The food of Alsace is Germanic in origin, but the French have added their flare and finesse to create dishes with light, delicate flavours for which the local wines provide the perfect accompaniment.
Many traditional German dishes are still popular including choucroute, (sauerkraut or pickled cabbage) with juniper berries, cooked in wine with sausages, pork and very occasionally, goose, accompanied by boiled or mashed potatoes.
Others include 'Lowerknopfles' or Liver Dumplings, 'Knepfle' - small dumplings usually fried, 'Kassler' - rolled and smoked pork fillet and 'Backenoffe'. Backenoffe is a real 'rib sticker' with pork, mutton and beef, all marinated in wine with potatoes and onions.
The French dishes have a distinctive Alsatian touch such as 'Coq au Riesling' or Chicken cooked with mushrooms and onions in a white wine sauce, braised carp in cold aspic called 'Carpe à la juive' and
'Oie à la l’Alsacienne' or Goose stuffed with sausages then roasted and served with choucroute.
A variety of local game is hunted and used in the cuisine including wild boar or 'Sanglier', and young wild boar known as 'Marcassin' which is served during the months of October to March.
It could be said that Alsace rivals the Perigord when it comes to Foie Gras - the enlarged liver of duck or goose. It is a paler colour than its rival which is reputed to come from the difference in the food source. This particular delicacy comes mostly from the Nancy and Strasbourg areas.
Alsace also has many lakes and rivers with an abundance of fish including trout and pike, as well as the famous Rhine salmon.
Porc is by far the most popular meat in the region but one of the main delights of the Alsace are its fruit tarts. The fruit is from orchards grown amongst the vineyards and is also used to produce Eaux de Vie and fruit liqueurs flavoured with strawberry, raspberry, greengage and cherry.