German foods gain popularity as east China city welcomes more foreigners

People dine at Der Landgraf Beerhouse Restaurant in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province, Oct. 13, 2023.  (Photo by Ren Li/Xinhua)

HEFEI, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) — German sausages, craft beer and meatloaf with mashed potatoes, once a rarity in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province, are gaining popularity as the city has attracted a growing number of Germans to come and settle down.

Home to a number of car manufacturers including NIO, BYD, JAC and Volkswagen Anhui, Hefei is striving to develop its new energy vehicle (NEV) industry.

With a planned investment of 23.1 billion yuan (about 3.2 billion U.S. dollars), Volkswagen is building a new NEV hub in Hefei, covering R&D, manufacturing and sales, according to Volkswagen Anhui, the German carmaker’s first majority-owned joint venture for NEVs in China.

With an influx of automotive engineers and business professionals arriving from various parts of the world, particularly Germany, the food and beverage industry geared towards serving expats has experienced a significant upswing.

Newly established exotic restaurants and bars not only provide dining options for the city’s international residents but also offer a convenient social hub for locals to immerse themselves in foreign cultures and socialize.

“The food here is pretty good. It’s much needed for us foreigners that are far away from home countries,” said Stefan Suckow, as he dined at the recently-opened Der Landgraf Beerhouse Restaurant.

On a Friday evening, Suckow, a German engineer at Volkswagen Anhui, and his colleagues ventured out to relish the authentic German beef roulade, complemented by the invigorating taste of German beer.

“When we first arrived in Hefei, there was only one German restaurant. Now there are four places where we can get authentic German foods,” Suckow said, adding that he has witnessed the rapid growth of the NEV industry in the city over the past two years.

Not long ago, a beer festival named Octoberfest was organized at Der Landgraf, attracting more than 100 Chinese and German foodies and beer lovers.

All beers are imported directly from Germany, and every dish is meticulously prepared with the participation of German gourmet experts to ensure authentic flavors, said Wang Gang, a restaurant owner, who brought the restaurant brand from Beijing to Hefei after he saw the burgeoning local market.

Located in a European-style block, the German restaurant Der Landgraf quickly became a hit in Hefei after its opening in July. “I’m surprised to find this German restaurant in my home city and the cuisine is authentic. It reminds me of my time in Germany as a student,” said Yin Qianyu, who frequents the restaurant.

Located at a distance of a mere 50 meters from this restaurant is the Noah’s, a German bakery and cafe, which opened around the same time as the Der Landgraf. The bakery is owned and managed by a German couple, Max Herwig and Magdalena Herwig. They came to Hefei in 2021 to work with Volkswagen.

“We are the first German bakery here. I used to miss our German bread, and I also wanted to create a place that is like our second living room, a cozy place for all the people, for the families,” said Magdalena, who named the bakery after her child.

Western restaurants and bakeries, including German ones, were initially popular in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. But with China’s opening up and deepening exchanges with the world, such restaurants have expanded across the nation. Culinary exchange initiatives have also furthered cultural interactions between China and the West.

It is estimated that some 300 Germans are living and working in Hefei, and approximately 40 German companies, including Volkswagen and Continental AG, have invested in the city.

“Hefei is a city with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and plenty of new opportunities. It’s becoming more international with more foreign talent being attracted to settle down here,” said Erwin Gabardi, CEO of Volkswagen Anhui.  ■