Comfort Food Stories
 What does home taste like?

In ‘Comfort Food Stories,’ personal stories meet dishes that combat homesickness. Here, people talk about how they came to Germany – about culture shock, new opportunities, and food that tastes like home.

(Videos in German)

  • Oseng Tempeh – Ochi from Indonesia

    In the first episode, Rahel meets Ochi from Indonesia. Together they cook the pan-fried dish ‘Oseng Tempeh’. Ochi is studying in Kaiserslautern and in the video she talks about how she settled in Germany, why kebabs helped her through the first few weeks – and why getting her driving licence turned into a dialect challenge.

  • Poulet DG - Aurelien from Cameroon

    In the second episode, Rahel meets Aurelien from Cameroon. Together they cook ‘Poulet DG’, a Cameroonian dish that used to be prepared only for the wealthy – but has now found its way into many households. Aurelien works as a care manager in Mannheim. His journey to Germany began at the Goethe Institute in Cameroon, where he learned German. In the video, he talks about moments of arrival, experiences of racism in everyday nursing care – and what particularly impresses him about Germany: the healthcare system and the way people with disabilities are treated.

    Comfort Food Stories - Aurelien Kamerun

  • Bolo de Cenoura - Tadeu from Brazil

    In the third episode, Rahel meets Tadeu from Brazil. Together they bake "Bolo de Cenoura," a moist Brazilian carrot cake with chocolate icing. Tadeu lives with his husband in Berlin and works as a commercial and contract manager on a project to expand the charging infrastructure for electric cars. Even though moving to Germany was his greatest ambition, the start wasn't easy—especially because of the language barrier and the much-feared German bureaucracy.

  • Borschtsch – Maryna from Ukraine

    In the fourth episode, Rahel meets Maryna from Ukraine. Together they cook ‘borscht’, a beetroot soup with beef and vegetables and a real classic in Ukraine. Maryna has been living in Germany since 2021 and is training to be a nursery school teacher. She really enjoys working with children and has previously worked as an au pair in Germany. The war in Ukraine separated the family; Maryna's mother and sister also came to Germany, while her father and grandparents continue to live in Ukraine.
    According to Maryna, she ate borscht almost every day during her childhood, so it reminds her of her homeland. The Ukrainian national dish has become absolute comfort food for her – even though she didn't like it at all as a child!

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