A cuisine between France and Germany
Alsace lies on the border with Germany, and its food reflects both sides. Pork, sauerkraut, sausages, dumplings and pretzels sit beside French techniques, cream, white wine and fine pastry. Local menus often use both French and Alsatian names. Many travellers and cooks find it one of the most distinctive regional cuisines in France. For other regions and national favourites, see our guide to favourite foods in France.
Savoury specialties
Choucroute garnie
Probably the dish most associated with Alsace. Sauerkraut is cooked slowly, often with white wine, and served with a mix of pork cuts, sausages and potatoes. Sausages such as Strasbourg-style knack sausages are common. It is a hearty meal, typically served in cooler months. For the same sausage-and-sauerkraut spirit on the German side of the border, see our Weisswurst dinner recipes.
Flammekueche (tarte flambee)
A very thin rectangle or round of dough topped with fromage blanc or creme fraiche, onions and bacon lardons, and baked quickly at high heat. Variations add cheese, mushrooms or, for a sweet version, apples. It is often shared among a table.
Baeckeoffe
A slow-baked casserole of marinated meats (commonly a mix such as pork, beef and lamb), sliced potatoes and onions, cooked in white wine in a covered earthenware dish. The lid was traditionally sealed with dough. The name is often translated as “baker’s oven”, from the habit of taking it to a local baker to cook.
Other savoury dishes
- Bretzel (pretzel): soft, salted and common in bakeries and on beer-hall tables.
- Spaetzle: small egg noodles or dumplings, served as a side.
- Jambonneau: braised or roasted pork knuckle.
- Tourte: a meat pie, sometimes with a pastry crust and a filling of mixed pork and veal.
- Foie gras: produced in Alsace and often served in the festive season.
- Quiche Lorraine: from neighbouring Lorraine, but widely eaten in the region too.
Cheese and charcuterie
Munster is the cheese most associated with Alsace: a soft, washed-rind cheese with a pronounced aroma and a milder taste than the smell suggests. It is traditionally served with boiled potatoes and sometimes cumin. If you like soft washed-rind cheeses, our Reblochon recipes show a different Alpine example.
Sweet specialties and bakes
- Kougelhopf: a yeasted cake baked in a fluted ring mould, often with raisins and almonds.
- Tarte aux fruits: open fruit tarts, with plums (quetsches), rhubarb or apples depending on the season, often set in an egg-and-cream custard.
- Bredele: small spiced and buttery Christmas biscuits.
- Pain d’epices: spice bread, associated with winter markets.
Wine, beer and spirits
Alsace is known for white wines, including Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Muscat, and for a sparkling wine called Cremant d’Alsace. These are typically labelled by grape variety, which is unusual in France. The region also has a brewing tradition, and distilled fruit spirits (eaux-de-vie) are often served after a meal.
Eating in Strasbourg and Colmar
In Strasbourg, choucroute and tarte flambee are the dishes most visitors seek out. In Colmar, the same classics are common, along with baeckeoffe and local pastries. Traditional eateries called “winstubs” serve regional dishes and wine in a convivial setting, and are a good place to try several specialties. Menus and popularity change, so rely on current local listings if you are travelling.
Is Alsace more German or French?
Alsace is a French region, but its history has included periods under German rule, and the Alsatian dialect, architecture and food have Germanic influence. Most people describe the culture as a blend rather than choosing one label. Food is a very visible example: the sausages and sauerkraut share roots with German cooking, while the use of cream, wine and elegant pastry is firmly French.
Bringing Alsace to your table
An Alsace evening works well for a cool-weather gathering. Start with tarte flambee, serve choucroute or a baeckeoffe for the main, add a Munster board, and finish with kougelhopf or a fruit tart. You can fold this into a French themed dinner party with regional wines to match.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most iconic dish of Strasbourg? Choucroute garnie is the dish most often named, along with tarte flambee.
What is Colmar’s most popular food? Visitors commonly seek out tarte flambee, choucroute, baeckeoffe and regional pastries.
What is Alsace known for in food and drink? Choucroute, flammekueche, Munster cheese, kougelhopf, white wines and beer are among the best-known.