From Mexico to France and Vietnam, many countries around the world have made a name for their unique cuisines, becoming globally renowned for their exquisite Michelin star restaurants or pop-up street food stands.

Running into restaurants serving traditional German dishes, however, might prove to be quite a challenge — even if you're in Germany — as I have learned during six years living in the country.

So, is there really such thing as German cuisine? And how good is it?

Francophiles and Japanophiles alike are probably reading these lines in horror, sneering in contempt before leaving the article. But there really is more to German food than just potatoes and Bratwurst.

Chef Joachim Wissler, who runs one of Germany's 10 restaurants with three Michelin stars, has an explanation for why Germany isn't particularly renowned for its culinary excellence.

"The German high-level cuisine is completely underestimated in terms of quality and craftsmanship. It is even misunderstood at the international level," Wissler said in an interview for hotel and gastronomy newspaper ahgz.

"We shouldn't be noticed only when it comes to discipline and accuracy," he stressed, adding that the "DNA of German culinary art" is not internationally famous in part because "enjoyment is not considered a German virtue."

Indeed, Germany currently has the fourth-highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, following France, Japan and Italy — all known for their exceptional culinary cultures.

There must be something German chefs are doing right, with a total of 308 such restaurants spread across the country — from the northern city of Hamburg to the southern state of Bavaria.

If we want to give German gastronomy a real chance, we need to drop the idea the Germans have never heard of spices (OK, some of them really haven't), that all food in the country is in the same color, or that every ingredient can become a sausage as long as there's enough mustard available.

However, many famous German dishes are admittedly just ... pale. From potato salad (dividing the nation over the right way to season it) to Sauerkraut, there's no denial that the color palette of German dishes is not nearly as eclectic as that of the Indian Thali or the Hawaiian Poke.

Read more:

https://www.dw.com/en/german-cuisine-does-it-exist-and-can-you-enjoy-it/...

Picture above by Gus Leonisky. Famous potato restaurant in Berlin. All the items on the menu, including desserts, contain kartoffel... I don't know really if this line of blog has legs, but Germany is in a quandary mash in regard to hot potatoes such as Navalny and the Ruskies, themselves famous for making Vodka from potatoes... We shall see...