Food influencers are all the rage. Yet with her cookbooks, Countess Sybil Schönfeldt has influenced German cuisine since the 1960s. A conversation about food trends, food products and hunger during the war.
Countess Sybil Schönfeldt has written cookbooks over decades for the frazzled mom and crazy kid alikeImage: Erwin Elsner/picture alliance
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Cooking has been hip now for quite some time, with cooks, chefs and food influencers catapulting to international fame. They often promote new trends in cooking, eating and dining: vegan, Ayurvedic, regional food sourcing or "clean" cooking, just to name a few. Countless new cooking shows and recipes are shared on television, in books, and of course, on a variety of social media platforms.
As an author, Countess Sybil Schönfeldt has been writing about cooking since the 1960s. She has influenced German cuisine with her columns, recipes and cookbooks. Today, she would be called an influencer. In February 2022, the German author turned 95 — but that still hasn't slowed her down from working.
German millennial/gen-Z chefs and food influencers you should know
They're young, passionate and pros at handling knives: Germany's best gourmet chefs and food trendsetters can be found both in the kitchen and on social media. Either way, they're inspiring when it comes to food!
Image: funk/Annika Walter
Daniele Tortomasi
In 2017, the Freiburg-born Daniele made it into the final of the DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) region's "Chef of the Year" competition (above) — quite an achievement for the then 23-year-old! Now 28, he's on a creative break, says his Instagram account, @danieletortomasi. Having already earned one Michelin star in his first role es executive chef, we'd say the time off is well-deserved!
Image: Melanie Bauer
Rosa Roderigo
Rosa, age 25, dishes up comfort food recipes, seasonal tips and practical kitchen advice with a vegan spin on her TikTok and Instagram accounts, @rosakochtgruen (Rosa cooks green), now part of Funk Media. Born in 1996, the trained pastry chef once ate meat but hasn't looked back since going vegan. Her personal favorite comfort food? Vegan Königsberg Klopse, a type of meatball from eastern Germany.
Image: funk/Annika Walter
Julia Komp
At age 14, Julia did an internship in a hotel and quickly realized her calling was in the kitchen. In 2016, at age 27, she became the youngest-ever female German chef to earn a Michelin star, and Schlemmer restaurant guide named her Chef of the Year in 2020. In early 2022, she opened her own restaurant, Sahila, in Cologne. Julia also travels widely, posting shots on Instagram (@juliakompcuisine).
Image: Marius Becker/picture alliance/dpa
Jörg and Nadine
In their early 30s, Nadine and Jörg have been vegan since 2006, and they've been spicing up the internet with their blog "Eat This" since 2011. There, on their Instagram account (@eatthisorg) and in their cookbook, the couple shares vegan recipes inspired by food around the world, as well as how to make plant-based meat substitutes. But beware — the self-described Sriracha addicts like it hot!
Image: Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer
Tohru Nakamura
Tohru's Japanese father and German mother instilled in him a deep appreciation for food that led him to become a chef. And what a chef! Since his earliest professional days, the 38-year-old Munich-born-and-based chef has been showered with awards. His newest restaurant received two Michelin stars in March, just months after opening! He also has quite the fan base on Instagram (@tohrunakamura).
Image: Peter Kneffel/picture alliance/dpa
Maya Leinenbach
Just in her late teens, Maya is a shooting star among vegan food influencers: More than 1.7 million people follow her account @fitgreenmind. From a small town in Saarland, western Germany, she shows how simple vegan recipes can be made without tons of special ingredients. In 2021, she fulfilled a childhood dream by publishing her cookbook, "Ooh, that's vegan?," available in German and English.
Image: Joerg Schieferecke Studio
Sarah Henke
Sarah, who was born in Seoul and grew up in Lower Saxony, has worked in some of Europe's best kitchens. Her current restaurant, Yoso, has had a Michelin star since 2018. The name is Korean for the four elements, fire, water, earth and air, which she harnesses to create harmonious dishes with unique aromas. The 40-year-old shares her stunning creations on Instagram at @sarahhenke_aromenkueche.
Image: Jörg Carstensen/picture alliance/dpa
Torsten and Sascha Wett
In his late 30s, Sascha (right) is half of a duo alongside his husband, Torsten (left). Together, they run the Instagram account @diejungskochenundbacken, meaning "the lads cook and bake" — and cook and bake they sure do, putting modern twists on traditional recipes, many of which come from their families. Sascha holds the creative reins, taking the photos that make you want to dive right in!
In her 1984 autobiographical novel, "Sonderappell" (Special Appeal), she recounts the end of World War II, which she experienced as an 18-year-old. As a so-called "Arbeitsmaid" (work maid), the German with Austrian roots was called up for the Nazis' "Reich Labor Service" — a compulsory service for young German women and men during World War II. Among other things, she worked in a munitions factory with Ukrainian women who had been displaced by the Nazis as forced laborers.
