State dinner for Macron features modern twists on German cuisine
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Classic German cuisine, but modernized and adapted to the season, was on the menu at the state dinner in Berlin for French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday evening.
Jan-Göran Barth, the head chef for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, opted for asparagus salad and frothed pea milk to start.
For the main course, he served sauerbraten - a traditional beef roast that is usually marinated for several days - in a beer sauce. White asparagus - a beloved springtime delicacy in Germany - also featured, along with savoury rhubarb tarts.
The meal ended on a fruity note with elderflower, lemon verbena and strawberry.
The musical accompaniment to the evening was classical - with pieces by Maurice Ravel and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, played by musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
In addition to the hosts - the German president and his wife Elke Büdenbender - and guests Macron and his wife Brigitte, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his predecessor, Angela Merkel, were also in attendance, along with a slew of other senior politicians.
Business representatives included Siemens chief Roland Busch and Sigrid Evelyn Nikutta, who is responsible for freight transport on the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn.
Conductor Daniel Barenboim and film director Volker Schlöndorff also enjoyed the food and music.
