Before the Wall came down, Eastern Germany was as notorious as other eastern bloc countries for shortages.
Alongside the dishes listed in restaurant menus you'd find the term 'satiation side' (Sättigungsbeilage) listed. You didn't know what that would be - it depended on what was available on any given day: could be potatoes, noodles, rice, some kind of bloating carb or other, dumplings etc. It meant they didn't have to reprint the menu every day, but you would get some kind of substantial carb surprise to go with your meal such as it was.