Mahlzeit! All about German food and eating habits
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As early as the 1980s, Schönfeldt was cooking vegetarian food and publishing recipes for children or cookbooks for working women. Her latest book is titled "Kochbuch für die kleine alte Frau (Cookbook for the little old lady).
DW: First of all, congratulations belatedly, Ms. Schönfeldt, you turned 95 on February 13 this year. Did you celebrate?
Sybil Gräfin Schönfeldt: For this birthday, I said I didn't want to have a big party; I'd wait until I turned 100. Then I'll throw another party. I was at home and anyone who wanted to, could come during the course of the day. It was wonderful: all the people who came and what they brought. I sat lazily in the armchair and the younger generations arranged everything for the guests.
This interview was supposed to be about cooking and German cuisine. But at 95, you are also a contemporary witness; you were 18 years old at the end of the Second World War. That's why I would like to know, after Russia's attack on Ukraine in February, how you feel about the fact that there is war in Europe again? When you hear about the attacks and the fighting, and the hardship?
At that time, we were glad that we had survived the war — whether it was the soldiers or us work maids, who also wore uniforms and sometimes got caught in the lines of battle. When you've been through that, you can't imagine that people have to experience something like that again. It's horrible. It's so horrible that it tears your heart apart.
In an interview with the German weekly "Die Zeit" in November 2021, you were asked whether you particularly liked certain food fashions. Your answer was: "No, I've always been indifferent to that. After the war, while on the run, even frozen potato peels with first traces of mold was seen as absolute wonderful food — that leads to another perspective on such topics." Nevertheless, you attach a lot of importance to good food and good ingredients. Your cookbooks also reflect that. Why is that not a contradiction for you?
Quite the opposite. The war and the post-war period created a hunger in Germany and throughout Europe that had never occurred at all in normal times.
There was always something to eat in Germany during the war. The German Reich of that time radically cleared the food from the conquered countries and brought it to Germany so that the Germans had something to eat.
But another aspect is that food is the gift of God in the Biblical sense. Wine and bread, these are the two images that denote food. And whether it's potato skins or whether it's a wedding feast, a birthday or Christmas dinner, it's still the same food. Which should be treated with love, with care and with knowledge.
Feast or everyday meal — ingredients should be prepared carefully, says Schönfeldt, and can be enjoyed by many!Image: lev dolgachov/Zoonar/picture alliance
When you say that the war and post-war period gave rise to hunger, do you mean the so-called "Hunger Winter" in 1946-47 in Germany and Europe?
After those rather nasty one or two years, people ate as much as they possibly could. Because there was a need to catch up — in one's mind, but also the body demanded it.
Traditional German cuisine is considered meaty, heavy and not necessarily fresh and healthy. Is that still true today?
No, not really. In recent decades, internationality has become commonplace. One can no longer speak of a typical German cuisine at all. It has mixed and that is actually very nice.
For example, Mediterranean vegetables and seafood brighten up the German offering noticeably. Rice and pasta have also become commonplace. When I was a child, rice was still something quite extraordinary.
'Meat' the Germans
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What you're describing is called fusion food these days — combining different international cooking and cuisine influences, an international trend that has basically been around for a long time. Are the developments in German cuisine all good, then?
Hmm. Pizza is eaten everywhere where pizza is offered. Some of these things are, of course, horrendous habits. We drink from paper cups and eat from paper bags. You get the impression that some people don't even have any dishes at home anymore. It's a kind of "non-culture."
Has something disappeared from German cuisine that you miss?
No. I'm just glad I don't have to eat turnips anymore. In the post-war years, when gas and electricity lines in the cities were still broken, community kitchens were set up. There you would get a bucket of rutabaga soup one day, rutabaga vegetables the next, and rutabaga puree the day after that. I try not to eat turnips anymore.
11 light German foods for the summer
Germany's cuisine is renowned for being heavy and meat-based - but that's not always the case. What do Germans typically eat in the summer? Here are some favorites.
Image: imago
Summer is 'Grill' season
Just like in many other countries, Germans love to barbecue, and anything can go on the grill. Sausages, of course, as well any kind of meat, along with vegetables and Turkish halloumi cheese, are among the most popular options. Many Germans stick to old-fashioned coal barbecues. In cities, grilling in public parks is common.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Maurer
Add a little 'Krautsalat'
The word Kraut became a derogatory term to refer to Germans during the World Wars. Although "Kraut" itself means "herb," it is often used to refer to cabbage too - such as the popular German dish "Sauerkraut," which is finely cut, fermented cabbage, and "Krautsalat," coleslaw. Germans will dress it with vinegar instead of mayonnaise, and some people add apples and onions to the salad.
