Spätzle
salt, water | |
Spätzle (.
Etymology
Spätzle is the
Before the use of mechanical devices, the noodles were shaped by hand or with a spoon, and the results resembled Spatzen (plural of Spatz, meaning sparrows, sparrow is Spatz or Sperling in German; Spätzle is the diminutive of Spatz, unchanged in plural).
Knöpfle means "small buttons" and describes the compact, round form of the noodle. In everyday language usage, the two names refer to the same product made from the same dough and are interchangeable.[2] There is no clear distinction between how the two names are used, and usage varies from region to region (for example, in Alsace, knöple are typically larger than spätzle).
History
The geographic origin of spätzle is not precisely known; various regions claim to be the originators of the noodles.
The tradition of making Spätzle can be traced back to the 18th century, although
Today, Spätzle are largely considered a "
Protected designation of origin
Since March 2012, Swabian Spätzle and Swabian Knöpfle have been awarded the EU quality seal for "Protected Geographical Indications (PGI)" and are protected throughout Europe as a regional specialty.[6] To be able to bear this sign, one of the production stages of the product must have taken place in the respectively defined region of origin.
Preparation
Spätzle is a type of pasta or dumpling[2] or noodles.[7][8] Spätzle dough typically consists of few ingredients, principally
Traditionally, spätzle are made by scraping long, thin strips of dough off a wooden (sometimes wet) chopping board (spätzlebrett) into boiling salted water, where they cook until they rise to the surface. Altogether, the dough should thus be as
Since this can be a cumbersome way to prepare spätzle, several devices were invented to facilitate cooking that resemble a strainer or colander, potato ricer (spätzlepresse), food mill or coarse grater (spätzlehobel). As with scraped spätzle, the dough drops into the boiling water. Those instruments that use muscle pressure in addition to gravity can be used with a firmer dough; that for a spätzlehobel should be as "runny" as the one for scraping.
Dough varieties
For certain specialty dishes, the dough may be enriched with minced pork liver (resulting in Leberspätzle ), spinach, or finely grated cheese.
Dishes
Spätzle typically accompanies
Savory
- Linsen, Spätzle und Saitenwürstle: Spätzle with lentils and fine-skinned, frankfurter-style sausages
- Emmenthaler) and fried onion
- carrots
- Krautspätzle: Spätzle mixed with sauerkraut, onion, butter and spices such as marjoram and/or caraway
- Spätzle mit Käse überbacken – Spätzle mixed with cheese and topped with paprika
- Leberspätzle: Spätzle mixed with ground liver often served as a soup with a clear broth
- Spinatspatzeln (Tyrolean dialect): Spätzle which also contains spinach as one of the ingredients; a speciality of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Sweet
- Kirschspätzle: Spätzle mixed with fresh cherries, dressed with clarified, browned butter, sugar, and cinnamon and/or nutmeg. In the Allgäu, this is served as a one-dish supper in late summer.
- Apfelspätzle: Spätzle with grated apples in the dough, dressed with clarified, browned butter, sugar, and cinnamon. In the Allgäu, this is served as a one-dish supper in autumn.
Gallery
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Spätzle
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Käsespätzle (cheese Spätzle), Spätzle with cheese and onions
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Spinatspätzla
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Lentils, Spätzle and Saitenwürstle
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Preparation of Käsespätzle using a Spätzlepresse
See also
- Gnocchi – similar Italian pasta/dumplings
- Halušky – eastern European equivalent of spätzle
- Klöße– larger dumplings
- Knoephla
- Passatelli – similar Italian pasta made with bread crumbs in place of flour
- Schupfnudel
- Swabian Spätzle
References
- ISBN 978-0-19-960111-0.
- ^ a b c d e "Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs". eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ^ "German Embassy London - Spätzle". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
- ^ "Spezialitäten aus Baden-Württemberg" (in German). Archived from the original on 2007-03-04.
- ^ Spätzle a la Suppenküche
- ^ "Registration as a protected geographical indication". Official Journal of the European Union L69/3. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ^ "spaetzle", Collins English Dictionary, accessed Jan 2, 2023.
- ^ "spaetzle", Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition, accessed Jan 2, 2023.
- ^ Basic-Recipes.com - Spätzle Archived 2007-11-14 at the Wayback Machine