The taste of a cultural region
Culinary competition
Whether jam, sausage, honey, biscuits or liqueur - everything tastes of the cultural region. chemnitz and 38 municipalities in the surrounding area were European Capital of Culture in 2025. The title was also intended to arouse curiosity about what the region has to offer - including in culinary terms. The "So schmeckt Kulturregion" competition resulted in 28 award-winning products, producers and events that were just waiting to be discovered.
The competition for the "So schmeckt Kulturregion" label was initiated by the Chemnitz 2025 project Makers, Business & Arts .
An initiative of the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Chemnitz Chamber of Crafts and Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH.
Schokoheimat - Chemnitz district chocolates
EIERLIKÖRZ blueberry flavour "BERRY JANE"
CRUSTBICA fruechte-sohra.de
The spiced meat combine schmiedelandhaus.de
BackUp Pils healthybread.co.uk
Peacefood - vegan and unpackaged peacefood-chemnitz.de
Forest rye wholemeal rolls feinbaeckerei-hertel.de
Miner's bread baeckerei-braeunig.de
Melting Pot Chemnitz hofmanufaktur-huttenberg.de
Miriquidi tofu ham tofubar.de
Menu TRADITION and MODERNITY asg-bildungszentrum-suedsachsen.de
Piroschka in a stollen fleischerei-nagy.de
Rowan berry mustard info@allesbiene.de
"Lecker Lulatsch" fisch-manufaktur.de
Berry symphony erlebnishof-pleissental.de
Apple Calvados fruit spread kaffee-zwickau.de
Chemnitzer scharfe Möhre - carrot roses essskulptur.de
Lichtenauer mineral water lichtenauer.de
Culture beer reichenbrander.de
Miriquidi Meltingpot sportgaststaette-leukersdorf.de
Our Erzgebirgstaler - make your own cheese roessler-hof.de
Soup & Mugge - the Jahnsdorf soup festival hofmarkt-ziegs.de
International beer festival Zschopau unser-zschopau.de
HOODzn popella-genusshandwerk.de
EuroBean Chocolate Festival eurobean-festival.org/en
Gärtnerei Liebers - fresh, aromatic, regional Instagram: @gaertnerei_liebers
Cooking on the wood-fired kitchen stove balancehaus.de
Breaking Bread posttheatre.com
You can obtain a selected range of products in Chemnitz from:
VANDA-Shop (Brühl 24 | 09111 Chemnitz)
EDEKA Centre Dietrich on Sachsenallee (Dresdner Straße 45 | 09130 Chemnitz)
ARNE LUHMANN | Chemnitzer Genuss-Sets (genuss-set.de)
In autumn 2023 and 2024, entrepreneurs from Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region were able to submit their culinary products or event ideas to the "So schmeckt Kulturregion" competition. A jury of seven experts assessed the entries based on the criteria of sustainability, packaging, regionality, social relevance, new development and connection to Europe. A minimum number of points had to be achieved for the label to be awarded. The three best entries were selected and supported with a marketing package. The "So schmeckt Kulturregion" label offers regional entrepreneurs the opportunity to give their innovative products or events special visibility as part of Chemnitz 2025 and to literally whet the appetite of guests to the European Capital of Culture
A seven-member jury has awarded the "So schmeckt Kulturregion" label to a total of 28 culinary products and events. In autumn 2023 and 2024, the team of the Capital of Culture project Makers, Business & Arts, in cooperation with the Chamber of Crafts and the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce as well as the City of Chemnitz Economic Development Agency, invited entries for this competition for culinary products and events for Chemnitz 2025. Regionality was one of the six criteria according to which the submissions were assessed by the expert jury. Points were also awarded for sustainability, packaging, social relevance, originality and connection to Europe. A minimum number of points had to be achieved for the label to be awarded. The "So schmeckt Kulturregion" label offers regional entrepreneurs the opportunity to give their innovative products or events special visibility as part of Chemnitz 2025 and to literally whet the appetite of guests to the European Capital of Culture
The jury will select the three most interesting, tastiest and most creative products or events from all the entries that have been awarded more than 20 points. In addition to the "So schmeckt Kulturregion" label, these three will receive a comprehensive marketing package. This includes the presentation of the businesses and their winning entries at a press conference on the project. This will be followed by extensive reporting in the magazines of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Chamber of Crafts as well as on all digital channels of the participating organisations.
The product or event makes one or more contributions in line with the three pillars of sustainability: economy, ecology and social responsibility. These aspects are reflected in particular in the characteristics of regionality and origin of the ingredients, packaging and social relevance.
Packaging has a major impact on the ecological footprint of a product. It should be economical, practical, environmentally friendly and designed with the circular economy in mind. Furthermore, the placing on the market of packaging filled with products for the first time is subject to the Packaging Act, in conjunction with verifiable registration in the packaging register.
The product or event must be typical of the region. The development and production (or realisation) takes place in the Chemnitz cultural region. Ingredients or supplier products or services must also come from the region. Ingredients etc. that are not available regionally but are essential for the product must be sourced from the nearest suitable source.
The product or event itself should have a positive impact on the public/society or on the company's own employees. This can be achieved, for example, through the company's social commitment, the use of fair trade supplier products or the involvement of children and young people in the development process.
The submitted product or event format must be a new or further development. Existing and marketed products will not be considered. The aim is to create new networks among local makers, producers and suppliers through the creative process of product development.
Chemnitz and the region are the European Capital of Culture 2025 and the producers and their products can be located in Europe. The development and production process, the method, the ingredients or the marketing can be categorised as European. The product or event connects the cultural region with Europe.
