Alsatian Recipes

Simple, fresh and hearty, cervelas salad is a must in Alsatian winstubs. Cervelas sausage, mustard vinaigrette, onions and gherkins are all it takes to make this warm-weather classic, which can also be served with cheese. Discover the step-by-step recipe.

Born from the art of wasting nothing, Bettelmann turns stale bread into a soft dessert with black cherries, scented with cinnamon and kirsch. A classic of Alsatian grandmothers' kitchens, whose history and step-by-step recipe you will discover here.

Meltingly tender inside and crisp outside, Waedele is the braised pork knuckle of Alsatian winstubs. Served with sauerkraut or potatoes, it is a convivial winter dish whose step-by-step recipe you will discover here.

A speciality of the Vosges mountains, the Munster Valley meat pie encloses a filling of meat marinated in white wine and herbs in golden puff pastry. A generous festive dish, whose history and step-by-step recipe you will discover here.

Melting, generous and fragrant, Alsatian onion tart, or Zewelkueche, is the great autumn speciality, traditionally served with new wine at harvest time. Discover its history and a step-by-step recipe.

Alsace's answer to coq au vin, coq au Riesling is a festive Sunday dish: chicken braised in white wine with mushrooms and cream, served with spaetzle or noodles. Discover its history and a step-by-step recipe.

Looking for a complete Alsatian Christmas menu? From aperitif to petits fours, here is a festive meal planned step by step, with a recipe from our blog and the matching Alsace wine for each course.

Linzertorte is one of the oldest pastries in Europe: an almond and cinnamon shortcrust filled with raspberry jam and topped with its famous lattice. Discover its history, its place on Alsatian festive tables and a step-by-step recipe.

Christstollen is the great Advent sweet bread: a buttery dough studded with candied fruit, rum-soaked raisins and almonds, sometimes filled with marzipan, then generously coated in icing sugar. Discover its history, its symbolism and a step-by-step recipe.

Beerawecka is the quintessential Alsatian Christmas bread: a dense, fragrant loaf made almost entirely of dried pears, dried fruit, nuts and spices, lifted with a dash of kirsch. Discover its history, its traditions and a step-by-step recipe.

The Baeckeoffe dish in Soufflenheim pottery is not just for slow-cooking the famous eponymous dish. Used as a bread tin, it provides slow, even baking in earthenware that yields a golden, crispy crust and a particularly soft crumb, easily rivalling the finest Alsatian artisan bakeries.

Homemade gingerbread is one of the finest gifts you can give your Alsatian kitchen. Scented with honey, cinnamon, anise and cardamom, soft at heart and slightly crispy on the surface, it fills the house with an intoxicating fragrance that instantly evokes Christmas, Advent and Alsatian markets. The traditional recipe from Gertwiller, world capital of gingerbread, is simpler than one might think - you just need to follow a few essential rules to achieve a result worthy of the finest artisans.

Käsküeche - literally "cheese tart" in Alsatian - is one of the most comforting desserts of traditional Alsatian baking. This generous tart based on velvety fromage blanc, scented with lemon and vanilla, on a light brioche dough, has accompanied Sunday afternoon teas and festive desserts in Alsace for generations. Simple to make and deeply comforting, it deserves a place of honour in the repertoire of regional baking.

Alsatian frog soup is one of the most authentic and least-known recipes of Ried cooking. This wetland plain bordering the Rhine between Strasbourg and Colmar was long a paradise for frogs - and for the cooks who prepared them with artistry. Frogs' legs delicately poached in a Riesling-scented broth, bound with Alsatian crème fraîche and flavoured with parsley and garlic: a starter of remarkable finesse that deserves a revival on our tables.

Schenkele - literally "little thighs" in Alsatian - are one of the most original Christmas biscuit specialities of Alsace. Unlike oven-baked Bredele, these small roll-shaped biscuits are fried in oil then rolled in vanilla sugar or cinnamon. Crispy on the outside, soft and almond-scented on the inside, they always surprise the uninitiated with their unique texture and irresistible flavour. An ancestral recipe absolutely worth rediscovering during Advent.

Spätzle are the emblematic fresh pasta of Alsatian and Germanic cuisine. These small irregular pasta with a soft and slightly elastic texture, poached in boiling water then golden in browned butter, accompany both meats in sauce and cheese-topped gratin dishes. Simple to prepare with the right utensils, they are an essential of the Alsatian table that every regional cuisine enthusiast should master.

Savoury kougelhopf is the aperitif and indulgent version of the famous Alsatian cake. Far from the sweet kougelhopf with raisins enjoyed at breakfast, this savoury variation with smoked lardons, walnuts and fresh herbs is ideal as an aperitif, buffet or starter for a festive meal. Baked in the traditional Soufflenheim terracotta mould that gives it its characteristic crown shape, savoury kougelhopf is as beautiful as it is delicious and always much appreciated by guests.

Pumpkin soup with Riesling is one of the finest expressions of Alsatian autumn cooking. It marries the sweet, velvety mildness of pumpkin with the mineral and slightly tart notes of Alsatian Riesling for a result of remarkable finesse. Easy to prepare, comforting and elegant, this soup is served equally well as a starter for a festive meal or as a main course accompanied by good Alsatian bread.