A chef for every guest

We expect kings to spill less than they spill. We imagine a carefree life of abundance, lavishly laid banquet tables and roast chicken flying into open mouths. Of course, it wasn't quite that lavish, at least not on a daily basis. Frederick the Great 's daily routine, for example, was very strictly timed: after morning coffee, the regent devoted himself to playing the flute, at 9 o'clock the cabinet councillors appeared and from 10 to 11 he gave audiences. Lunch was served punctually at noon and usually lasted three hours. Frederick's dinner parties of seven to ten guests were famous, where conversation was held in French, while 12 cooks took care of the physical well-being in the court kitchen. Hearty and savory dishes were the king's favorites - much to the chagrin of his doctors: cabbage, ham, eel pâté, celery soup, anchovies, pickles, pastries and polenta. The spicier, the better.

Wine and prejudice

Until coffee time, Frederick II. devoted himself to music and his correspondence, after which he resumed receiving guests. At 6:00 p.m., the evening banquet began, once again in a small, intimate circle, as large festive banquets with up to 1,000 guests were an exception even for the king. The wine served was, unsurprisingly, of French origin, usually a Bergerac or a Bordeaux. Rhine wines never found their way into the king’s glass, because he blamed them for his father’s gout: “Anyone who wants a foretaste of being hanged need do nothing more than drink Rhine wine,” he is said to have remarked once. — What irony that he himself later died a man plagued by gout.

The king's favorite service

To the extent that he brought bad publicity to the wine of the Rhine region, Frederick the Great was a lover of porcelain. When he acquired the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in 1763, he himself became its best customer. From 1774, tableware made from the white gold replaced the silver plates that had been common in the palace up until then. His favorite service was the NEUZIERAT designed by Frederick Elias Meyer in 1767. The elegant relief of leafy vines, flowers and rocailles on the flag artfully framed the delicacies on the plates. The special feature: the color scheme of gold and the matte blue tone so beloved by Frederick , Bleu mourant, which means "dying blue" - a term that is reminiscent of the slightly bluish complexion of people who become dizzy and from which the winged word "blümerant" has developed.

The pure white version of NEUZIERAT, whose shape has remained unchanged to this day, has survived through the ages. If you too would like to dine like Frederick the Great, this service will add a touch of graceful splendor to your table at home. What from the royal menu would you rather serve? Cabbage soup à la Fouqué with partridge and bacon or chicken with English-style stuffed cucumber?