Schleswig-Holstein has a lot to offer food lovers

By Eva-Maria Mester Nov 3, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Luebeck, Germany - The northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein has long had a reputation for stodgy and unimaginative cuisine but the region is now slowly carving out a name for itself as a holiday location for gourmet food lovers.

Back in 1987, a dozen restaurants from the region pooled together their culinary talents to provide their services for a music festival. The project was so successful that the group subsequently set up the Schleswig-Holstein Gourmet Festival, which now attracts top chefs from all over Germany.

The festival celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2012, when 18 highly acclaimed guest chefs, including German Harald Wohlfahrt and Swedish trendsetter Magnus Ek, will participate in a total of 32 gala evenings running until March 18 and showing off different cooking styles.

'We want to give our guests and employees constantly new momentum so we ensure that we have a good mix of established and up-and-coming cooks,' says Klaus-Peter Willhoeft, president of the culinary group.

Schleswig-Holstein's reputation for culinary excellence has been on an almost constant upward trajectory over the last quarter of a century during which time the number of restaurants with one or more Michelin stars has almost doubled.

Growth hasn't only been restricted to the top-end of the market with an increase also in the number of restaurants serving more traditional fare such as grilled venison or lamb with pears, beans and bacon.

The cooperative running the festival is made up of restauranteurs, farmers, bakers, cheesemakers and others involved in the food production process. The group's objective is to concentrate on regional dishes made from fresh ingredients that are locally sourced.

The members are also endeavouring to ensure that many of the traditional food production methods and skills are maintained and encouraged so that they have a chance to survive going into the future.

Cabbage is an essential ingredient for virtually any dish originating from Dithmarschen in north-western Schleswig-Holstein where around 80 million heads of cabbage are harvested each year.

The cabbage museum in a former sauerkraut factory shows how the vegetable is grown before being harvested by hand. The Pomarium Anglicum fruit museum, meanwhile, is home to a wide selection of fruits, including around 120 pear and 700 apple varieties.

Over 100 different sorts of cheeses are also produced by small farm-based cheese dairies in Schleswig-Holstein. Those with a sweet tooth should also consider a trip to the region which has a reputation for cakes and tarts.