German Cookery Book Award in 35 categories

HAMBURG. Borderless homeland meets Israeli breakfast, Roman pasta meets Swedish cardamom knots: The winners of the German Cookbook Prize 2025 take their readers on a culinary journey around the world. The best cookbooks of the year were honoured at the fifth award ceremony in Hamburg on 26 November. Particularly successful: TV chef Alexander Herrmann in the top category "Michelin-starred cuisine" and content creator Hanna Reder as best newcomer.

A 70-strong jury of culinary experts judged the books in 35 categories. The prizes were awarded at a festive gala in front of 150 guests. "The high quality of the award-winning cookery books shows The genre is alive and well - despite all the scepticism," says Benjamin Cordes, one of the editors of the German Cookbook Award. "It's impressive how culinarily enriching the works are. They make it possible to cook successfully and deliciously at home."

Newcomer of the year: content creator Hanna Reder

According to the jury, the best newcomer cookbook was written by Hanna Reder. Was kocht Hanna is the first book by the content creator and 'The Taste' finalist. The creative recipes and the likeable, approachable way in which Hanna Reder wrote the book were praised. "I am so pleased to have won the German Cookbook Award because it honours everything that is close to my heart: Recipes that work and a cuisine that doesn't have to be perfect to make you happy. The award is a huge sign of appreciation and motivation for me," says
and motivation," says Hanna Reder.

Hanna Reder's friend and podcast colleague Zora Klipp also has reason to celebrate: in her cookery book Hej! she has translated her time as an au pair in Sweden into delicious recipes such as cardamom knots and Köttbullar. The jury judged her book to be the best cookery book for Scandinavian cuisine. The jury was delighted with this year's selection: "We are always surprised at how creative the authors are and how they constantly find new topics or new approaches to familiar themes. Working with the books was a great pleasure."

Audience favourite Lutz Geißler: over 11,000 votes cast in the big online vote

More than 11,000 readers voted for their favourites for the Audience Award. The winner by a wide margin was bread author Lutz Geißler, who has built up a passionate community around bread baking over many years. "The huge number of participants in the voting surprised even us. From our point of view, it shows the strong bond between the authors and their readership. The books by several star chefs were particularly successful. Sarah and Christian Bau (Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau, 3***) have recorded Asian-inspired dishes from their gourmet restaurant in Einfach Bau - but in reduced complexity. The book won gold in the "Asia" category and impressed with dishes such as crustacean cream soup with wan tan or sweet sushi rice with nashi pear and coconut.

The "Michelin-starred cuisine" category went to the team led by well-known TV chef Alexander Herrmann. In his Michelin-starred restaurant "Aura & Anima", he and chef and co-author Tobias Bätz pursue the concept of "borderless homeland": cosmopolitan cuisine with food from the region. The 500-page book brings this concept to life with numerous recipes that can be cooked according to ability. The "Italy" and "Germany" categories were also dominated by star chefs. In Grazie Roma, Daniel Gottschlich (Ox & Klee, 2**) reports on his time at the Villa Massimo in Rome, which Germany uses to support creative artists. In Stemberg, Sascha Stemberg presents delicious classics from his Michelin-starred restaurant in Velbert. These include "Grandma's chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream".

From Israel to vegan world cuisine

Tom Franz is rather little known in this country. Born in the Rhineland and trained as a lawyer, he initially worked as a lawyer specialising in international law before emigrating to Israel in 2004 and turning his passion for cooking into a career. In 2013, he won the Israeli version of "MasterChef". In My favourite meal, he provides insights into the hearty Israeli breakfast culture.
The best vegan cookbook also comes from a German who has emigrated: Julius Fiedler, known on Instagram as "hermann" with 2.4 million followers, presents traditional vegan dishes from all over the world in his book Natürlich vegan. The jury praised the in-depth background information that makes the authentic recipes tangible, as well as Fiedler's unobtrusive way of communicating his cooking philosophy. The recipes include aubergines with walnut filling and pan con tomate.

This year's honour for special services to the cookbook genre goes to Monika Schlitzer. The long-standing managing director of DK Verlag discovered Jamie Oliver and Yotam Ottolenghi, among others, and popularised their cookbooks and their way of cooking in Germany. In its greeting, the German Publishers and Booksellers Association honoured Schlitzer for her "unique lifetime achievement" and her commitment to promoting young talent. "I am overwhelmed and grateful for the award," says Monika Schlitzer. "I will remain very attached to the cookbook and culinary art in general even after my active DK time."

In the world of seafood cuisine, the topic of sustainability is taking centre stage this year: the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) - the non-profit organisation behind the blue MSC seal - is the official sustainability partner of the German Cookbook Award. With its international certification programme for sustainable fishing, the MSC is committed to combating overfishing of the oceans and will contribute its expertise on responsible fish consumption to the jury's work in future. "Cookery books not only whet the appetite, they can also show attitude. They inspire and guide, but they can also, often quite incidentally, sharpen our awareness of interrelationships," says Kathrin Runge, Head of the MSC in Germany, Austria and Switzerland."

