Gourmet lexicon

ALSACE

Porkmeats and sausages

see also Cervelas, Knack, Pâté en croûte, Presskopf

ALSACE

Brotwurscht

A white sausage that can be fried or poached.

ALSACE

Schifele (Palette)

Smoked shoulder of ham.

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Süri Nierle (Rognons)

Finely chopped veal kidneys, pan-fried and deglazed in vinegar.

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Quetsche

Dark plum typical of Alsace, used to make tarts and jam, or distilled as eau de vie.

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Navets salés (Süri Rüewe)

Fermented white turnips cut into strips and cooked like Sauerkraut.

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Matelote

A fish stew with a selection of freshwater fish steaks served with a creamy Riesling sauce and noodles.

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Lewerwurscht

Liver sausage spread.

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Nid d'abeilles (Bienenstich)

Honey cake with a French custard filling.

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Tourte

Meat pie called the "winegrower’s pie" with flaky pastry and thinly sliced or minced meat. The more finely minced pie from Munster valley is an absolute must for the farm meals served in the farmhouse inns.

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Blüetwurscht

Black pudding.

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Oie

Goose is cooked in many ways - Roasted for St. Martins' Day (11th November) with cabbage and sweet chestnuts (als. Martinsgans) - Stuffed neck of goose served either hot or cold - Soup made from goose giblets and vegetables prepared in winter when...

ALSACE

Fleischschneke

A noodle dough stuffed with meat, rolled up and cut into slices.

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Fleischknepfle

Meat balls.

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Jambonwurscht

Ham sausage.

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Munster

A matured, soft cheese.

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Dampfnüdle

Dumplings made with leavened dough and cooked in a casserole.

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Lard

Country-style smoked bacon.

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Sübrot (Süweckle)

Literally "penny bread", a roll split and hollowed down the middle.

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Grumbeerekiechle (Galettes de pommes de terre)

Potato pancakes made with grated potatoes.

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Grumbeereknepfle

Potato quenelles.

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Foie gras (Ganslewer)

Foie gras comes in loaves, terrines and more rarely in pie form, which earned the Strasbourg version of foie gras its reputation at the end of the 18th century thanks to Jean-Pierre Clause, the chef and pastry cook of Maréchal de Contades. In fact,...

ALSACE

Pot-au-feu (Suppefleisch)

After choucroute, pot au feu (beef stew) is one of the oldest dishes in Alsace. This typical Sunday lunch is sometimes served with horseradish sauce and raw vegetable salads. The first bowl consists of just the broth with tiny bone-marrow dumplings...

ALSACE

Metwurscht

A sausage spread made with raw pork and beef.

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Bredle (Wihnachtsbredle)

Christmas cookies, of which there are a thousand and one varieties.

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Tomme 'Prés du Ried'

Hard cheese from the Ried plain, only recently created to help preserve the meadows in the flood basin of the river Ill.

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Gingerbread

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Streussel

Cake made with leavened dough, sprinkled with a mixture of curdled butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon.

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Cervelas

Small pork sausage (saveloy).

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Flammekueche (Tarte flambée)

A dish with a dough base topped with a mixture of cream, soft white cheese, bacon chunks and onions. You eat it with your fingers! Baked in a baker's oven, it was traditionally made on the days when bread was baked at the farms. You can also try the...

ALSACE

Salade de pommes de terre (Grumbeeresalad)

Warmed up by adding a little stock, it is seasoned with a mustard French dressing and herbs.

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Chrischtstolle

A long Christmas cake with dried fruit and spices, dusted with icing sugar.

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Fleischwurscht

Meat sausage similar to a saveloy.

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Kassler

Smoked pork loin or fillet served either hot or cold.

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Bierwurscht

"Beer" sausage, seasoned with mustard seeds.

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Chinois (Schnekekueche)

Made up of snail-shaped coils of leavened dough set in a circular shape and filled with ground almonds and hazelnuts.

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Matjes

Herring fillets in cream (with onion and apple) served with potatoes.

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Linzertorte

Linzer torte of Austrian origin filled with raspberry jam and topped with strips of pastry.

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Civet de lièvre (Hasepfeffer)

Jugged hare marinated in red wine.

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Condiments

Some condiments are specific to Alsace, such as the sweet Melfor vinegar (infused with plants and flavoured with honey), horseradish sauce (als. Meeretisch), Alsace mustard and pickled gherkins that are sometimes slightly sweet.

ALSACE

Männele

Brioche shaped like a little man traditionally eaten on St Nicholas' Day (6th December).

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Nouilles

Typical Alsace noodles are made with lots of eggs.

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Escargots (Schneke)

In Alsace snails are seasoned with garlic and parsley.

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Pflüte

Potato and leek quenelles.

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Strudel

Apple strudel made from rolled-out pastry with a filling of apples, dried raisins, almonds and spices - another dish inherited from Austria (cf. Linzertorte).

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Bouchée à la reine (Suppepaschtetle)

The regional version of vol-au-vent.

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Birewecke

Christmas bread made with dried pears and fruit, left to dry out for a long time.

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Zopf

Plaited brioche.

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Carpe frite

Fried carp served with mayonnaise and lemon, speciality of the Sundgau region.

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Beignets de Carnaval (Fastnachtkiechle)

Carnival doughnuts come in around 20 different varieties, including with apples, jam and elderflower.

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Landjäger

A dry salami sausage with rectangular sides.

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Truite

Trout "au bleu", with almonds or in a fish stew.

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Bäckeoffe

Casserole with potatoes and three different types of meat marinated in white wine and traditionally baked in a terrine in the baker’s oven.

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Langhopf

Leavened dough with spices and dried fruit, shaped like a fluted cylinder and sprinkled with caster sugar.

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Tartes

Bilberry tart, Käsküche (cheese cake) rhubarb tart (with or without French custard or meringue), Quetschelkueche (plum tart sprinkled with cinnamon).

ALSACE

Kougelhopf

Leavened dough shaped in a special cake mould – a ribbed and scalloped conical form which is hollow at the top end and is the symbol of Alsace. The ingredients for the sweet version include dried raisins and whole almonds, while bacon chunks and...

ALSACE

Lebkueche

Flat spice bread cut into a variety of shapes (tongues, hearts etc.).

ALSACE

Bretzel

Pretzel made of bread in the shape of crossed arms dating back to the 12th century. The crust is sprinkled with cooking salt. It is the symbol used for Alsatian bakeries and the shape is symbolic in itself as you can see the sun 3 times through it.

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Harengs

Rolled herring filets (rollmops) fried in a vinegar or cream sauce and served with potatoes (see: Matjes).

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Vacherin glacé

Round ice-cream cake with a meringue base and whipped cream.

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Presskopf

Pork brawn in jelly.

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Coq au Riesling

Cock deglazed with Riesling wine, served with a creamy sauce and spaetzle or noodles.

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Stolle

Small brioches shaped liked ecclesiastic hats.

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Salade de pot-au-feu

Pot-au-feu salad, a salad prepared with stew meat.

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Wädele (Jambonneau)

Small knuckle of ham or shoulder of ham (may be caramelised).

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Quenelles

See Lewerknepfle (liver quenelles), Griesknepfle (semolina quenelles), Grumbeereknepfle (potato quenelles), pot-au-feu, Pflüte.

ALSACE

Anisbredle

Aniseed cookies, one of the oldest recipes for Christmas cookies.

ALSACE

Bibeleskäs

Soft white cheese garnished with herbs and served with sauté potatoes or jacket potatoes.

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Roïgebradeldi - Roïgabrageldi

Potatoes steamed with onions and bacon, a typical farm dish from the Upper Vosges.

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Chou rouge (Rotkrüt)

Red cabbage cooked with apples and sweet chestnuts.

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Griesknepfle

Semolina quenelles.

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Schwarzwurscht

A black sausage with lard.

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Salade mixte

Mixed salad with saveloy sausages and gruyere cheese served with a tasty French dressing.

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Spätzle

Traditional pasta that looks like shredded noodles.

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Buttemuess

Rose hip jam.

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Asperge (Sparichle)

Asparagus has been cultivated in Alsace since the 16th century. Traditionally served with 3 sauces (mayonnaise, French dressing and hollandaise) and ham, asparagus is eaten with your fingers in April and May in the company of family and friends !

ALSACE

Lewerknepfle

Liver quenelles.

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Springerle

Christmas cakes baked in finely sculpted moulds.

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Choucroute (Sürkrüt)

This form of pickled cabbage is finely sliced and fermented. 75% of French production comes from Alsace. "Choucroute garnie" is sauerkraut cooked in white wine with a selection of salted and smoked meats, pork meats and potatoes. Pork is the most...

ALSACE

Pâté en croûte

A pie made with pork and/or veal marinated in white wine and served cold with raw vegetable salads.

ALSACE

Agneau pascal (Lämmele)

Pascal lamb, a lamb-shaped cake.

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Knack

The Strasbourg version of a frankfurter always comes in pairs.

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Tarte à l'oignon (Ziwelkueche)

Onion tart.

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Mendiant (Bettelmann)

The regional version of bread and butter pudding.

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Bergkäs (Barkas)

Hard cheese to be savoured raw or cooked (raclette, cheese toppings).