Emmanuel Cornubet from luxury DMC The 1492 Company whets your appetite with flammekueche, a little-known delicacy from the Germany-bordered region of Alsace. 

Gastronomic Storytelling 

The eastern French region of Alsace is almost unknown to tourists except around Christmastime when the “Marche de Noel” heralds the region’s well-known Christmas market in Strasbourg (Christkindelsmarik, in the local tongue). However, Alsace has a lot to offer, not least its gastronomy. Of course, culinary offerings such as choucroute are already famous even beyond the French borders. But a lesser-known dish worthy of praise is the flammekueche. This thin-crust pizza is made with crème fraîche, sliced onions, and smoked lardons and is traditionally served as an appetizer—though it holds its own as a main dish. 

To personalize by adding cheese seems almost obvious, especially considering that Alsace has many local specialty cheeses which deserve recognition. Local producers are always happy to welcome cheese enthusiasts for a private insider’s visit and tasting. However, the purists would frown and argue that the only way to enjoy the “real thing” is at one of very few establishments in Alsace that are part of “the brotherhood of the true flammekueche.” It sounds like a bad French adaptation of an Indiana Jones adventure; but this designation does exist and proudly defends the original recipe for this unique local delicacy. Hardcore flammekueche defendants can be found at restaurants such as Taverne de l’Ackerland, Auberge Burgschenke, and S’Bronne Stuebel, to name a few. 

It’s worth noting that a flammekueche baked with a wood-burning fire tastes wonderful, and therefore, the “real thing” should be enjoyed at least once in a food adventurer’s lifetime. 

Best Enjoyed: 

This is a personal preference of which I’m sure traditionalists would not approve. A slice of flammekueche with a glass of Alsatian ice wine is heaven in my world. I find that the sweetness of the ice wine balances the saltier notes of the bacon (lardons). I also love the natural and technical wonders of Alsatian ice wine. While sipping a glass, I can’t help but picture its fairytale harvesting process: images of snow-covered fields where hurried farmhands rush to capture those fragile and delicate icy pearls by candlelight in the dead of the night. 

For more information about The 1492 Company, click here.