Hamburg, Germany — In the world of German television, few names are as beloved as Bettina Tietjen. For over two decades, she has been the warm, laughing face of NDR’s “DAS! Kochstudio” — the beloved cooking show that airs on holidays and special occasions .
But here’s the thing about Bettina: she never claimed to be a professional chef.
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| The Insult That Became Bettina Tietjen's Crown |
In fact, her greatest strength might just be the one thing her co-host once teased her about. And she turned that joke into a 20-year legacy.
Meet the “Queen of Assistant Cooks.” 👇
🍳 THE ORIGIN OF AN INSULT
It was 2006. Bettina Tietjen had just started co-hosting “DAS! Kochstudio” alongside renowned Fernsehkoch Rainer Sass .
Sass was the professional. The trained chef. The man who knew his way around a kitchen like nobody else.
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And Bettina? She was the “Hobbyköchin” — the enthusiastic amateur who loved food but didn’t pretend to be an expert.
One day, during a taping, Sass looked at his co-host with a twinkle in his eye and said:
“You’re the Queen of Assistant Cooks.”
— Rainer Sass, on Bettina Tietjen
It was a joke. A playful dig. In German: "Königin der Beiköche."
The implication? She wasn’t the star of the kitchen. She was the helper. The assistant. The one who chopped onions while the real chef did the heavy lifting.
Most people would have been offended.
Bettina Tietjen? She wore it like a crown. 👑
👑 FROM JOKE TO LEGACY
For the next 20 years, that nickname stuck.
But here’s what happened: the “insult” became a term of endearment. It became a brand. It became the perfect description of why Germans loved watching Bettina Tietjen cook.
She wasn’t pretending to be something she wasn’t.
The “Insult” and The Reality
🍳 “Assistant Cook” :- 👩🍳 Enthusiastic home cook representing real viewers
🍳 “Not the expert” :- 👩🍳 Relatable, humble, and authentic
🍳 “Helper” :- 👩🍳 The heart of the show, not just the hands
Bettina herself reflected on those 20 years with genuine warmth:
“Without the kitchen show with Rainer, I would have laughed a lot less over the past 20 years.”
— Bettina Tietjen
She didn’t just accept the joke. She embraced it. And in doing so, she made herself unforgettable.
👓 THE GLASSES LESSON (Yes, Really)
But the “Queen of Assistant Cooks” wasn’t just a punchline. Bettina actually learned practical skills during her two decades in the kitchen.
From Zora Klipp, her later co-host, she picked up some surprisingly useful advice:
“A pair of glasses in the kitchen can help — so you don’t confuse garlic with fennel.”
— Bettina Tietjen, on what Zora taught her
🍆 Wait, garlic and fennel don’t look alike… do they?
To be fair, if you’re not wearing your reading glasses, both are vaguely bulbous and greenish. And when you’re cooking live on television for half a million viewers, mistakes are not an option .
So yes: glasses. Good advice.
Bettina also learned that “the A and O of kitchen ABCs is a clean workspace” — a lesson she credits entirely to Zora Klipp’s structured approach .
🍽️ THE “QUEEN” FINAL MENU
After 97 episodes and 20 years, Bettina Tietjen is stepping away from the “DAS! Kochstudio” stove .
Her final episode airs today — Karfreitag (Good Friday), April 3, 2026 — at 18:45 on NDR .
And what’s on the menu? Nothing less than a Spanish feast. 🇪🇸
🥘 Vorspeise (Starter)
Tapas Trio :- Patatas bravas, Pimientos de Padrón, Montaditos with Serrano ham
🥘 Hauptgericht (Main)
Paella :- Coastal version with fish fillets, shrimp, mussels, and squid
🥘 Dessert
Churros :- With rich chocolate sauce — because why not?
“You have to start stopping sometime. This is my first step in that direction.”
— Bettina Tietjen, on her departure
🔄 THE SUCCESSOR: THE “ANARCHO-COOK”
So who’s taking over for the Queen of Assistant Cooks?
Meet Inka Schneider — known to NDR viewers as the host of “DAS! Rote Sofa” .
Inka is… different.
While Bettina was the humble assistant, Inka is proudly chaotic.
“I rarely cook from recipes. Most of the time, I open the fridge and decide spontaneously what might go together. My husband therefore calls me an anarcho-cook — but so far, he’s always enjoyed it.”
— Inka Schneider
🍳 “Anarcho-Köchin.” Anarchist cook. The polar opposite of “Queen of Assistant Cooks.”
Where Bettina was organized, structured, and happy to follow instructions, Inka throws ingredients together and hopes for the best.
And viewers can’t wait to see what happens. 😂
📊 QUICK FACTS: THE “QUEEN OF ASSISTANT COOKS” LEGACY
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| 👑 The Nickname | "Königin der Beiköche" (Queen of Assistant Cooks) by Rainer Sass |
| 📅 Years on Air | 2006 – 2026 (20 years) |
| 🍳 Total Episodes | 97 (almost 100!) |
| 👀 Peak Viewership | ~500,000 viewers in Northern Germany |
| 📺 Final Episode Date | April 3, 2026 (Karfreitag) |
| 🍽️ Final Menu | Spanish Tapas + Paella + Churros |
| 👩🍳 Successor | Inka Schneider ("Anarcho-Köchin") |
💬 WHAT BETTINA SAID ABOUT LEAVING
Bettina Tietjen isn’t disappearing entirely. She’ll still host “DAS!” and other NDR programs. But the “DAS! Kochstudio” chapter is closing.
Her parting words?
“I’m saying goodbye full of delicious memories and thank my two role models. In the future, I’ll only cook in my own kitchen — but Rainer and Zora are welcome to come by to see that I can also do main courses and desserts.”
— Bettina Tietjen
It’s classic Bettina: warm, self-deprecating, and just a little bit cheeky. 👑
She was never the head chef. She was the assistant. And she made that the best job in television.