Hamburg/Cologne (dpa) – Soon the rusk monster will cook and bake with TV star Stephen Henssler (50, “Grill den Henssler”). The new cooking show for children and families “Krümelmonsters Foodie Truck mit Steffen Henssler”, produced by RTL +, Super RTL and Sesame Workshop. The organizers announced this Tuesday evening in Hamburg.
In addition to TV chef Henssler, the show is also led by Cookie Monster and Gonger – a rag doll with a mustache and a chef’s hat, which first appeared on German television. Starting in the spring of 2023, the Cooking Spoon will be rocking “Foodie Truck” for 13 30-minute episodes — first on the RTL+ streaming service, and later on the family channel Super RTL.
Fun in the kitchen
“Elmo, Groppi and especially Cookie Monster, these were the defining characters of my childhood,” Hensler said while recording the show at a Hamburg studio. Childhood dream come true. The show aims to teach young viewers about nutrition in a fun way. “We want to convey to the children: You can have fun in the kitchen – and then they also learn something,” Hensler said.
In the truck, Henssler cooks simple dishes like spaghetti with vegetable sauce or homemade pizza along with a biscuit monster and a Gonger at the kids’ suggestion. “We make dishes that children know, but we show them how to make them themselves,” Hensler said. It is important to take children with you. “You have to let the kids participate. Once the kids join in, they also eat green things, and they also eat vegetables.”
In advance, the ingredients are purchased by the food truck from farmers in the area. In this way, children should learn where food comes from and how it is made. “Nutrition is neglected for many children these days,” Hensler said. Even at school, the topic does not receive much attention.
Promote mindful eating
“The presentation is about sustainable nutrition and giving children an early understanding of healthy food,” said Stefan Kastenmueller, general manager for Europe at Sesame Workshop. The non-profit educational organization, which also developed Sesame Street, wants to convey important topics to children and families in an entertaining and contemporary way. Cooking Show is a further development of “Foodie Truck”, available in the American version of “Sesame Street”.
“Dolls like Cookie Monster have been a staple of children’s television for decades,” said Super RTL Managing Director Thorsten Braun. It is very special to bring such numbers to the next generation. “In recent years, we have devoted ourselves more and more to the topic of edutainment, and this format fits perfectly with that.” The cookie monster also appears in the animated series Mecha Builders, for which Super RTL secured its German rights this summer. Announces the adventures of superheroes in science and mathematics.
An actual and original “Sesame Street” with a whole world of cloth dolls has been produced by public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) as a licensing partner for Germany, since 2009 as an in-house production. The rights holder and co-producer is Sesame Workshop, based in the USA. On January 8, 2023, the children’s show in Germany will be 50 years old.
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