Cookbook of the Year in the fish category is Sushi by Stevan Paul, who shows how to prepare the Japanese speciality yourself and what customers should look out for when buying it.
The wine partner of the German Cookbook Award is VDP Weingut Heitlinger, which stands for modern Burgundy wines in all their facets. The team led by winemaker Patrick Jacklin is committed to biodynamic viticulture - the winery has been Demeter-certified since the 2024 vintage. The iconic Heitlinger "H" stands confidently as the sender for the characterful wines from the Kraichgau region.

The winners:

ALPEN

1. Red Wall. Culinary Lab, by C. Seiler, J. Unshelm | CSV
2. My Tyrolean World, by V. Fahringer | Brandstätter Verlag
3. Swiss Tavolata, by F. Lange | LandLiebe-Edition

ASIA

1. Einfach Bau, by Sarah and Christian Bau | DK Verlag
2. The Duc Ngo, by The Duc Ngo | DK Verlag
3. Hearty Vegan Asia, by Anne-Katrin Weber | Becker Joest Volk Verlag

BAKING

1. The chemistry of baking, by Nicola Lamb | Edition Michael

Fisher

1. The Elements of Baking, by Katarina Cermelj | AT Verlag
2. Small cakes, by Bernadette Wörndl | DK Verlag

BAR

1. The Whisky Atlas, by Dave Broom | ZS
2. Kanpai, by Naomi Coleman | Prestel
3. Workshop Rum, by Ian Burrell | DK Verlag

BREAD

1. Baking next level with rye, by Dietmar Kappl | Becker Joest Volk Verlag
2. Knead, bake, good!, by L. Geißler | Verlag Eugen Ulmer
3. The best breads in the world, by Marcel Paa | Becker Joest Volk Verlag
4. Simply good bread, by Ricardo Fischer | ZS Volk Verlag

DESSERT & ICE

1. EIS , by Hubertus Tzschirner | Callwey
2. Fine desserts, by | Landwirtschaftsvlg Münster
3. I'll help you cook - My favourite desserts, by Hedwig Maria Stuber | BLV

GERMANY

1. Stemberg , by Sascha Stemberg | DK Verlag
2. A flake of butter, by Hannes Arendholz | Tietge
3. The Allgäu cookery book, by Hannelore Fisgus | Christian

QUICK & EASY

1. What does Hanna cook, by Hanna Reder | ZS
2. Simple is Best, by Ralph Schelling | AT Verlag
3. Eat Yourself Healthy, by Jamie Oliver | DK Verlag

FERMENTATION

1. Koji Miso Shoyu Tempeh, by Sibylle Hunger | AT Verlag
2. Fermented, by Christoph Marx, Lennart Wiese | Christian
3. Fermentation, by Sam Cooper | DK Verlag
4. fantastically fermented, by A. C. Blum | Löwenzahn Verlag

FISH & SEAFOOD

1. SUSHI , by Stevan Paul | Hölker Verlag

MEAT

1. Sausage , by Vivi D'Angelo, Josh Flatow | Verlag Eugen Ulmer

FOODFOTOGRAPHY

1. Splendido . Primavera/Estate, by J. Gottschall, M. Lauenstein | DuMont Buchverlag
2. EIS, by Hubertus Tzschirner | Callwey
3. Red Wall. Culinary Lab, by Christian Seiler, Jamie Unshelm | CSV
4. Golden Times, by Josh Flatow | AT Verlag

BREAKFAST

1. My favourite meal, by Tom Franz | AT Verlag
2. Breakfast all day long!, by A. and R. Axelsson | Christian

GREECE & TURKEY

1. Sebze - Vegetables in Turkish, by Özlem Warren | ZS
2. My Greek village kitchen, by Elissavet Patrikiou | Südwest
3. Sofra, by Yelda Yilmaz | DuMont Buchverlag
4. Kaliméra, by Alina Sawallisch, Susanne Sawallisch | Hölker Verlag

INDIA

1. Monsoon , by Asma Khan | DK Verlag
2. Delicious India, by Chetna Makan | ZS
3. Hearty vegetarian - India, by Anne-Katrin Weber | Becker Joest Volk Verlag

INTERNATIONAL

1. Happy - because these recipes make you happy, by Meera Sodha | DK Verlag
2. Something good, by Samin Nosrat | Kunstmann, A
3. Recipes you'll love, by Thomas Straker | Callwey
4. More is More, by Molly Baz | DuMont Buchverlag

ITALY

1. Wild figs and fennel, by Letitia Clark | ZS
2. Grazie Roma, by Daniel Gottschlich, Sebastian Späth | Du-Mont Buchverlag
3. Moroseta, by Giorgia Eugenia Goggi | ars vivendi
4. Splendido. Primavera/Estate, by Juri Gottschall, Mercedes Lauenstein | DuMont Buchverlag
5. In Pizza we crust, by Hubertus Tzschirner | Callwey

