In Germany, we eat well! It’s time to discover one of our neighbours’ specialities: the fabulous Schupfnudeln
Shupfnudeln is not the only German speciality in the pasta section but it is where they come from. They deserve to be honoured!
Schupfnudeln means rolled noodle and this name defines very well these round, long and fleshy pasta. They are also called Fingernudeln (finger noodles) or Bubespitzle (little boy’s willy!). They are similar to Italian gnoccis and are made from potatoes, flour and eggs. It’s the appearance that differs above all, to give them this typical shape, you have to make small sausages and roll them in a back and forth movement. Scalded in water and then cooked in the pan in lots of butter, it is a solid dish that fills the belly and is suitable for comforting an unhappy heart.
They are often found cooked with minced “Speck” (bacon) and onions but they are often served as an accompaniment to meat or a dish. When travelling to Stuttgart, Ulm, Munich, Austria or somewhere in Bavaria, it would be a pity to miss this tasty dish.
In the pasta department, Shupfnudeln are not the only essential German specialties, try also the Spätzle!
Spätzle or Spaetzle is an emblematic dish of Bavaria and Southern Germany. Very similar to Shupfnudeln, the heavy and slightly viscous preparation of the pasta is “rapped” above the pot on a grid resembling a cheese rapper. This gives the shape to the origin of their name: in Swabian dialect Spätzle means sparrows. Although the pasta does not look like small birds, it is reminiscent of the shape of a nest when presented on the plate.
A dish of spätzle is quite difficult to prepare without the help of a machine because stirring the dough requires a lot of muscle!
Just for the fun of practising ordering in a typical restaurant: in Switzerland ask for Chäschnöpfli, in Austria for Käsknöpfle and in Tirol for Kasspatzin.
In the Allgäu, one of the specialities which make the hungry belly happy are the Käsepätzle. Cream, onion fondue and Allgäu cheese are added to the freshly baked pasta. This is irresistible.
It is not a diet but it is really good and to top it all off, these dishes go very well with a beer… Bavarian of course.