Image: Colourbox
One potato option among many: 'Kartoffelsalat'
If the German word for potato, "Kartoffel," had been simpler, it could've well become the term soldiers used to describe Germans, too. There are probably as many potato salad recipes as families in Germany - and many people will strictly follow their mother's for the rest of their life. Instead of mayonnaise, some traditional recipes combine broth, vinegar and oil for dressing.
Image: Colourbox/Bad Man Production
Another potato dish: 'Pellkartoffel mit Quark'
In the summer heat, no one feels like cooking an elaborate meal. That's why Germans came up with this favorite, based once again on the potato. To save work, "Pellkartoffeln" are potatoes boiled in the skins, removed by each diner before eating. They're served with "Quark" - a creamy dairy product similar to yogurt - that's combined with fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Simple, but addictive.
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Salads are not just for rabbits: 'Fleischsalat'
Vegetarians, you can close your eyes now: Germans have managed to make meat the main ingredient of a SALAD - though many people use "meat salad" as a spread for bread, to be honest. Lyoner sausage, or baloney, is cut into strips and combined with mayonnaise or sour cream, pickles, onions and other spices. You have to trust your butcher to enjoy this.
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Another challenge: 'Apfel-Matjes-Salat'
"Matjes" are pickled herrings, and although they're perhaps not to everyone's liking, they're cult along the northern German coast. In this traditional recipe, also called "Matjes nach Hausfrauenart," which means "housewife's style," the pickled fish is combined with diced onions, apples, dill and creamy dairy products. This refreshing summer dish is served with - no surprise - potatoes.
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Creamy herbs: 'Frankfurter Grüner Sosse'
You might start recognizing a trend: Different German summer specialties involve a sauce that's served with potatoes - and, in this case, eggs. This traditional green sauce from the Frankfurt region celebrates the fresh herbs that are available during the summer. The sauce has its own festival and official season, opening on Maundy Thursday before Easter, called in German "Gründonnerstag."
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The summer stew: 'Birne, Bohnen und Speck'
Pears, green beans and bacon: The name of this northern German dish is both a basic shopping list for what's needed in the recipe and a culinary poem for the taste buds. These three ingredients are cooked into a comforting stew that's salty and sweet, healthy yet with a nice touch of fat. The pears are of a variety that remains firm when cooked - available from July to September.
Image: Colourbox
Competing stars of the summer: 'Beeren'
Some Germans could probably skip the main course and simply stick to dessert all summer, as it is the season of regional fresh berries ("Beeren") and fruit ("Früchte" or "Obst"). Favorites include strawberries ("Erdbeeren"), red currant berries ("Johannisbeeren"), cherries ("Kirschen"), blueberries ("Heidelbeeren") and apricots ("Aprikosen").
Image: Imago/Eibner
'Zwetschgen': Not all plums are equal
Another fruit that's typically used in Germany to make amazing cakes is the plum. But not just any kind of plum - one with a strange, untranslatable name: the "Zwetschge." It is similar to the damson plum, but still a distinct variety. This can be confusing for foreigners. Zwetschgen are small and oval, while "Pflaumen" (the general term for plums) are the round ones.
Image: Imago/Chromorange
The summertime staple: 'Rote Grütze'
If you start craving "rote Grütze," then you've really adopted German food culture. Its literal translation is "red grits," but this classic can best be defined as a thick red berry fruit compote. Summer berries are combined with sugar and cornstarch. The fruit pudding is served with vanilla sauce, cream or ice cream. It's simple, but somehow summer in Germany wouldn't be the same without it.
Image: picture-alliance/J. Haas
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There are big stars in the international cooking world today who have their own cooking shows, their own book series and schools — depending on their particular penchant. Do you look into the new cooking trends?
Yes, and sometimes I get mixed up with people who cook vegan. I myself cooked vegetarian food for my youngest son. And you can make delicious dishes out of all these fashion foods. I continue to collect quotes about food in German, American or other literature for the annual "Literary Kitchen Calendar." In the process, I've noticed that food did not really appear in literature until the last century. Before that, it is only described as a splendid meal, a wedding feast or something along those lines.
The mention of an everyday meal is a modern feature. Then, one sees how food has become fixed in the minds of the authors over time. It's also interesting to see what authors either think the topic is chic for their story or that they use it to characterize a person because they always cook this or that.
One year, there's suddenly apple pie everywhere in literature. Or another year, Wiener schnitzel makes its grand entrance: All kinds of stories in which people eat or fry Wiener schnitzel.
Yummy German cakes with unusual names
Germany is known for its impressive cakes. Not only are the sugary creations delicious, but some of them also have remarkably odd names. Here, you can eat a bee sting - and enjoy it, too.
