How did you become interested in cooking? 'It started when I was around 11, watching my mother prepare meals for the family as I did my homework. My mother is a great cook. I started learning how to bake and was interested in the ingredients and process. Then at 15, during a school break, I did an internship at a restaurant and fell in love with the kitchen.'
Why is German cuisine relatively unpopular internationally? 'German food is rustic and probably less popular globally because it has so many pork dishes. Although it's not refined, it does have variety. It's very regional and seasonal and geared towards using home-grown produce. Actually, there are many Michelin-starred restaurants in Germany.'