Made in Germany: Horst Köhler Prefers Homegrown Produce in Presidential Palace - Right Down to the Whisky
Horst Köhler, a former managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, took up the office of German president on July 1, 2004.
German President Horst Köhler has ordered that only German produce is served to guests at his Berlin home, the ornate neo-classical palace, Schloss Bellevue. The head of the Bellevue kitchens, Jan-Goraen on Wednesday (Sept. 26) confirmed a report in the magazine Cicero that the president was serving German sparkling wine - or Sekt - rather than French champagne for toasts. "The guests think it's French," he says. The best German Sekt has an excellent reputation abroad, although most of it is consumed at home.
The president's meat moreover all comes from German farms or hunters - Köhler prefers organically grown produce. And the bread is baked on the premises.
The president, a red wine drinker by preference, has managed to impress his guests with the quality of his cellar, even though German reds are little known abroad. Since tasting a 2003 cabernet from the Rhineland-Hesse region last year, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has put in an order to the estate that produced it, according to Cicero.
German substitutes have been found for almost everything - for example balsamic vinegar is replaced with a dark vinegar made of plums and onions in a monastery in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
No detail eludes Barth, who believes the palace should lead the way in promoting German cuisine. The French have led the way in this regard, he says. Even the salt is German.
It is no surprise that German schnapps can stand in for French brandies and Italian grappas, but Schloss Bellevue has even found whisky in Germany. The Slyrs distillery in Upper Bavaria produces a single malt in limited quantity that meets the president's high standards.
For more news, and the fine photos that go with this article, check out "The Week in Germany [info@germany.info]" -- the Schloss Bellevue truly is a beautiful sight.
Horst Köhler, a former managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, took up the office of German president on July 1, 2004.
German President Horst Köhler has ordered that only German produce is served to guests at his Berlin home, the ornate neo-classical palace, Schloss Bellevue. The head of the Bellevue kitchens, Jan-Goraen on Wednesday (Sept. 26) confirmed a report in the magazine Cicero that the president was serving German sparkling wine - or Sekt - rather than French champagne for toasts. "The guests think it's French," he says. The best German Sekt has an excellent reputation abroad, although most of it is consumed at home.
The president's meat moreover all comes from German farms or hunters - Köhler prefers organically grown produce. And the bread is baked on the premises.
The president, a red wine drinker by preference, has managed to impress his guests with the quality of his cellar, even though German reds are little known abroad. Since tasting a 2003 cabernet from the Rhineland-Hesse region last year, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has put in an order to the estate that produced it, according to Cicero.
German substitutes have been found for almost everything - for example balsamic vinegar is replaced with a dark vinegar made of plums and onions in a monastery in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
No detail eludes Barth, who believes the palace should lead the way in promoting German cuisine. The French have led the way in this regard, he says. Even the salt is German.
It is no surprise that German schnapps can stand in for French brandies and Italian grappas, but Schloss Bellevue has even found whisky in Germany. The Slyrs distillery in Upper Bavaria produces a single malt in limited quantity that meets the president's high standards.
For more news, and the fine photos that go with this article, check out "The Week in Germany [info@germany.info]" -- the Schloss Bellevue truly is a beautiful sight.
posted by Papa, aka Don at 6:08 AM
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