Image: picture alliance
Bienenstich
Don't let the name - "bee sting" - scare you off. This fluffy, creamy dream topped with sliced carmelized almonds will tempt anyone with a sweet tooth and isn't as dangerous as it sounds. According to legend, two young bakers in the 15th century threw bee hives at intruders, rescuing their city. To celebrate the victory, they baked this cake, as the story goes.
Image: picture alliance
Kalter Hund
A beloved treat at (younger) kids' birthday parties is the "cold dog," which is sometimes also known as "cold snout (Kalte Schnauze). The cake is not baked, but refrigerated and made of layers of square butter cookies and a mix of cocoa, sugar and refined coconut oil.
Image: Fotolia/tinadefortunata
Donauwelle
Riding the "Danube wave" is an experience that's not to be missed! A layer of vanilla and chocolate marble sheet cake is covered first in sour cherries out of the jar, then topped with buttercream and coated in chocolate. When baking, the cherries sink to the bottom, creating the wave-like appearance that gives it its name.
Image: cc-by/Hannes Grobe
Gugelhupf
What looks like a marble Bundt cake, the "Gugelhupf" comes in a variety of incantations. In Viennese coffee houses, it may be made with rose water and almonds; in Central Europe, it can serve as a wedding cake decorated with seasonal fruits and flowers. Its name is said to derive from Middle High German and would translate as "jumping bonnet" - an ability the Brothers Grimm attributed to yeast.
Image: Imago/SKATA
Zwetschgendatschi
A standard yellow cake topped with sliced plums takes on a silly name in southern Bavaria, where the "Zwetschgendatschi" has its origins. While "Zwetschen" is a commonly used word for plums, "datschi" is likely derived from a very old German word referring to the act of pressing the plums into the cake. The result is certainly a tongue twister - and tongue pleaser.
Image: Imago/Chromorange
Herrentorte
This not only may look like the big brother of the "Bienenstich," its name also has a royal ring to it. The "Herrentorte" literally translates as "gentlemen's cake." It's made of numerous Viennese cake layers "glued" together with wine cream and covered with dark chocolate - and is enjoyed by all genders.
Image: Imago
Prinzregententorte
Known as a "prince regent cake," this one seems to be the royal version of the "Herrentorte" and is very time consuming to make. Common in Bavaria, it consists of seven thin layers of cake held together by a chocolate butter cream and topped with a smooth chocolate glaze. Eating it could just make you feel a tiny bit royal.
Image: CC 2.0 by Sven
Königskuchen
Royalty seems to be a common theme among German cake names, including this "Königskuchen" or "king's cake." Apparently, anything as luxurious as cake must be fit for a king. It's baked in a Bundt pan and filled with raisins (which are sometimes soaked in rum), almonds and lemon flavoring. Though this one is topped with fruit, the more traditional version is dusted with powdered sugar.
Image: DW
Frankfurter Kranz
A "Frankfurter Kranz" (literally, "Frankfurt wreath") is a layered sponge cake shaped like a wreath and assembled with layers of buttercream. Caramel-covered brittle nuts and toasted almonds provide the cake's signature taste. Rumor has it that during World War II, a shortage of butter had bakers coating the cake in kogel mogel, a sweetened paste made of egg yolks.
Image: AP
Lebkuchen
In Germany, not everything called a cake, is a cake. Often found in grocery stores at Christmas time, "Lebkuchen" translate roughly as "bread cake," but are actually a cookie. Similar to gingerbread, they are usually made with spices like cloves, ginger and cardamom. They are sold at Christmas markets and - in heart-shaped form - at Oktoberfest and other fairs.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Warnecke
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Many popular chefs are also very active on social media, as so-called influencers. You yourself were already cooking vegetarian food in the 1980s. You also wrote recipes for children or cookbooks for working women back then. Would you also describe yourself as an influencer?
Well, you can call anyone an influencer who has something to show and influences others with it. Every cookbook author influences the cuisine of those who accept their invitation to join them, so to speak.
The recipes and books you published were often oriented to certain phases of life and the associated demands of life, particularly for women, for children, for families. One of your recent publications was titled "Cookbook for the Little Old Lady." Did you have a phase of life for which you most enjoyed cooking?
Yes, of course — when my kids were young and my friends were still alive, and I cooked huge meals. Hosting family and friends was the nicest thing. It was always a lot of fun for the kids, too.
Once upon a time, we set up a dining room table in the hall, for eight or 12 people. I had set the table with white plates. And my youngest son, who got a whiff of it all as he passed by on his scooter looked at the table and silently rode back to his room. He came back with red, blue, yellow and green wooden building blocks. With them, he built a little sculpture on each plate so that it looked nice.
Apparently, he thought everything looked a little too simple beforehand.
Yes, and I didn't change things either — because I thought it was so nice for a child to understand what a table set for friends and guests means. It is the center: when the guests come and are happy about it or are completely amazed.
