Madrid
The Munich Oktoberfest which originally began as a wedding celebration in 1810 is expected to attract 7 million visitors by October 3 and is intended to be a festival in line with the demands of the 21st century.
And it caused controversy that one of Germany’s largest breweries, Paulaner, has now decided to only sell organic chicken alongside pork knuckles and sausages at its huge party area.
The public stands between the traditionalists who call the festival “woke” a derogatory term for social consciousness and the activists who want visitors to eat only organic products.
This meant missing out on the cheapest and bestselling carnivorous dish that Paulaner offered last year. A meal of half an organic chicken, “grilled and juicy,” costs €20.50 (R$108), around 50% more than the regular half chicken from the 2022 edition.
“Paulaner is not the only stand that sells organic chicken,” he said Sheet Susanne Kiehl from the Munich Food Council, a statefunded association whose goal is to make the city and Oktoberfest neutral when it comes to environmentally harmful emissions.
“Ammer has been offering organic chicken since 2000,” she said. “But last year we saw a real movement towards organic. “In addition, the Munich City Council has begun mandating organic products so that new companies can sell their products at Oktoberfest.”
But Ammer is primarily a duck and chicken company, and Paulaner is one of Munich’s six original breweries, having a presence at Oktoberfest since 1895. By the way, a liter pint of Paulaner costs €14.50 or R$76.
In a report published this week in the American newspaper The Washington Post, Arabella Schörghuber, who was responsible for the brewery’s tent, said it was an experience. “Organic is more expensive, but the quality is better. We want to make sure the animal has a good life. We’ll see what happens.”
And while some visitors don’t mind and praise the initiative, others, like Andrea Koerner, 56, preferred to change stalls and opt for cheaper food. “We don’t know the taste because it’s too expensive to try,” she said.
And organic beer is also in the Nutrition Council’s plan. “We already have an organic brewery in Munich and HackerPschorr produces organic beer for another major event called Tollwood,” said Kiehl.
But there is no shortage of spoilers for activists, because what really spoils the fun, according to conservatives, is this new awareness. “It has to remain a traditional folk festival, otherwise it wouldn’t be attractive,” said Clemens Baumgärtner, head of the festival and member of the CSU.
The President of the Bavarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Thomas Geppert, reiterated: “I don’t think anyone really wants a planned economy in which a small group decides what is good for people and what is not,” adding that people are allowed to live and eat as they please.
Meanwhile, Susanne Khiel dreams of the day when there will no longer be organic meat at Oktoberfest. “If we work on it, why not? Step by step. But preferably with local organic products!” she says. And the deadline for this? “Our goal is 2035.”