Canada is generally known to be a country with good people and good manners. It is also considered the political counterpart of Germany.
But the Canucks are mounting a massive assault on the “land of poets and intellectuals” — all in a decent, Canadian way, of course: with food.
Canada is investing in developing its culinary diplomacy in Germany. The Taste of Canada campaign, which began during the COVID-19 crisis, aims to unite Germans in the country through their stomachs.
“Our new Taste of Canada campaign is very much focused on e-commerce,” said Nora Düpmann, senior trade commissioner for Agrifood and Agriculture Canada based at the Canadian Consulate in Dusseldorf, Germany.
“All trade shows were cancelled. So we had a little money and we said, ‘What can we do?
Enter food diplomacy, a way to bring people together through the culinary aspect of culture.
“It’s a way to give the country an image and to promote the culture, the people and their culinary representation in other countries,” said Lena Olesch, who is also a trade commissioner.
There is a lot of diplomacy to be used in Germany in that respect.
According to a survey of German food consumers commissioned by AgriFood Canada and published in 2012, Canadian food is almost unknown, but Germans have a real openness and enthusiasm to learn more.
“It’s not an invisible place on the map but a good image is often associated with Canada,” said Nora Düpmann, trade commissioner. “We always make sure that at events that we have at embassies or missions or at trade shows, we serve Canadian food as best we can.”
But that’s not the only thing Canada does.
The trade commission meets by asking for internal help and giving them Canadian “weapons”.
Culinary weapon #1: poutine
Poutine is the province of Quebec’s most iconic and strange dish.
For Berliner Holger Böckner, poutine tastes so good, it changed his life dramatically.
Böckner first encountered poutine in 2007 while working in the film industry and visiting Montreal.
“I was introduced to poutine and fell in love with food,” Böckner said.
Years later, he says he craved junk food so much, he made a big move.
“I left the world of the German movie industry and started my career to bring real poutine to the German people,” says Böckner.
Holger Böckner at an event in Berlin to promote Canadian delicacies.
Food Ambassador
Thus was born the Food Ambassador, a culinary diplomacy and communications agency.
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Böckner’s eagerness is understandable when you compare the “real deal” to the options available in Berlin.
Frittenwerk Restaurant serves Canadian delights.
On its menu, the “Montreal classic” includes “creamy mushroom sauce, tenderly melted mozzarella cheese and sliced radishes.”
Any Quebecer or poutine connoisseur would cringe at the sight of radishes in their “classic poutine.” Mozzarella? It doesn’t cry. “Sacrilege!”
It is something that the employees of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service in Germany know very well.
Böckner’s Food Ambassador has been hired by the Canadian government to help with the Taste of Canada campaign in German-speaking countries: Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Together, they led several projects, including the creation of Berlin’s Canada Day celebrations, in collaboration with the German Canadian Association, where, of course, “real” poutine was served.
Böckner also opened the Poutine Kitchen, which he bills as Germany’s first authentic poutine restaurant, “serving real cheese from Quebec for the first time in Germany.”
The ecosystem
To find real curds, Böckner returned to Canada on a mission to find a dairy producer who could provide the famous frage.
Paul-André Veilleux, deputy general manager at Coaticook Dairy, jumped on board.
“We’re excited to be a part of this, promoting real Canadian poutine with real cheese curds,” said Veilleux. “Yeah, that opens doors.”
Veilleux says the biggest challenge is trying to preserve the cheese’s freshness, which leads to its famous texture.
“We try to keep the squish, the ‘squish squish,’ the best we can, so we need to freeze the product,” Veilleux explained.
When the Poutine Kitchen was forced to close due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, it turned into an online store where Germans can buy poutine gravy and the famous cheese.
Poutine Kitchen Restaurant in Berlin.
Food Ambassador
Plans to reopen the restaurant under new ownership in November are underway, Böckner said.
Canada Beef also participates in Taste of Canada; another recent campaign initiative was the publication of a Canadian-themed cookbook exploring Canadian cuisine.
Böckner tapped Berlin-based chef Geneviève Pilon to create German recipes with Canadian ingredients. One of those recipes had Canadian beef syrup and maple syrup and was published in a cookbook.
“You have to choose ingredients that they are familiar with. The Germans have this great saying, ‘What the farmer can, he doesn’t eat,’” said Pilon, the culinary director of the Food Ambassador.
“The idea is to take the recipe they know, the classic recipes here and bring a touch of Canadian ingredients.”
Pilon says he’ll replace the honey with maple syrup, for example.
“Touched here and there,” he said.
Pilon explains that German attitudes toward Canadian food have evolved over the past 10 years.
Ten years ago, Pilon was packing his suitcase with cans of maple syrup to take to his friends in Germany.
Their reaction confused him.
“At first people were telling me, ‘Oh no, I don’t like maple syrup, it’s too sweet for me,'” she said. “I was always surprised because you see them eating honey, you see them eating chocolate … it’s an association that maple syrup was unhealthy.”
Pilon says things started to change when the vegan scene grew.
Germans started to associate vegan with health and because honey is not vegan, they turned to maple syrup.
“You started seeing it in organic markets,” he says.
It can also be found on the shelves of grocery store chains, such as Edeka or Lidl.
Germany is one of the largest consumers of maple syrup in the world.
According to Statistics Canada, Germany is Canada’s second largest market for maple syrup after the United States.
In 2023, Germany imported 4,755,689 kilograms of maple syrup and products, equivalent to $47.7 million. It represents a 7.8 percent share of total maple syrup exports.
Germany, which by 2023 was the largest economy in the European Union and the third largest in the world, is an important economic partner of Canada.
Expanding horizons
Although the golden liquid is the leading product of Canada in Germany, the trade commission expands culinary horizons and promotes other products.
According to Olesch, it’s no easy task.
“Germany is also a very price-sensitive market,” says Olesch. “Canadian products are not just the cheapest. So we work in the higher price range.”
Quebec’s Cirka Gin and Sortilege Maple Whisky, along with Niagara wines from Pillitteri Estates Winery and ironically, Moosehead beer are other products that fit the bill.
A small taste of opening the desire of the Germans in Canada.