Cookery and ideology in the Third Reich

During Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship (1933–1945) many German cooks and others interested in food preparation advocated a new German cuisine. What was new was never properly defined, and the German character of the food was secured by resorting to traditional and regional dishes. It was also in many ways subordinated to official nutrition policy, dictated by what served the national economy, for example use of German foods instead of imported. There seems to be a certain ambiguity in the cookbooks and recipes from cooks and household teachers. While they try to be loyal to the demands of the regime they try at the same time to realise established gastronomic ideals of their profession.