In the Stuttgart Region people know all about enjoyment. Whereas Stuttgart was once known as the "chocolate capital of Germany", it now has a reputation far beyond the city boundaries as a wine-growing region. Within the framework of its theme for the year 2018 – "Enjoyment" – Stuttgart Marketing is also highlighting regional products and Swabian specialities.

Maultaschen (filled pasta), Gaisburger Marsch (hotpot) and Linsen mit Spätzle (lentils with noodles) are omnipresent in the Stuttgart Region. Together with Rostbraten (fried steak), Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Kässpätzle (cheesy noodles) and Ofenschlupfer (bread pudding) they are the most popular Swabian dishes. Some of these represent Swabian frugality in its nicest form: the day's leftovers end up in the stockpot or hidden inside pasta dough. The Swabians' favourite snack is the Brezel (pretzel), which can be enjoyed at any time of day, with or without butter. Legend has it that it was born of necessity: apparently in the 15th century a baker was given the chance to avoid the death penalty if he created a kind of bread roll with three holes through which the sun could shine. Swabian specialities are best enjoyed in traditional wine bars or the temporary broom taverns run by wine growers. To show they're open for business they hang a broom at the door. Only the vintners' own wines can be served here, usually in the typical local glasses with a handle.

Even if it is rarely remembered today, at the beginning of the 20th century Stuttgart was known as a "chocolate city". Waldbaur – famous for its chocolate "cat tongues" – and the Moser-Roth and Eszet chocolate factories were located here. Ritter Sport has continued to thrive into the present day. In 1912 Alfred Eugen Ritter and his wife Clara founded a chocolate and confectionery factory in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt. Nearly 90 years ago the company relocated to larger premises in Waldenbuch, where the company still has its headquarters. It was also Clara Ritter who devised the square-shaped chocolate bar. She had the idea of producing a chocolate bar that would fit into the pocket of a sports jacket without breaking, yet weighed the same as a rectangular bar – that was the birth of the original name "Ritter's Sport Chocolate".

In Stuttgart you'll find not only good chocolate, but also exquisite coffee. In the 1930s Gustav Hunzelmann brought coffee to Stuttgart: he opened his own coffee roastery at Königstraße 45. The company expanded and in 1968 moved to new, ultramodern premises in Stuttgart-Degerloch. Today the company is managed very successfully by Martina Hunzelmann, the founder's granddaughter. In addition to coffee and two Holanka coffee bars in Stuttgart, Hochland has also had its own chocolaterie since 2010.

Barley or grape juice – beer or wine? Stuttgart can score with both. The Dinkelacker family brewery, founded by Carl Dinkelacker, has been brewing beer in Stuttgart for 130 years now. In 1900 it was also the first brewery in Stuttgart to produce a type of beer brewed in the Pilsner tradition, now known under the name of CD-Pils. Some years previously Ernst Immanuel Wulle had founded his brewery of the same name. In 1971 the brewery was taken over by Dinkelacker, and in 2008 the cult beer "Wulle" reappeared on the market.

In the Stuttgart Region wine is a dominant theme. The state capital of Stuttgart is the only German metropolis with its own municipal wine estate, with a total area of 17.5 hectares spread over six different locations. Vineyards also define the region's landscapes and look back on a long tradition. This is what attracted Georg Christian Kessler to settle in Esslingen in 1826, where he founded Germany's first sparkling wine factory – now the oldest in Germany.

For those who would like to enjoy the local wines in their own home, a large selection can be found at Feinkost Böhm, the Market Hall and the Weinhandlung Kreis.

Additional information and Swabian recipes to try at home can be found under www.tastystuttgart.com

Photo: Vineyards / Grabkapelle© Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH