Mrs Stöckli, how do you go vegan without pointing fingers?

Mrs Stöckli, are you a vegetarian?

No, I am one of the 17 per cent who, according to a survey conducted by Swissveg in 2017, eat meat irregularly but carefully selected. Another survey showed that around a third of the Swiss population eat a low-meat diet.

So is «Greentopf» a trendy cookery book?

I would rather say that the cookbook reflects the spirit of the times. We live in a multinational society, old traditions are being enriched in a positive way, the world has become globalised and closer to us. Our children are growing up in the same way. There is no right or wrong, everything is possible, even when it comes to food. The «Greentopf» is a versatile addition to the classic cookery book.

You regularly cooked with your pupils. What was there to eat?

They loved cooking and literally fought over who got to cook. We always made sure there was variety, tried, cooked and ate lots of different things. There were often favourite Swiss dishes as well as recipes from faraway countries. We didn't eat meat very often for budget reasons. But that wasn't an issue for my pupils either.

It is often emphasised how much growing children need meat in their diet.

During the timeout*, we often had completely different issues to deal with in terms of nutrition. The children came to us for a limited period of time if they were struggling in the mainstream class or needed a timeout for personal reasons. There were children for whom it was often not clear whether they would get anything to eat at home. The question «Meat yes or no?» is not a priority here.
* Timeout: Several teachers teach a maximum of eight secondary school pupils with special needs and ensure that school and personal moments of success take centre stage as part of a day school operation. The distance from everyday school life provides the opportunity to release energy and resources so that positive development can begin. Thanks to the manageable group size, individualised lessons with targeted support are possible.

Vegetarian diets in childhood and adolescence are often discussed in specialist circles. What is your opinion on this?

We are not taking part in this discussion with «Greentopf» and do not want to take a position in favour or against. That was never the intention of the book and certainly not of the young people. Ultimately, it's about enjoying good, healthy food and cooking together. The fact that we have often cooked vegetarian food without even discussing it shows how relaxed we are about the subject. This is also how the information section of the book is structured, in which a balanced diet and a varied choice of food are important aspects. It also contains information on allergens and intolerances. In this respect, the book is intended to provide help for all those who are thinking about an alternative diet without moralising.

Traditional flatbread from Eritrea and plum dumplings from St. Gallen. The pupils show their families' recipes.

The centrepiece of the cookbook is the portraits of eleven children from this class. Can you tell us about some of the dishes?

Marsola, who comes from Eritrea, shows how to make traditional flatbread. Gian-Marco, who grew up in South Africa during his early years, reveals what bunny chow is. Nils shows his grandmother's plum dumplings from St. Gallen.

Did you have to persuade the children to do it?

No, not at all. At home, many of them often only ate fast food in front of the television. With us, they have experienced that eating together can have great social value. It made them curious to try out different things, for example recipes from classmates from other countries. For us, eating was a way of practising tolerance and openness.

The pupils' parents have also experienced and demonstrated this. In what way?

They proudly shared their family recipes with us. It was compulsory for the parents to come to the school every Monday for family coaching. They always brought something to eat. We were able to observe how food brings people together: Even if you don't speak the other person's language, you can use gestures and looks to express interest and favour and create a connection.

Has it always been your dream to write a cookery book?

The idea for a cookery book is linked to our art projects. Under the motto «Art instead of riot», we have realised exhibitions together with artists from the region. The idea of writing a cookery book went in a different creative direction with the same aim: to give the pupils positive experiences. These are teenagers who didn't have much self-confidence, who were constantly told what they were doing wrong and that there was something wrong with them. The art projects, this cookery book and their commitment to it made them feel valuable and indispensable for the first time.

How did the cooperation with the Hiltl Academy come about?

I simply asked Rolf Hiltl by e-mail. I wanted a competent partner at our side who stood for contemporary, innovative cuisine. At the same time, I wanted an understanding of multiculturalism in our class. We found both in the Hiltl Academy - after all, people from 70 nations work here. Schulverlag plus came on board as publisher, supporting us with its many years of experience in the development of teaching materials. This resulted in a cooperation between the actual target group of the textbook, teenagers, the competence centre for vegetarian nutrition and the established school publisher, which I consider to be extremely beneficial.

Are cookery schools now exclusively vegetarian?

Of course not! The «Greentopf» is a supplement to the «Tiptopf». What's more, the focus is ultimately on a healthy, balanced diet. But the idea seems to have struck a chord with teachers, because the subject of economics, work and home economics (WAH), as it is now called in Curriculum 21, is undergoing major changes.

Can you explain that?

The usual food preparation is supplemented with topics from the areas of business and labour. These include, for example, different lifestyles, the consequences of consumption for our society, the examination of our own health and global nutrition. The subject is thus expanded to include questions about everyday life.

More about the new home economics lessons:

• Away from the cooker and back to the books?
  Curriculum 21 aims to modernise the subject of home economics (WAH). In future, pupils will cook less and learn more about fair trade and pricing. The theory-heavy lessons don't go down well with everyone, but WAH teacher and food blogger Manuela Janik reveals how she motivates the pupils nonetheless.

The book is aimed at WAH specialist teachers. You are now offering them cookery courses. What are the reactions?

Overwhelming. The courses for teachers are practically fully booked for 2020 and an incredible number of book pre-orders have already been received. The feedback from teachers who have already completed a cookery course is overwhelmingly enthusiastic. One teacher even spoke of a «revelation».

What triggers this enthusiasm?

They feel taken seriously, recognised in their desire to try something new, ready to meet today's needs in the area of food preparation and food selection. They look forward to trying out exciting dishes from all over the world with their classes.

Which «Greentopf» recipe do you think has what it takes to become a cult recipe?

I agree with the opinion of the young people. They think that crispy tofu with mango chutney has the potential to become a cult recipe.

About the Hiltl Academy

Founded in 1898, Hiltl is the oldest vegetarian company in the world according to «Guinness World Records». Today, the seven restaurants in Zurich are run by the fourth generation of the founding family. The Hiltl Academy is located on the top floor of Haus Hiltl as a «competence centre for healthy enjoyment». With its involvement in the «Greentopf» project, the Hiltl Academy aims to make a contribution to mindful and enjoyable nutrition for young people. Teachers can expand their knowledge in various training programmes based on the «Greentopf». The Hiltl Academy has signed the charter of the Swiss Teachers' Association and is providing Schulverlag plus with the recipes under licence. www.hiltl.ch/akademie

New teaching materials for the new subject area «Economy, Labour, Household»

Schulverlag plus has a long-standing tradition in home economics with its teaching aid «Tiptopf». In the 2019/20 school year, a new teaching aid for the new subject «Economy, Work, Household» of Curriculum 21 will be published: «Das WAH-Buch». The teaching material covers the entire curriculum and explicitly includes food preparation, which can be implemented in lessons using the «Tiptopf» and the «Greentopf». The «Food culture» chapter in the «WAH book» is dedicated to personal food biographies, among other things. These are illustrated using three young people from the «Greentopf» project as examples.

www.schulverlag.ch

More about nutrition:

• Healthy milk and bad sausage? Nutrition myths put to the test.
• «Food should be free from pressure»: We can teach children to like healthy food, says nutritional psychologist Katja Kröller.