🍽️ Gastronomic guide to Luxembourg: top 10 dishes

Luxembourg is a small country. Its traditions and national cuisine were formed under the influence of its neighbors: France, Belgium and Germany. Therefore, familiar and already familiar to many “taste traits” can be found in almost any local dish. 

Kitchen features

The culinary traditions of Luxembourg are reflected in generous large portions – German influence, refined presentation and aftertaste – greetings from France. Of course, most everyday dishes, as in Germany, are of peasant origin. They have less French sophistication, although much has changed since their creation. Therefore, one can hardly accuse the local cuisine of being too simple.

I read a local saying that in Germany they eat a lot, in France they eat beautifully. And in Luxembourg it’s both delicious and beautiful. Luxembourgers, I repeat, really do not waste time on trifles: the portions are large, and the presentation of the dishes is spectacular.

The country loves to cook crayfish and local freshwater fish, which are not inferior in taste to sea fish. Luxembourgers have a big sweet tooth, they value chocolate no less than the Belgians, and they also really love pastries and desserts based on their signature liqueurs. Luxembourg is also famous for its honey, it is of very high quality and always undergoes a bunch of certifications. Honey is added to many dishes, desserts, dressings, and sauces.

Among the local dairy products, one can highlight cancuayot – processed cheese, which in appearance is more reminiscent of sour cream. It is considered the signature cheese of the country, although in France it is loved no less. Beurre Rose butter is also popular in Luxembourg.

The most common national dishes are smoked pork, veal heart, liver dumplings, local pies in sauce, for example , pie with jellied meat. You won't try this anywhere else. And what it looks like, photo below.

Also popular are plum pies, jellied suckling pigs, blood sausage, potato pancakes, potato pancakes, pea soup, roast hare, green bean soup, meat pate, Thuringian sausages and, of course, the amazing Luxembourg white wines and liqueurs “ketsch” and “kirsch” ” with different tastes. It is clear that many dishes from this list are familiar to us, but the cooking methods differ from country to country, sometimes the difference is extremely significant.

National dishes: what is worth trying?

Pork backbone with beans

People in Luxembourg love to have smoked pork for lunch or dinner, and specifically pork backbone. If in the Czech Republic pork drumsticks are more popular, then in Luxembourg the meat is cooked from the back. It is smoked and always served with beans, as well as turnips and radishes. This is a rather filling and fatty dish, but it fills you with energy for the whole day – ideal for long walks while traveling. 

Ardennes ham

One of the most popular components of the national cuisine of Luxembourg is Ardennes ham. Although they came up with her method of producing meat in Belgium. But it was in Luxembourg that ham became famous. 

In some ways, the appetizer is similar to jamon, but there is a difference. Ardennes ham is prepared in an unusual way: marinated pork meat is smoked with cold smoke. Ham can be an independent dish, but most often it is only an ingredient. They serve other meats, stuff fish, and so on. A month is not enough to try all the variations of dishes with ham, but it’s definitely worth tasting a few. 

Freshwater trout

I have already mentioned the love of Luxembourgers for river fish, especially when it is trout. And if you stuff it with ham and serve it with local wine, it will be delicious. You can even book a tour of the rivers and fishing spots, or go fishing where it is allowed. They say that the best fish is from the Schengen village. Yes, yes, it was there that the famous agreement was signed, thanks to which we now usually only need one visa to travel around Europe. Tourists joke that after dining on Luxembourg fish, it becomes much easier to get your next visa.

Bakery

This is a popular business. Some families have been baking for generations, each with their own traditions and recipes. People in Luxembourg love apple pies of all kinds, pretzel, small sugar donuts and open-faced pies with a variety of fillings. Be sure to stop by the local bakery – ideal for breakfast, no worse than Parisian croissants.

Alcohol

Everyone knows French, Italian, Georgian wines, but only true connoisseurs of the drink know how high-quality and tasty wine, mainly white, is produced in Luxembourg. Especially in the Moselle River valley, even if it flows in other countries. Typically, Luxembourg wines are fully fermented and dry.

Wine festivals are often held in the country in autumn. If you are a fan of new tastes, then pay attention to blackcurrant wine from Beaufort Castle and local liqueurs made from berries, plums, apples and pears. If you have enough time, you can go to the vineyards or at least take a tour at the wine museum in the town of Henin.

In Luxembourg there is a restaurant – the world record holder “Chiggeri”. The place boasts the largest wine list on the planet – more than 1,500 wines. That is why true wine connoisseurs will never write off local drinks. Luxembourg is an amazing country, albeit tiny, but it has plenty of architectural, natural and, as you already understood, gastronomic attractions. So bon voyage and bon appétit!