How to fit in at German dinner party

DW (English)

What happens when you're invited to dinner in Germany? From punctuality to pasta – Clare Trelawny-Gower’s wry take on a very German tradition.

Transcript

00:00Today, we're going to an average German dinner party.

00:05What do they cook for their guests?

00:07Are the guests as punctual as they seem?

00:10And are they honest if they don't like the food?

00:13We're visiting Michel Muller, an average German, to find out.

00:19More than 65% of Germans say that they like to invite friends over for dinner, and nearly

00:23half of them do it at least once a month.

00:28It's been four weeks since his last dinner party, so as an average German, tonight's

00:32the night for the next one.

00:40And luckily, like the majority of Germans, Michel likes to cook.

00:45Tonight, he's cooking the country's most popular dish, pasta.

00:55Well, that's one way to taste your pasta sauce.

01:15Germans love a beautiful table setting, and when it comes to decoration, they love flowers.

01:26Seems like Julia isn't a fan of Michel's design choices.

01:30Michel told his guests to come at 7pm, and since Germany is the land of punctuality...

01:44Like one in four Germans, Michel and Julia's friends, Katy and Jonas, have arrived early.

01:49A major faux pas, which is actually considered impolite.

01:53Ah, a bottle waiting to be popped, fantastic.

02:02When it comes to dinner parties, over half of Germans see them as a good excuse to drink

02:06wine.

02:08When toasting, make eye contact.

02:11German legend has it that avoiding eye contact means seven years bad sex.

02:15It's 7.28, and the final guest, Tommy, still hasn't arrived.

02:20An unexplained delay of 30 minutes is unthinkable for Germans.

02:35But when Tommy arrives with two bottles, it looks like all's forgiven.

02:47Michel's brought out his signature dish, Mediterranean tomato pasta.

02:52I wonder if they can tell it's from a jar.

03:02The guests offer to help clean up, but Michel and Julia insist they relax.

03:08For 90% of Germans, food is the most important part of a dinner party, and they aren't shy

03:16to give their feedback on the cooking.

03:19I hope they like the food, because I put a lot of love in it.

03:26Well, the food wasn't the best, actually.

03:29Yeah, it was definitely a little overcooked.

03:34Michel always says he's not a good cook, and you know what?

03:37He's right.

03:38Yeah, the food was okay.

03:40But at least the drinks are really good.

03:44I know he's not the greatest cook in the world, but he's trying.

03:48I would say three out of ten, yeah.

03:51What the hell is this?

03:53This is my show.

03:54You're on your own show.

03:55You should get your own show.

04:04Maybe we get a pizza next time.

04:09It's 11pm, and Michel wants to go to bed.

04:15Looks like they've taken the hint.

04:27And off they go.

04:36So what did you think of the average German dinner party?

04:38Was it as organised as you expected?

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended