Traditional or refined, Alsatian cuisine will delight our taste buds. Charcuterie as well as pastry, Alsace is considered one of the most french gourmet provinces.
Alsatian gastronomy is a rich and diverse culinary tradition from the Alsace region of northeastern France, located on the border with Germany. It blends French and German culinary traditions, resulting in a hearty cuisine that makes heavy use of meats, sausages, potatoes, cabbage, and onions.
Alsace is rich in local specialties with its winegrower’s pie, its famous sauerkraut, its stew, its ham on the bone or its baeckeoffe. The friendly winstubs or farm inns welcome you to finish on a sweet note with its famous plum cake or its kugelhopf.
Here are some of the most famous dishes from Alsatian gastronomy:
- Baeckeoffe: a casserole dish that includes marinated mutton, beef, and pork, layered with potatoes and onions, and then slow-cooked in white wine and juniper berries.
- Kugelhopf: a yeast-based cake, usually containing raisins, almonds, and cherry brandy, and baked in a distinctive ring-shaped mold.
- Flammekueche (tarte flambée): this is a thin-crust pizza-like dish traditionally topped with crème fraîche, onions, and lardons (small strips of bacon).
- Choucroute: this is the quintessential Alsatian dish, also known as ‘sauerkraut’. It consists of fermented cabbage cooked with various meats and sausages, usually pork, and often served with potatoes.
- Cordon bleu
- Vol-au-vent
- Spaetzle
- Fleischnacka
- Kasekuchen
- Blueberrypie
- Bretzel
- Bredele
- Lamala (easter cake)
- Berawecka.
- Munster Cheese: This is a strong-smelling yet mild-tasting cheese that originates from the region.
The region’s version of Coq au Vin is coq au Riesling, a variation of the French Coq au Vin. This dish features chicken slow-cooked in a creamy white wine sauce, often with mushrooms and onions.
Southern Alsace, also called the Sundgau, is characterized by carpe frite.
In addition to its rich food culture, Alsace is also famous for its wines, producing renowned white wines such as Riesling and Gewürztraminer, as well as Crémant d’Alsace, a sparkling wine.
Local beers, brandies (eau de vie), and other spirits are also important aspects of Alsatian gastronomy.
The region is known for its beer festivals, wine festivals, and Christmas markets, which showcase the diversity and quality of Alsatian food and drink.