There's a beautiful concept in Germany called Küche für Alle, literally "kitchen for everyone", usually shortened to KüFa. The idea is simple: people cook together, and everyone is welcome to come and eat, no money required (donations are usually welcome). KüFas are sustainable, because they often cook with rescued food that would otherwise be thrown away. They are social and solidary, because nobody is excluded and nobody has to justify why they're there. And they are one of the most underrated ways to connect with people in Freiburg.
If you're new to the city, learning German, or just tired of eating alone, this article is for you. If you're brand new to Freiburg altogether, our guide to your first month here is a good place to start too.
Come and eat, stay and chat
Let's clear up one thing first: at the KüFas listed below, the food is already cooked. You don't have to bring anything or do anything. You just show up, get a warm free meal, and sit down at a table with people you've never met. That last part is the actual point. A shared table is one of the easiest places to start a conversation, because you already have something in common: you're both holding a plate.
No registration, no membership, no small print. Just come.
Even better: be part of the cooking
Eating together is great. Cooking together is something else entirely.
When you cook with people, everyone is on the same level, auf gleicher Augenhöhe, as Germans say. It doesn't matter where you're from, what your job is, or whether your German is A1 or C2. You have the same mission: dinner for forty people, and it needs to be ready by seven. You have to organize yourselves, divide tasks, improvise when the donated vegetables turn out to be 90 percent zucchini. It is always amazing to see how people step up, take responsibility and co-create something wonderful together. And a side effect for language learners: chopping onions next to someone is the most natural German practice you'll ever get. Nobody freezes up mid-sentence when their hands are busy.
This is exactly what happens at an Über den Tellerrand event. Über den Tellerrand Freiburg brings locals and people from all over the world together to cook, eat and connect. You can join an event, or even become part of the orga team. Our honest tip: just go to one of their events first, enjoy it, and then talk to the people there if you want to get involved. Usually everyone is happy about more helping hands.
Where to find a Küche für Alle in Freiburg
Here are the regular KüFas in town:
Küche für Alle am KulturKiosk
Foodsharing-Café Freiburg e.V. · Stühlinger Kirchplatz, Amalie-Gramm-Weg 1, 79106 Freiburg
Every Wednesday, 17:00 to 19:30 · No registration needed
foodsharing-cafe-freiburg.de →
Foodsharing-Café im Strandcafé
Foodsharing-Café Freiburg e.V. · Strandcafé, Adlerstr. 12, 79098 Freiburg
Every Thursday and Friday, 14:00 to 20:00 · No registration needed
foodsharing-cafe-freiburg.de →
Veganes Mitbringbuffet
Foodsharing-Café Freiburg e.V. · Strandcafé, Adlerstr. 12, 79098 Freiburg
Every first Friday of the month, 18:00 to 20:00 · No registration needed. This one is a
potluck: bring a vegan dish if you can, and share what everyone brought
Details
→
KüFa im LIZ
Linkes Zentrum Freiburg (LIZ), Glümerstraße 2, 79102 Freiburg
Every Sunday from 19:00 · No registration needed
Heads up: this one doesn't always take place, so definitely check the website before you go:
tacker.fr →
GenussZeit
Ernährungsrat Freiburg e.V. · Location changes, dates are irregular
Dates and info: GenussZeit
→
Contact: Fritz.Ritzmann@deutscher-orden.de
Küche für alle (Ernährungsrat)
Ernährungsrat Freiburg e.V. · Location changes, roughly once a month from 18:00
Info: Küche für
alle →
Contact: miriam.amend-straif@ernaehrungsrat-freiburg.de
Bonus: rescue food yourself
The food at many KüFas comes from foodsharing, a movement that saves perfectly good food from being thrown away. And you can join that too. In Freiburg there are messenger groups where saved food is offered and shared, sorted by neighborhood. Join the one for your area:
WhatsApp
Freiburg (whole city)
Haslach
Stühlinger
Rieselfeld
Zähringen/Herdern
Dreisamtal
Markgräflerland
Telegram
Freiburg (whole city)
Signal
Freiburg
(whole city)
St.
Georgen
One last thing
If walking into a room full of strangers still feels like a big step, we get it. That's literally why Sprachmut exists. Come to one of our events first, meet a few friendly faces, and then go to a KüFa together. Everything is easier with company, especially dinner.