Europe's "pocket kingdom": Luxembourg's classic cuisine

Luxembourg is the only remaining Grand Duchy on the European continent. It is a small country with a lot of ancient castles, so it is also known as the "Pocket Kingdom" and the "Land of a Thousand Castles".

Geographically, Luxembourg is a country "in the middle", surrounded by France, Germany and Belgium, so its gastronomy is also influenced by these three countries. In recent years, the influx of immigrants from Italy and Portugal has brought their respective culinary cultures to Luxembourg.

Let's talk about Luxembourg's classic cuisine!

Kuddelfleck

Kuddelfleck is considered by some to be the unofficial national dish of Luxembourg. Tripe is wrapped in breadcrumbs and deep-fried, then served with a white wine sauce or a spicy tomato sauce, and served with some boiled potatoes.

F'rell Am Rèisleck

If you want to taste fish dishes in Luxembourg, then you must try F'rell Am Rèisleck. The trout is first fried and then cooked with an equal amount of wine and cream sauce.

Friture De La Moselle

Friture De La Moselle is simply a fish wrapped in flour and fried. Traditionally served with a local Moselle white wine and a squeeze of lemon, you can also serve it with fries - similar to British fish and chips.

Gromperekichelcher

This is a fried potato pancake made by grating potatoes and mixing them with flour, parsley, onion, garlic, egg and green onion, then seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg. The potato pancake can be eaten alone or as a side dish. It can also be served with sugar-boiled apples for dipping potato pancakes. You can buy it at markets and fairs in Luxembourg.

Éisleker Ham

This is a special kind of ham from the north of Luxembourg. Traditionally, the hind leg of the pig is cured with herbs and vinegar and then hung in a chimney to be smoked. Another method is to cure it in brine for a week and then smoke it. The resulting ham is refrigerated, then sliced paper-thin and served with a glass of wine. Its side dishes may include salad, bread and potato chips

Kniddelen

Kniddelen is a traditional Luxembourg dumpling. It is made from a mixture of flour, eggs and milk. The thick batter is scooped up with a teaspoon and placed in boiling water. When the dumpling floats it means it is done.Kniddelen can be served in soups, as an accompaniment to stews and casseroles, or, more traditionally, with butter-fried bacon and stock. If you want to pair it with wine, opt for a glass of Luxembourg white wine.

Paschtéit

Paschtéit is a puff pastry stuffed with chicken and mushrooms and served with a white sauce. Unlike the traditional English puff pastry pie, the crust and the filling are cooked separately and then combined together.

Pâté gaumais

Pâté gaumais is also a pie with a traditional recipe using fine pork. The pork is marinated in wine or vinegar for 48 hours with different spices and herbs such as garlic, green onions, bay leaves, thyme and parsley. It can be served hot or cold and will taste better after a few days of sitting.

Verwurelter

Verwurelter is a sugar-coated doughnut which is made of flour, yeast, eggs, sugar, cream, milk and salt, and then fried until it turns golden brown. It will be sprinkled with some powdered sugar at the end. It can be served refrigerated or heated.

Äppelklatzen

This is a dessert related to apples. Apples are baked with cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar, then brushed with lemon juice and finally wrapped in a pastry with a flaky crust.