1. There are regions in Germany where potatoes are less popular than noodles (Spaetzle!), of course them being more in the southern part, it may be roman influence and actually be pasta <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
The real reason though is that in northern Germany more potatoes are grown, and the south cultivates more wheat.
2. There are over 100 different kinds of "Schnitzel" - there even are restaurants called "Schnitzelhaus" competing on who has the most variations.
"Wiener Schnitzel" is veal - same recepy, but with porc it's called "Wiener Art" (Art meaning "kind" - not relating to "artistic" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />)
"Jägerschnitzel" (Jäger = hunter), is porc with mushrooms, and probably more typical German.
"Zigeunerschnitzel" (Zigeuner = gitanos) is with paprica, imported recepy obviously, but popular.
3. "Kraut" is cabbage, as shown by Stone, preserved in vinegar (Sauerkraut = sour cabbage). Can be eaten raw ( <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />) or cooked.
Cooked unpreserved cabbage is "Kohl" - there also is a "red" and a "green" kind. Some like it - this German doesn't; doesn't eat it, and has not voted for him <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> (the latter Kohl was certainly neither red nor green <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />)
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It is interesting, in the topic of cultural differences, that within Germany, the separation between celtic/roman influenced south and germanic influenced north still shows - but that for the outside world "the German" eats Kraut, drinks beer, and wears leather shorts; all of which are more southern German traditions - bad marketing that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />
All of this is very superficial, of course. Germany, lying in the middle of Europe, has been "walked over" a lot. First from south to north, then from east to west, finally from west to east - and each passer-by left some genes...
