Black pudding and scallops, traditional Altbier and Châteauneuf-du-Pape – contrasts are a key feature of the culinary scene in North Rhine-Westphalia, the federal state sandwiched between the Rhine and the Weser. From the basic down-to-earth “Eckkneipe” (local pub) to refined, star-rated restaurants: there’s something here to suit every taste.

A particular feature of North Rhine-Westphalian cuisine is its international nature – because very few other federal regions are as multicultural as North Rhine-Westphalia. Which is why nowhere else can match our restaurants, both for diversity and in terms of sheer abundance. And for those cooking at home, the available range of groceries, ingredients and spices is every bit as international.

Back in the 1970s, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers moved here from countries including Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey – bringing with them paella, pizza, gyros and doner. Later on, they were followed by immigrants from all across the world, including China, Japan and India, as a result of which Chinese, Japanese and Indian restaurants sprang up like mushrooms. Among other things, our culinary infrastructure here reflects the global interconnection of the economy in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Regional specialities

However, there is plenty here for lovers of regional specialties to discover as well as fans of international cuisine. Classics like “Rheinischer Sauerbraten” (marinated beef), Westphalian “Pickert” (a form of pancake) or fresh asparagus with ham are among the dishes that typify the region. In Cologne you can try the traditional “Himmel un Äd” (“heaven and earth”), a potato and apple puree with black pudding. But be careful: the famous “Halve Hahn” (“half chicken”) on the menu has nothing to do with chicken – it’s actually a rye bread roll with cheese!

Throughout the region, the drink of choice for washing these regional specialities down is beer: of all the federal German states, North Rhine-Westphalia has the highest sales of beer. Here, one should distinguish between three types: in Cologne and the surrounding area, people drink “Kölsch” – a top-fermented specialty beer brewed there since 874. “Altbier”, an amber-colored beer with a tart flavor, is particularly popular in the traditional public houses of Düsseldorf and along the Lower Rhine. But the king of North Rhine-Westphalian beer, accounting for 75 percent of the region’s beer output, is “Pils”, a light-colored, bottom-fermented lager. And anyone interested in seeing how these beers are made – Alt, Kölsch or Pils – need only visit one of the countless breweries where the production process can be viewed on the premises.

Food and drink at the highest level

Today’s top chefs are experimenting more and more frequently with recipes of rustic or middle-class origin, and using these as the basis for sophisticated variations. For example, Heinrich Leipold, master chef at the “Schnabuleum” restaurant in Monschau, treats his guests to such dishes as “Eifeler Hirschgulasch an Altdeutscher Senfsauce mit Rotkohl und Spätzle” (“Eifel-style venison goulash in Old German mustard sauce with red cabbage and spaetzle”). And in Dorsten on the edge of the Ruhr Area, Frank Rosin, whose restaurant is ranked among Germany’s 10 most fashionable, serves up traditional fare taken to the gourmet level: “Safran-Graupenrisotto mit Schnecken und Schaum von Zitronen-Verbene” (“Saffron barley risotto with snails and lemon verbena foam”).

There are 30 other star-rated chefs practicing their art in North Rhine-Westphalia alongside Frank Rosin. Three of these have garnered three stars: Dieter Müller, in his restaurant of the same name in Bergisch Gladbach, Joachim Wissler of the “Vendôme” (also in Bergisch Gladbach) and Jean-Claude Bourgueil of the “Schiffchen in Düsseldorf-Kaiserswerth.

Culinary tours of North Rhine-Westphalia

A number of themed routes through North Rhine-Westphalia are available for those interested in culinary expeditions. A trip along the “Asparagus Route” is not to be missed. During the official harvest season, from the beginning of May to June 24, this “vegetable of kings” is available from countless farms along the Lower Rhine, and virtually every restaurant will feature asparagus on its menu.

And for those who imagine good cheese is only to be found in France, the Cheese Tour will prove a real eye-opener. North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s third-largest milk producer, offers a whole host of regional specialties: Altbierkäse (Altbier cheese) from the Münsterland region, Bergischer Räucherkäse (smoked cheese), Bööscher Ziegenkäse (goat’s cheese) from the Lower Rhine region or Möhrenkäse mit Pfefferkruste (carrot cheese with a peppery crust) from Fröndenberg on the outskirts of the Soest region. The “Cheese Road” takes in 26 cheese dairies in which visitors may view the process, from the cow stalls to the cheese vats.

The joy of food – and more

In North Rhine-Westphalia, lovers of all types of food are well catered for – whether they’re seeking currywurst with chips or French cuisine.

But it doesn’t stop there. For those who care about more than just a fine flavor, and want to know about the manufacturing and history as well, North Rhine-Westphalia offers plenty of interesting museums dedicated to food and drink. For example, the “Westfalen Culinarium” in the historical heart of the East-Westphalian town of Nieheim has four interactive museums given over to the “five Westphalian staple foods”: bread, cheese, ham, beer and schnapps. 

The Kochbuchmuseum (“Museum of Cookbooks”) in Dortmund provides a colorful account of the cultural history of cooking, eating and drinking, along with the changes that have occurred in cooking and kitchen technology over the past 200 years. And at the Chocolate Museum in Cologne children and grown-ups alike can gain deep insights into the origin, manufacture and importance of this sweet-tasting delight – along with delicious samples from the three meter-high chocolate fountain.