Savour the Vorarlberg

In Austria's most western province with its many tiny and romantic villages, the local people claim "Spätzle" or "Knöpfli" (buttons) to be their "national dish".

These dumpling variations are prepared with very soft dough consisting of flower, butter eggs, milk and salt. Small portions are cut out of the dough with a spoon and boiled in hot water. They can be served either plain as a side dish or as a main course with fresh lettuce.

As a main course Spätzle are served as Kässpätzle, when they are sprinkled with grated cheese and chives, as Geröstete Spätzle when they are fried in a pan and served with cold soured cream, which is a nice contrast to the piping hot Spätzle. They can also be served with minced meat and spinach.

A very Vorarlbergian sweet dish is the so-called Ofenkatze (oven cat, God knows, where the name comes from), which is a fruit cake made of a very soft yeast dough, where the fruits are already mixed into. Spread with butter before baking promises a golden, crusty outcome.