Traditional German cuisine with an innovative twist

Lufthansa passengers will have a chance to savour sophisticated dishes created by star chef Alexander Herrmann

Throughout May and June the new Lufthansa Star Chef Alexander Herrmann will balance tradition and modernity with his special creations for Lufthansa passengers in First and Business Class. For two months, the German TV chef, who has been awarded one Michelin star, will show that traditional German cuisine can be interpreted innovatively. In First Class, starters will include salmon trout with smoked cucumber vinaigrette and sorrel tart. Among the main dishes will be spring chicken with morels, root vegetables and potatoes, served in parchment, followed by chilled Bienenstich (‘bee-sting’ cake) with rhubarb compote. Gourmet delights also await passengers travelling in Business Class, where the menu includes poached marinated king prawns, horseradish chive tartlet and root vegetable vinaigrette or steamed halibut in the style of truite à la meunière with almond butter, summer vegetables and mashed potatoes, followed by woodruff jelly with strawberry lime compote.

Since 1995, Alexander Herrmann’s creative and courageous interpretations of German cuisine have thrilled guests at Herrmann´s Romantik Posthotel and Restaurant in Wirsberg, near Bayreuth, which has been owned by his family since 1869. Alexander Herrmann had his first contact with cooking at an early age in his parents’ restaurant. After attending a hotel school and completing an apprenticeship, he gained practical experience in numerous renowned establishments such as the Scholteshof in Hasselt in Belgium. In 1994, he graduated from cookery school with distinction and was awarded the Master Chef’ Prize by the Bavarian State Government. For several years, Alexander Herrmann has been a celebrity chef and has won over television viewers with his charming, affable manner, his sophisticated culinary creations and, not least, his quick-witted humour.

A culinary journey with the chefs de cuisine from the Ritz-Carlton

From 1 May 2009, an unforgettable gourmet experience awaits Lufthansa passengers, also on flights from the United States to Germany. Until August 2009, First and Business Class passengers can look forward to exclusive menus created by award-winning chefs de cuisine from the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain. The selected top chefs include Andres Jimenez (Ritz-Carlton Denver), Kaleo Adams (Ritz- Carlton San Francisco), Clayton von Hooijdonk (Ritz-Carlton Boston Common) and Jacques Sorci (Ritz-Carlton New York City, Battery Park). In First Class, dishes will include halibut with a Parmesan crust served with basil risotto in white wine sauce. One of the dishes on the Business Class menu will be spinach gnocchi, garnished with sauteed Cremini mushrooms and pine kernels. Every two months, a new chef will create imaginative menus. Chef de cuisine Andres Jimenez will be the first chef to enchant his guests with his culinary creations.

Since January 2000, Lufthansa has taken its First and Business Class passengers to new culinary heights. Imaginative menus, created by top chefs from all over the world, make a Lufthansa flight a truly heavenly experience. To date, such international celebrities as Harald Wohlfahrt (Baiersbronn), Dieter Müller (Bergisch Gladbach), Frank Zlomke (Paarl, South Africa), Daniel Boulud (New York) and Paul Bocuse (Lyon) have been engaged as Lufthansa “Star Chefs”. In addition, since the beginning of 2005, internationally renowned chefs have created special menus on selected long-haul routes from Germany to reflect the culinary tastes and traditions of the respective destination.