asia

BANDA ACEH|INDONESIA

Big family cooking

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Families and friends cooking in the open air in Banda Aceh

KUAH PLIEK U | ACEH CURRY DISH

In this episode we are guests at a unique outdoor kitchen in Banda Aceh, Indonesia! Eight women from the neighborhood cook together a delicious kitchen classic of the local culinary culture: Kuah Pliek U. This homemade vegetarian dish, captivates with its flavor spectrum of fresh coconut, jackfruit and papaya, chilies, local herbs and vegetables. This episode from Banda Aceh is very special because all the people in it survived the devastating 2004 tsunami. To this day, the trauma of that day is firmly rooted in the reality of people’s lives. And yet, the strength, joy and hope for a peaceful future for all in this film is something beautiful.

JAKARTA|INDONESIA

Mrs. Sarnawiah, Mr. Syamsudin

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In the little Hello Kitty microcosm. The family's living room and kitchen.

KERANG IJO BUMBU KUNING | GREEN MUSSELS

Welcome to Jakarta. Look forward to delicious Indonesian street food, fresh from the sea, homemade and prepared in one of the most spectacular kitchens in the world. In this episode we accompany Mr. Syamsudin. Together with his father-in-law he drives out to sea in a small wooden boat at dawn and dives in the depths of Jakarta Bay for the coveted green mussels. Back in the village, his mother-in-law prepares the seductively fragrant seafood KERANG IJO BUMBU KUNING in a very unique kitchen. Come on board and get to know Jakarta from a new perspective, far away from the skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.

BALI|INDONESIA

Ketut

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Ketut with her mother in front of her house in Desa Les

MANGGUH | BALINESE TUNA PORRIDGE

In this episode you get to know the 21 year old Ketut from the small village of Desa Les in the north of Bali. Ketut lets us participate in her local Balinese life for a day, tells us about myths and rites and takes us into the authentic world of Bali’s flavors. She loves to spend her time on the beach, which is only a few minutes away from her home, and dreams of having her own restaurant with local Balinese cuisine in the future. Together with her mother, Ketut prepares mengguh in her kitchen at home. A delicious homemade specialty from her village. It consists of tuna, rice, shalots, garlic, spices, bamboo shoots, spinach and a homemade delicious peanut paste.

VANG VIENG|LAOS

Phuangkeo, Viengxum, Sone and Souvanny

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The four friends Phuangkeo, Viengxum, Sone and Souvanny

OR A-LOD | SMALL FISH STEW

In this episode you will meet four wonderful friends. Viengxum, Sone, Souvanny and Phuangkeo are extremely humorous, proud of their culture and cuisine and full of joy. They all live in the beautiful Laotian town of Vang Vieng. The focus is on a unique dish with the local name „Or A-Lod“, which translates as small fish stew. The main ingredient is the small fish from the Nam Song River. However, these are very expensive since rare, which makes the dish an almost luxurious meal. The special: up to 14 species of fish can be part of the dish, because you never know what goes into the net during the day’s catch. 

UBON RATCHATHANI|THAILAND

Kak (PART II)

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Kak in front of his coal cooker on the terrace of his forest house.

ลาบปลาดุก | LARB PLA DUK | SPICY CATFISH SALAD

In this two episodes you will get to know Kak. Kak is 53 years old, studied architecture and lives in a simple forest house on the outskirts of Ubon Ratchathani. In his profession as a community architect, he tries to combine the knowledge of the ancestors with the challenges of the future. Kak prepares four dishes and a dip in this double feature. Larb Pla Duk, the spicy catfish salad, a long bean som tam, grilled catfish, a chili dip made with charred chilies and vegetables, and a bamboo curry. All his impressive knowledge he shares in his two episodes of the Global Cookbook.

UBON RATCHATHANI|THAILAND

Kak (PART I)

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Kak at his dinner table in his forest home in Ubon Ratchathani

ลาบปลาดุก | LARB PLA DUK | SPICY CATFISH SALAD

In the next two episodes you will get to know Kak. Kak is 53 years old, studied architecture and lives in a simple forest house on the outskirts of Ubon Ratchathani. In his profession as a community architect, he tries to combine the knowledge of the ancestors with the challenges of the future. Kak prepares four dishes and a dip in this double feature. Larb Pla Duk, the spicy catfish salad, a long bean som tam, grilled catfish, a chili dip made with charred chilies and vegetables, and a bamboo curry. All his impressive knowledge he shares in his two episodes of the Global Cookbook.

HANOI|VIETNAM

Oanh

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Oanh early in the morning in front of her house in Hanoi.

