What to eat Luxembourg? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Feierstengszalot, a cooked beef salad with hard-boiled egg, shallot and gherkin, is a fine introduction to Luxembourg cuisine, which makes generous use of meat. There are also numerous charcuterie preparations. The most famous products are raw or cooked hams, such as Éisleker ham or Oesling ham, from the mountainous north of the country, first marinated for a few weeks, then smoked for several days. It is usually served in thin slices with steamed potatoes and salad. It is also served as hameschmier, a ham sandwich topped with radishes and chives. During the träipenzäit between All Saints' Day and the first day of Lent, black pudding(träipen) is served with apple sauce, mashed potatoes and horseradish. Ardenner zossis is a smoked sausage, as is mettwurscht, a variety of sausage, not forgetting riesling-flavored pâté(rieslingspaschtéit). The Lëtzebuerger Grillwurscht was called Thüringer until 2003, when this name was reserved for sausages produced in German Thuringia.

In judd mat gaardebounen, a dish of smoked pork neck, the pork is soaked overnight, then boiled with vegetables and spices. Served in hearty slices with bog beans and boiled potatoes, it is considered Luxembourg's national dish. Similar to French coq au riesling, hong am Rèisleck consists of pieces of golden rooster simmered in white wine with vegetables, spices and mushrooms. Alternatively, try huesenziwwi or civet de lièvre, where the meat is simmered for a long time in a red wine sauce, with mushrooms and lardons. And let's not forget fierkelsjelli, piglet meat in jelly, or the classic paschtéit, a mouthful of veal, vegetables and mushrooms in a creamy sauce.

Local river fish such as trout, pike and crayfish serve as staples for dishes such as f'rell am Rèisleck (trout in Riesling sauce), hiecht mat kraiderzooss (pike in green sauce) or kriibsen (crayfish), most often served with a Riesling sauce. Fritür, or Moselle fried fish, is another snack based on small whole fried fish.

Vegetables are relatively uncommon in Luxembourg cuisine, and are often prepared copiously. One example is bouneschlupp, a soup with green beans, potatoes, bacon and sausage. Considered one of the country's most emblematic dishes, similar versions can be found in neighboring countries. Otherwise, öennenzop, or onion soup, is usually served with grilled cheese bread, as in France. Don't miss gromperekichelcher (potato and egg pancakes), gebootschte gromperen (potato and bacon dishes), tiirteg (potato and sauerkraut pancakes) or stäerzelen (buckwheat quenelles). Not forgetting, of course, kniddelen, small flour and egg dumplings served with bacon and white sauce. As for cheese, Luxembourg's specialty is kachkéis or cancoillotte, a spreadable cheese.

The local pastries are quite similar to those generally found in northeastern France, with the emblematic quetschentaart or quetsch tart, for example. Depending on the season, peaches, cherries and pears are also available. Alternatively, cheesecake fans can try kéistaart, a fresh cheesecake. In bakeries, you can try aachtchen, a figure-of-eight-shaped turnover filled with vanilla cream, or pretzel with almonds, or boxemännchen, a brioche bonhomme made only during the Christmas season. You can also enjoy verwurelter, small sugar-coated doughnuts, or äppelklatzen, apples in a crust. Luxembourgers are the ^9th biggest coffee drinkers in the world, and you'll find cafés everywhere. Russian milk" is the local term for an espresso topped with milk foam. Also of note is Luxembourg honey, a national brand with a PDO.

The Moselle vineyards produce wines - mainly whites - of great finesse: riesling, pinot gris, rivaner, pinot blanc, pinot noir, elbling, chardonnay and gewurztraminer. It stretches from Schengen in the south to Wasserbilling in the north, covering 1,230 hectares of hillsides. Visits to the picturesque wine villages, tastings at the various estates and cellars, wine festivals, vineyard walks, visits to the Ehnen wine museum and the Bech-Kleinmacher folk museum are just some of the activities that will delight wine lovers. Crémant de Luxembourg is a sparkling wine from Luxembourg's Moselle region, produced using traditional methods. It has held the AOP Moselle luxembourgeoise since 1991. Local eaux-de-vie and liqueurs are distilled from fruit or cereals (apple, quince, elderberry, pear, plum, cherry, mirabelle plum, raspberry, pear, etc.), with alcohol content ranging from 40% to 50% by volume.

Situated between Lorraine, Belgium and Germany, there's no doubt that the brewing industry has always played an important role in the economic activities of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Very early on, beer was regarded as a daily drink, but also as a religious beverage. In the past, almost every village in the Grand Duchy had a brewer among its inhabitants. Today, only three major breweries remain: Brasserie de Luxembourg, founded in 1871 and based in Diekirch (Diekirch, Mousel and international brands such as Leffe, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Jupiler, Franziskaner), Brasserie Nationale, founded in 1974 and based in Bascharage (Bofferding and Battin) and Brasserie Simon (Simon, Ourdaller, Okult), founded in 1824 and based in Wiltz and Heinerscheid. In addition to these major breweries, there are a number of independent microbreweries, such as the Béierhaascht brewery in Bascharage, or Heischter in Heiderscheid.