While in Strasbourg, I didn’t limit my tastings of the local cuisine to large joints of roasted pork. I made sure to spend not one but two meals sampling one of the most famous dishes of the region:Â flammekueche.
Flammekueche, which is also known as tarte flambée, is loosely translated to “flame cake” or “pie baked in the flames.” While the word flambée usually refers to a dish doused in alcohol and quite literally set ablaze, in this case, it refers to the way the bottom of this pizza-like concoction is blackened and blistered in a hot, wood-fired oven. The result is a cracker-thin crust with just the right amount of smoky flavor.
The Alsatian specialty is spread with a thin layer of fromage blanc, a sort of rich, mild farmer’s cheese with a similar consistency to Greek yogurt, or else with crème fraiche. This base is then topped with thinly sliced onions and bacon lardons.
That said, there are a number of other versions, including a flammekueche gratinée, topped with shredded Gruyère cheese, a Munster version with the strong Alsatian cheese on top, or forestière, with sliced mushrooms. There are even sweet versions, though I have to admit, we were so taken with the savory options that we didn’t venture that far. (Next time, maybe!)
While we tasted a handful of flammekueche, we found our favorite version at La Lanterne (5, rue de la Lanterne), a simple beer bar down a side street with outdoor seating, several house brews, and really excellent flammekueche — the classic is great, but the Munster is out of this world.