BÁNH TRÔI | GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS WITH SWEET FILLING

In this episode you will meet Oanh. She is 77 years old, was born in Hanoi and still lives with her husband in the same quarter of the Vietnamese capital. Every morning at 4:30 a.m. she prepares her homemade bánh trôi in her kitchen to sell them from 6 a.m. in a small alley near her house. Bánh trôi are cooked glutinous rice balls filled with a small cube of palm sugar. The simple but wonderful combination of rice and sugar was a delightful new taste experience for me. The sweet rice balls are especially popular at festivals and as offerings in temples.

DA NANG|VIETNAM

Chi

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Chi in her dorm room in Da Nang

THIT KHO | BRAISED PORK BELLY

In this first of three Vietnam episodes, we meet Chi. Chi is 20 years old, comes from the old imperial city of Huế and is studying economics at the university in Da Nang. Together with a fellow student, she shares a small room in a dormitory. Da Nang is located on the South China Sea in central Vietnam and impresses with a beautiful city beach. In the small kitchen under her bunk bed, Chi prepares for us the delicious and very famous dish Thit Kho. It consists of pork belly and quail eggs and is eaten in everyday life as well as for the New Year or other special occasions.

HANOI|VIETNAM

Dung

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Dung enjoys her delicious Bún Cá with her friends in her apartment in Hanoi

BÚN CÁ | FISH NOODLE SOUP

In this Vietnam episode, Dung prepares the Vietnamese cuisine classic Bún Cá in her kitchen in Hanoi. Bún cá is a noodle soup with fried fish. It is an elaborate dish as it involves many individual preparation steps and needs a lot of ingredients. However, the taste of the soup is indescribably delicious and it is worth every single hour spent in the kitchen to make it. Together with Dung’s best friends I enjoyed her delicious recipe. Dung is 36 years old, originally from Haiphong and lives together with her sister, who is 16 years younger, in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. 

BANGKOK|THAILAND

Nopparit and Somsamorn

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Nopparit and Somsamorn in front of their house on the outskirts of Bangkok

PAD CHA PLA DUK | SPICY STIR FRIED FISH

In Bangkok, you’ll meet an incredibly impressive family. Nopparit and Somsamorn have 16 children together, all of whom are professional Thai boxers. This is how father Nopparit managed to protect all his children from drug addiction, a danger in the poorer districts of Bangkok. To this day, the family trains daily in their home gym on a small river near the house. I was deeply impressed by the cohesion, joy and strength of this unique family. In the lively kitchen of the house, mother Somsamorn shares with us the secrets of her delicious Pad Cha Pla Duk, a spicy fish dish.

SIBU (BORNEO)|MALAYSIA

Queena

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Queena behind her stall at the central market in Sibu

QUEENA´S CHICKEN CURRY

In the fourth episode of the Global Cookbook, you’ll get to know a very unique person. When I first met Queena at the central market in Sibu (Malaysia, Island of Borneo) and looked into her curious eyes, we immediately started talking. I was fascinated by her enormous strength, her positivity, her humor and the many languages she speaks perfectly. In addition to her story, Queena also lets us in on the secret to her sizzling chicken curry. Watch the episode and I’m sure you’ll be as impressed with Queena and her recipe as I am.

KUALA LUMPUR|MALAYSIA

Sofia and Azrul

Two people standing in their kitchen and holding a plate with a rice dish
Sofia and Azrul in their outdoor kitchen in Kuala Lumpur

nasi goreng kampung

In this episode you will meet Sofia and Azrul from Malaysia. They both live in Kuala Lumpur with their little daughter Zara, travel all over the country as interior designers and pursue a very special passion together in their free time. Together, Sofia and Azrul prepare a tasty classic of Asian cuisine for us, namely Nasi Goreng Kampung. Kampung means village and is the Malaysian version of Nasi Goreng. There are some secrets that are important for the preparation. Of course, the two share them with us in this episode.

europe

BERLIN|GERMANY

Michael

Michael sits in front of the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, smiling and looking up at the sky
Michael at one of his favorite places in Berlin, the Berlin Philharmonic Hall

roulades with potato dumplings and red cabbage

In this episode we are guests of Michael. He is 65 years old and lives together with his wife in Berlin. Michael is a particle physicist, is a grandfather of eight, speaks several languages fluently and loves concerts of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at least as much as good food. At home in his Berlin kitchen, Michael prepares a real classic of German home cooking for us. Roulades with potato dumplings and red cabbage. 

FREIBURG|GERMANY

Rüdiger

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Rüdiger in his kitchen in Freiburg

Königsberger Klopse with potatoes

The second episode of Germany takes us to the south of the country, to Freiburg, probably the most famous city in the Black Forest. In his Freiburg kitchen, Rüdiger prepares a real classic of German cuisine for us. Königsberger Klopse (German Meatballs) with potatoes is a dish, which is not regionally native, but is eaten throughout the country. The special thing about this dish is its elegance of taste.