Canada is usually identified for being a rustic with good folks and good manners. It’s additionally thought of a political ally of Germany.
However Canucks are mounting a large offensive in “the nation of poets and thinkers” — all in probably the most well mannered, Canadian approach, in fact: by means of meals.
Canada is investing in creating its culinary diplomacy in Germany. The Style of Canada marketing campaign, which began throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, goals to hook Germans on the nation by means of their stomachs.
“Our new Style of Canada marketing campaign is targeted on on-line commerce primarily,” mentioned Nora Düpmann, a senior commerce commissioner for Agrifood and Agriculture Canada based mostly out of the Canadian Consulate in Dusseldorf, Germany.
“All the commerce festivals had been cancelled. So we had a bit of cash accessible and mentioned, ‘What can we do?”
Enter meals diplomacy, a approach of bringing folks collectively by means of the culinary facet of a tradition.
“It’s a option to give the nation a picture and to actually advocate a tradition, a folks and its culinary illustration in different nations,” mentioned Lena Olesch, additionally a commerce commissioner.
There’s a number of diplomacy to deploy in Germany in that facet.
In keeping with a German meals client examine commissioned by AgriFood Canada and printed in 2012, Canadian meals is nearly unknown, however Germans have a real openness and enthusiasm to be taught extra.
“It’s a blind spot on the map however a optimistic picture is usually related to Canada,” mentioned Nora Düpmann, additionally a commerce commissioner. “We at all times make sure that at occasions that now we have on the embassy or missions and even at commerce exhibits, that we serve Canadian meals to the extent that’s potential.”
However that isn’t the one factor Canada is doing.
The commerce fee is branching out by enlisting insider assist and handing them Canadian culinary “weapons.”
Culinary weapon #1: poutine
Poutine is the province of Quebec’s most iconic and most peculiar dish.
For Berliner Holger Böckner, poutine tastes so good, it dramatically modified his life.
Böckner first encountered poutine in 2007 when he was working within the film trade and visited Montreal.
“I obtained launched to poutine and fell in love with the meals,” Böckner mentioned.
Years later, he says he yearned for the messy snack a lot, he made a radical transfer.
“I left the film trade world in Germany and I began my mission to carry actual poutine to the German folks,” Böckner mentioned.
Holger Böckner at an occasion in Berlin selling Canadian delicacies.
Meals Embassy
That’s how the Meals Embassy was born, an company for culinary diplomacy and communications.
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Böckner’s longing is comprehensible whenever you examine “the true deal” to the choices accessible in Berlin.
The restaurant chain Frittenwerk serves the Canadian delicacy.
On its menu, the “Montreal traditional” consists of “creamy mushroom sauce, tenderly melting mozzarella cheese and sliced radishes.”
Any Quebecer or poutine connoisseur would flinch on the sight of radishes on their “traditional poutine.” Mozzarella? It doesn’t squeak. “Sacrilège!”
It’s one thing workers working on the Canadian Commerce Commissioner Service in Germany know very properly.
Böckner’s Meals Embassy has been employed by the Canadian authorities to assist with the Style of Canada marketing campaign in German-speaking nations: Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Collectively, they’ve led a number of tasks, together with the creation of Berlin’s Canada Day celebrations, in affiliation with the German Canadian Affiliation, the place, in fact, the “actual” poutine was served.
Böckner additionally opened The Poutine Kitchen, what he payments as Germany’s first actual poutine restaurant, “providing real cheese curds from Quebec for the primary time in Germany.”
An ecosystem
To acquire actual curds, Böckner returned to Canada on a mission to discover a dairy producer who may provide the well-known fromage.
Paul-André Veilleux, deputy normal supervisor at Coaticook Dairy, jumped on board.
“We’re blissful to be part of this, to advertise the true Canadian poutine with the true cheese curds,” Veilleux mentioned. “In fact, that opens doorways.”
Veilleux says the most important problem is attempting to protect the cheese’s freshness, which results in its well-known texture.
“We attempt to preserve the squeakiness, the ‘squish squish,’ the most effective that we will, so we have to freeze the product,” Veilleux defined.
Whereas The Poutine Kitchen was compelled to shut because of the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, it advanced into an internet store the place Germans can purchase poutine gravy and the well-known squeaky cheese.
The Poutine Kitchen Restaurant in Berlin.
Meals Embassy
Plans to reopen the restaurant below new possession in November are underway, Böckner says.
Canada Beef additionally participates in Style of Canada; one other current initiative of the marketing campaign was the publication of a Canada-themed cookbook that explores Canadian delicacies.
Böckner tapped Berlin-based Canadian chef Geneviève Pilon to create recipes for Germans with Canadian elements. A type of recipes was with Canadian beef and maple syrup and was printed in a booklet.
“You actually have to decide on elements that they’re aware of. Germans have this nice saying that’s ‘What the farmer doesn’t know, he doesn’t eat,’” mentioned Pilon, the culinary director for the Meals Embassy.
“The thought is to take a recipe which they know, recipes which are traditional right here after which carry a contact of Canadian elements into it.”
Pilon says she would substitute honey with maple syrup, for instance.
“Little touches right here and there,” she mentioned.
Pilon explains that Germans’ angle in direction of Canadian meals has advanced up to now 10 years.
A decade in the past, Pilon would pack her suitcase with cans of maple syrup to carry to her German pals.
Their response puzzled her.
“Originally folks would inform me, ‘Oh no, I don’t like maple syrup, it’s too candy for me,’” she mentioned. “I used to be at all times shocked since you see them consuming honey, you see them consuming chocolate … it’s the affiliation that maple syrup was unhealthy.”
Pilon says issues began altering when the vegan scene grew.
Germans began linking vegan with wholesome and since honey isn’t vegan, they turned to maple syrup.
“You began seeing it within the natural markets increasingly more,” she says.
It can be discovered within the cabinets of grocery retailer chains, corresponding to Edeka or Lidl.
Germany is among the greatest customers of maple syrup on the planet.
In keeping with Statistics Canada, Germany is Canada’s second largest marketplace for maple syrup after america.
In 2023, Germany imported 4,755,689 kilograms of maple syrup and merchandise, an equal of $47.7 million. It represents a 7.8 per cent share of the entire exports of maple syrup.
Germany, which in 2023 had the biggest economic system within the European Union and the third largest on the planet, is a key financial associate for Canada.
Increasing horizons
Whereas the golden liquid is Canada’s flagship product in Germany, the commerce fee is increasing culinary horizons and selling different merchandise.
In keeping with Olesch, it’s not a simple job.
“Germany can be a really price-sensitive market,” Olesch mentioned. “Canadian merchandise aren’t normally the most cost effective ones. So we’re working in a premium high-price vary.”
Quebec’s Cirka Gin and Sortilege Maple Whisky, together with Niagara wines from Pillitteri Estates Vineyard and oddly sufficient, Moosehead beer are another merchandise that match the invoice.
A small style to open up German’s urge for food for Canada.
