Bringing GERMAN TASTE to Iowa, one plate at a time.
In 2018, Gerd and his wife visited an Oktoberfest in Amana—and were disappointed. The food wasn’t homemade. It wasn’t authentic. It wasn’t what German food is supposed to taste like. So Gerd set out to do something about it. He found a master German butcher whose family recipe went back 125 years. He tested and refined his own currywurst recipe until it hit the mark—and in 2019, he debuted German Taste at a local festival. The response? Overwhelming.
Chris came into the picture a few years later. Raised on both German and Italian home cooking, he grew up in the kitchen—watching, learning, and helping. After relocating from several big cities across the country to a more rural suburban community in Ankeny with his family, Chris found his home church, met Gerd through volunteering, and joined him in turning German Taste from a one-man mission into a team.
Today, you’ll find them at farmers’ markets and regional events from May through September. Their mission? Serve up sizzling sausage, warm hospitality, and a plate full of tradition.
Because to them, it’s not just food. It’s culture. It’s memory. It’s a little slice of Germany, right here in Iowa.
Gerd was born in Hamburg and trained as a chef in both Germany and Switzerland before moving to the U.S. in 1967. He’s cooked in top kitchens across Denver, San Francisco, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Houston, where he spent 35 years as an executive chef. He even served as a General’s Assistant at the Pentagon. After retiring in 2013 from managing dietary programs in nursing homes, Gerd now brings that same care, precision, and tradition to every plate of currywurst.
When he’s not manning the grill at a farmers market, you might find him (and Chris) in the kitchen serving with his volunteer team at Lutheran Church of Hope’s Ankeny campus. Gerd lives in Dallas Center with his wife of 43 years and is a proud father and grandfather.
Chris grew up immersed in food, thanks to his German and Italian roots. From his grandmothers' kitchens to time spent with his mom at an Italian restaurant, food has always meant family and connection. After years in New York and California, Chris moved to Ankeny, Iowa, in search of a slower, richer way of life—and soon after, he met his wonderful wife and found his home church.
It was at that church where he met Gerd and began volunteering in the kitchen. After seeing Chris’s heart for hospitality and shared passion for authentic food, Gerd invited him to join German Taste—and the rest is sausage-sizzled history. Chris brings heart, heritage, and hospitality to everything German Taste does.
“I grew up in Düsseldorf, and let me tell you—their currywurst tastes like home. The spices, the texture, even the way it’s served—it’s the real deal. Gerd and Chris aren’t just making food, they’re keeping tradition alive in the heart of Iowa, and I’m here for it every summer.”
— Franz K., West Des Moines