The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Luxembourger Foods. If you manage to be in an Luxembourger restaurant or you are visiting Luxembourg, I recommend the following:
1. Kuddelfleck
In the past, no part of an animal went to waste. That’s why you’ll find many different offal dishes on the menu in Luxembourg. Traditional dishes include: liewe kniddelen mat sauerkraut (meatballs of liver and sauerkraut); traipen (black pudding made from pig’s head, lungs, kidney and tongue mixed with cabbage and bread), which are deep-fried and served with apple sauce; and kuddelfleck, which is tripe, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried, then served with white wine or a spicy tomato sauce.
2. Paschtéit
Paschtéit or Bouchée à la Reine are large puff pastry tins filled with chicken and mushrooms and mixed with a creamy sauce or béchamel sauce. The pastry case and the contents are baked separately; once the pastry is baked, the filling is placed inside and finally a small pastry lid is opened at the top.
3. Gromperekichelcher
These delicious crispy fried potato fritters are one of the most popular snacks in Luxembourg – you’ll find them for sale at markets and fairs all over the world. Gromperekichelcher are made from a mixture of grated potatoes, chopped onions, parsley, egg, flour and salt, then moulded into flattened patties and deep-fried. Eat them hot as they are or with tomato or apple sauce. They are sometimes eaten with soup.
4. F’rell Am Rèisleck
Luxembourg is landlocked, so traditional fish dishes are based on freshwater rather than seawater. Trout, pike and crayfish are some of the most common fish that can be found in Luxembourg’s restaurants. F’rell Am Rèisleck is one of the most popular dishes, where the trout is first fried and then cooked in a rich Riesling wine and cream sauce. Originally from Belgium, mussels have also become one of Luxembourg’s signature dishes.
5. Quetschentaart
It is an open plum tart, found in bakeries all over Luxembourg in autumn, after the fruit has ripened and been harvested. The cake is traditionally made with a type of plum called damsons. The damsons are pitted, split in half and then placed in a sweet pastry dough base before being baked. The cake is served with a sprinkling of sugar. Another Luxembourgish speciality made from plums is eau de vie, an incredibly alcoholic plum brandy, with 40-50% alcohol.
6. Rieslingspaschteit
Pâté is a common spread made of meat, spread on bread and often eaten with gherkins. Rieslingspaschteit or Pâté au Riesling is a typical Luxembourgish dish in which a thick pâté or pork terrine, surrounded by a Riesling-flavoured aspic, is baked in dough to make a meat pie. The pie is served sliced.
7. Huesenziwwi
During the hunting season – from October to December – you can find huesenziwwi on the menus of some Luxembourgish restaurants. The dish is a jugged hare stew, where the hare is marinated for 48 to 72 hours before being fried in lard and flambéed with cognac. The hare is served with a sauce made from hare or veal blood, red wine and more cognac.
8. Bouneschlupp
This is a thick soup made of green beans and potatoes cooked with bacon, and often served with potato pancakes. Sometimes carrots, leeks, celery, onions, milk and cream are added. Other popular soups include beef broth and a creamy potato and leek soup called Gromperenzopp.
9. Judd Mat Gaardebounen
Some say this is the national dish of Luxembourg. It is a hearty and comforting dish of smoked and salted pork (judd) with broad beans (gaardebounen). The smoked neck of pork is first soaked overnight in water. The next day, it is placed in a pot with vegetables and spices, such as bay leaves and cloves, and simmered for several hours until tender. When ready, the pork is cut into thick slices and placed in creamy bean sauce and served with potatoes, most commonly boiled or sometimes fried with bacon. If you order this dish in a restaurant in Luxembourg, go with a big appetite as portions are usually huge.
10. Friture de la Moselle
Originating in the Moselle wine region of Luxembourg, Friture de la Moselle is a fried fish dish traditionally eaten with the fingers. Different types of small freshwater fish are cleaned and gutted (or left whole if they are small), seasoned with salt and pepper, dipped first in lemon juice and then in a mixture of flour and egg before frying. The fish is served with lemon slices to squeeze out before eating.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.