20 h | solysombra-berlin.de
• A Pérola — Motzstr. 60, 10777 Berlin (Nollendorfplatz) | Mon–Sat 10–18 h | +49 30 2180 456

Asia’s 24/7 Pantry — When the World Cooks Together

If Berlin had a beating culinary heart, it might be Dong Xuan Center. The halls in Lichtenberg hum with the rhythm of thousands of cooks sourcing everything from Thai basil to Indian lentils. It’s part bazaar, part time-travel portal — one hall smells like coriander and incense, the next like grilled pork skewers. Around Christmas, Vietnamese families stock up on herbs and Chinese expats grab gifts and dumpling wrappers for Lunar New Year.

Across town, Go Asia keeps the lights on when everyone else takes a holiday. Its Potsdamer Platz branch is open 365 days a year, including Christmas Eve and Day — Berlin’s culinary safety net. You’ll find miso, mirin, tofu, curry pastes, and all the essentials that turn “I forgot soy sauce” into “I’m saved.”

Japanese expats, December flows straight into Oshōgatsu, the New Year. Specialty stores like Smart Deli (Charlottenburg) and JFC Berlin (Tempelhof) accept pre-orders for Osechi Ryōri — symbolic tiered meals — and fresh mochi. It’s the most precise holiday shopping in the city: all timing, no mess.For

Indian and Nepali communities blend Christmas with Diwali leftovers. Online shops such as Dookan and Anant Supermarkt deliver ghee, pooja kits, sweets, and snacks city-wide, while Zora Super Market in Wedding keeps curry leaves, lentils, and samosas ready for the spontaneous cook.

Asian Markets Shortlist

• Dong Xuan Center — Herzbergstr. 128–139, 10365 Berlin (Lichtenberg) | Wed–Mon 10–19 h | dongxuan-center.de
• Go Asia (Potsdamer Platz) — Voßstr. 33, 10117 Berlin | Open Daily 10–21 h (incl. holidays) | goasia.net
• Smart Deli — Uhlandstr. 194, 10623 Berlin (Charlottenburg) | Tue–Sun 11–20 h | smart-deli.de
• Zora Super Market — Tegeler Str. 9, 13353 Berlin (Wedding) | Mon–Sat 10–20 h | +49 30 4508 2933

Australia & Oceania — Importing Memory

There’s no Aussie deli in Berlin, but homesick travelers have the internet. The Australian Food Shop ships Tim Tams, mince pies, and rich Christmas puddings aged in cognac across continents. Orders made by early November usually land just in time for a December unboxing that smells like home and jet lag combined.

The shipping cost stings, but everyone admits the same thing: one spoonful of pudding is cheaper than a flight to Melbourne.

Australian Supply

• The Australian Food Shop | Online retailer (AU → DE shipping Zone 6) | australianfoodshop.com

How Expats Strategically Shop in Berlin

The Purists make pilgrimages to specialty stores — tasting sauces, touching masa, smelling coffee beans.

The Pragmatists rely on delivery apps and late-night markets.

The Nostalgics pay extra for DHL Priority from the other side of the planet because home comes vacuum-sealed and labeled “fragile.”

Whichever path you take, this is the unspoken Berlin expat ritual: crossing districts for a single ingredient, carrying it through the cold, and realizing the journey itself feels like home.

And if you need inspiration for how the city celebrates across faiths and calendars, read Christmas in Berlin 2025 — proof that Berlin’s December is one giant, multicultural dinner table.

Quick Look: All Christmas Ingredient Markets in Berlin

Eating With Pride

In Berlin, holiday cooking isn’t just survival — it’s a quiet declaration of identity.
Every December, across Prenzlauer Berg kitchens, Neukölln flats, and Kreuzberg courtyards, the city smells like tamales, turrón, and triumph.

So wherever your recipe comes from — Lima or Lisbon, Osaka or Melbourne — Berlin has a shelf, a stall, or a stranger ready to hand you what you need. These markets aren’t just about ingredients; they’re about continuity, community, and the small rituals that make the city’s winters bearable and brilliant.

Room For Dessert 

Continue your culinary explorations, keep cooking, and uncover the city's flavors. For further expat narratives, cultural insights, and tips for enjoying the city, keep reading Expats Magazine, your resource for thriving in Berlin.

Happy Holidays!

‍