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German baker fond of Taicang

chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: November 24, 2020

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Bakery owner Erwin Gerber takes freshly-baked pretzels out of an oven. [Photo/Taicang Daily]

Opening a bakery just to satisfy one's own taste buds might seem like a bad idea, but there is one German uncle who has done just that. He runs three bakeries producing German bread in Taicang, Jiangsu province.

Walking east from the memorial archway of Shaxi town, an ordinary-looking store can be seen. Many tourists pose for a photo at the door.

A sign labeled "Brotecke – Traditional German Bakery" is hung on a traditional door plank. "Brotecke" means bread in German.

Inside, a middle-aged foreigner watches over the ovens and talks with customers in Chinese, although he doesn't speak it very well.

This is the bakery's owner, Erwin Gerber, and he has been living in the city for eight years.

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Erwin Gerber's bakery in Shaxi town, Taicang. [Photo/Taicang Daily]

Gerber began his love affair with Taicang during a business trip in 2011, and he decided to register a trade company in the city the very next year.

Although Erwin liked the city, he felt something was missing. "Bread to Germans is like rice to Chinese. It is a necessity," he said. In 2015, he opened the first Brotecke in the city's ancient town.

"I want Germans working in the city to be able to enjoy authentic German bread," Erwin said. "I also want Taicang locals to learn about German culture while enjoying my bread."

He said he bakes only traditional German products, and one of his best sellers is a handmade Bavarian pretzel.

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Some of the products offered in Erwin's bakery. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The dough is shaped into a knot and sprinkled with sesame and sea salt before being dipped in water with soda and being put in the oven. The soft and fresh pretzels are enough to make any bread-lover's mouth water.

Erwin's bakery in Shaxi soon became popular among locals, and three others have since been opened.

Erwin said his bakery didn't shut down during the epidemic.

"We didn't raise the delivery fee from February to March, allowing people in remote areas to enjoy our fresh bread," said Erwin, "One client ordered some food for medical workers in Wuhan, so we sent them some extra to show our appreciation.” 

Erwin said he is increasingly fond of Taicang, as German nationals are ubiquitous in the area -- so large is their number that there are German restaurants, celebrations of German festivals and German schools.

"My daughter was born here. She will go to a German school and grow up here. This city is our home."

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