COOKING SCHOOLS & COOKING TECHNOLOGY

1. Sauces , by Jens Rittmeyer | Matthaes
2. Golden times, by Josh Flatow | AT Verlag
3. How to Cook, by | DK Verlag

MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

1. Everything in the centre!, by Onur Elci, Elissavet Patrikiou | Gräfe und Unzer
2. Mediterra, by Ben Tish | DK Verlag
3. Flavours of the sun, by Diana Henry | ars vivendi

NEWCOMER

1. What is Hanna cooking, by Hanna Reder | ZS
2. Green. Warm. Good, by Sandra Mühlberg | Callwey
3. Cooking at last, by Paula Bründl | Servus

ORIENT & MIDDLE EAST

1. Lugma , by Murad Noor | ars vivendi
2. Boustany, by Sami Tamimi | DK Verlag
3. A feast for vegetables, by P. Razavi | Brandstätter Verlag

EAST ASIA

1. China - The Cookbook, by Diora Fong Chan, Kei Lum
2. Chan | Phaidon by ZS
3. The great handbook of Japanese cuisine, by Sachiyo Harada | Knesebeck
4. Healthy Korea, by Jung Eun Chae | Christian
5. JAPAN, Hokkaidō the culinary paradise, by Tim Anderson | Südwest
6. Oishii!, by Stefan Braun | Gräfe und Unzer

OSTEUROPA

1. The Polish Baking Book, by Laurel Kratochvila | Prestel
2. Kapusta, by Alissa Timoshkina | DK Verlag
3. Albania. The cookery book, by Thomas Ortler | Christian

SEASONAL CUISINE

1. Almanak , by Claus Meyer | Echtzeit Verlag
2. Season, by A. and M. Neubauer | Gräfe und Unzer
3. Weekly market. Enjoy with pleasure, by E. Raether | riva

SKANDINAVIA

1. Hej !, by Zora Klipp | Brandstätter Verlag
2. Green Smørrebrød, by Kirsten Skaarup | Stiebner
3. The best recipes in Sweden, by Ingrid Hofstra | Gerstenberg Verlag

SPAIN & PORTUGAL

1. The book of pintxos, by Marti Buckley | Christian
2. Viva España, by Emma Warren | ars vivendi
3. The Kitchen of Andalusia, by María José Sevilla | Gerstenberg Verlag
4. In love in Lisbon, by Anne-Katrin Weber | Hölker Verlag

STERNEKÜCHE

1. AURA & ANIMA, by A. Herrmann, T. Bätz | Matthaes
2. DNA DUCASSE, by Emmanuel Pilon, Jean-Philippe Blondet, Amaury Bouhours | Matthaes
3. The world chefs as guests at Ikarus, PANTAURO

SOUTHEAST ASIA

1. Singapore , by Shu Han Lee | DK Verlag
2. Thai made easy, by Yui Miles | Knesebeck
3. Pho. The big cookery book, by Angkana Sirisaeng | Christian

SOUP

1. Soup makes you happy, by Emily Ezekiel | Callwey
2. Soup - a declaration of love, by M. Maggi | AT Verlag

VEGAN

1. Naturally vegan, by Julius Fiedler | DK Verlag
2. Vegan Fine Dining, by Sebastian Copien, Andreas Leib, Hansi Heckmair | Ventil Verlag
3. Plantiful Cooking, by Maya Leinenbach | DK Verlag

VEGETARIAN

1. Krautkopf (extended new edition), by Yannic Schon, Susann Probst | Hölker Verlag
2. Leaf to Root - Express, by Esther Kern | AT Verlag
3. Green. Warm. Good, by Sandra Mühlberg | Callwey

CULINARY

1. Our creative herb kitchen, by Lisa Angermann, Stefanie Hiekmann | Hölker Verlag
2. Spice love, by Esther Clark, Rachel Walker | ars vivendi
3. Rice cuisine, by Tove N. Jakobsson | Die Gestalten Verlag

CHRISTMAS

1. Cosy Christmas, by Skye McAlpine | Knesebeck
2. Christmas in Sweden, by Elisabeth Grindmayer | Hölker Verlag
3. Bake a Wish, by Annalena Bokmeier | Hölker Verlag
4. Swiss Christmas, by F. Lange | LandLiebe-Edition

WINE

1. Simply Wine, by Carsten Henn | ZS
2. Champagne - the book, by Peter Jauch | AT Verlag
3. Wine, by Charlotte Kristensen | Prestel

WILD

1. Wild , by Wolfgang Müller, Benjamin Haverkamp | Matthaes

PUBLICATION PRIZE

1. Knead , bake, good!, by L. Geißler | Verlag Eugen Ulmer
2. From zero to delicious, by M. Struck | Edition Michael Fischer
3. Hey!, by Zora Klipp | Brandstätter Verlag