[mseo]

I live in Berlin, too. But I never heard someone joking about deliberately eating cheap and/or bad food. Who would do this anyway?

I guess you're talking about various prejudices of others. But that's a whole other topic.

[ido]

The joke isn't by Germans saying they eat cheap food but by other immigrants saying it about Berliners/Germans (i lived for a much longer in Austria and never heard this said about Austrians).

I think the locals wouldn't joke about themselves that way cause to them the way they are is just "normal".

And surely you've heard Berliners say that Berlin's local food tradition is the Döner (i.e. there is no "local food")? I guarantee you no Bavarian or Austrian would say that about their own food tradition.

(And BTW I have no ill will towards Berlin or Berliners, I think it's one of the best places in the world to live in)