Historic Cookbooks Highlight Shifting Food Trends and Declining Cooking Skills

A deep dive into Germany's cookbook history reveals evolving diets, societal roles, and concerns over the loss of cooking knowledge.

Germany's Cookbook Museum houses over 13,000 titles, showcasing centuries of culinary evolution and societal changes.
Historical recipes, such as fish otter during fasting periods, reveal creative adaptations to cultural and dietary norms.
Trends like vegetarianism, popular over 120 years ago, were tied to philosophical movements and a return to nature during industrialization.
Experts warn of declining cooking skills, with younger generations relying more on pre-prepared meals and lacking hands-on culinary education.
Economic challenges and societal shifts have led to disparities in food quality and access, with calls for improved nutritional education in schools.