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PGI — Alsace
Seven fresh eggs per kilo of durum wheat semolina: the recipe for Alsatian pasta has not changed since the region's first cookery books recorded it in the 16th century. Simple, generous, irreducibly Alsatian.
Cereal from Alsace, PGI (IGP) since 2005.
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The oldest recipe for egg pasta recorded in an Alsatian cookery book dates back to 1507, in the Kochbuch printed in Strasbourg, and then in 1530 in the Von allen Speisen und Gerichten: both works provide the recipe for Wasser Strieble — 'little water twigs' — an evocative description of a semi-liquid dough dropped in strands into boiling water. In 1671, Abbé Bernardin Buchinger in turn recorded, in his own Kochbuch, a similar recipe for handmade noodles (Selbstgemachtnudel), revealing the secret of their preparation: 'Noodles are made with plenty of eggs, good flour, and salt. No water, but eggs in abundance.'
Spätzle and Knepfle belong to a culinary area shared by Alsace, Swabia (whose dialect gave them their name), Switzerland, and Austria, but Alsace has made them one of its most popular signatures. Until the 19th century, their preparation remained domestic and rural, with farm eggs readily available: every Alsatian household had its own Spätzle board, a wooden board pierced with small holes through which the dough was pushed by hand into boiling water. This technique, handed down from generation to generation, remains the foundation of this savoir-faire.
The PGI (IGP) recognition in 2005 crowned this tradition by establishing strict specifications: a minimum of 320 grams of fresh eggs (namely 7 eggs) per kilo of durum wheat semolina, production in Alsace, and adherence to the traditional method. Today, only two companies can claim the PGI Pâtes d'Alsace: Valfleuri in Wittenheim and Heimburger (Pâtes Grand'Mère brand) in Marlenheim, which share the bulk of the market.
Pâtes d'Alsace come in several shapes — noodles, angel hair, coquillettes, and spaetzle — all creamy-yellow to golden in colour, with a subtle flavour of fresh eggs. Spätzle (or Spétzeles) are small, irregular twigs obtained by passing the semi-liquid dough through the holes of a dedicated grater or board; their irregularity is precisely their charm, each piece catching the sauce differently. Knepfle are shorter and thicker, rounded in shape, akin to a small rustic quenelle.
The richness in eggs is the product's absolute signature: Alsatian pasta requires a minimum of 7 per kilo of durum wheat semolina, amounting to more than 320 grams of fresh eggs. This proportion gives the pasta a deep yellow colour, a rich and slightly buttery flavour, and a texture that clings remarkably well to sauces.
The dough, semi-liquid and generously enriched with fresh eggs, is pushed through the holes of a dedicated board or grater directly above boiling water — the same movement, handed down from generation to generation, that produces the irregular twigs of Spätzle or the small, rounded quenelles of Knepfle. The PGI specifications govern this savoir-faire: a minimum of 320 grams of fresh eggs (7 eggs) per kilo of durum wheat semolina, and production exclusively in Alsace.
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In cooking, spätzele and Pâtes d'Alsace are traditionally enjoyed as an accompaniment to a dish in sauce. In Haut-Rhin, leftover choucroute garnie is readily mixed with the next day's spätzele — a dish known as Krauterspätzele. Pan-fried in butter after cooking, they take on a toasted crêpe flavour that is especially prized by enthusiasts.
Since: 2005
Area covered: Alsace (67, 68)
Key requirements: ≥ 320 g of fresh eggs per kg of semolina, made in Alsace
Artisanal manufacturer
Artisanal industry
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Heimburger presents itself as one of the few independent family businesses to have established themselves in the pasta market, both in supermarkets and with catering professionals. It claims four generations of passing down traditional Alsatian recipes within the Heimburger family.
As an Alsatian pasta maker certified Alsace Excellence, the company describes itself as a specialist in fresh-egg pasta since 1933, produced at its Marlenheim factory. According to the company, its range of PGI (IGP) Pâtes d'Alsace is made with one kilogram of durum wheat semolina for every 7 fresh French free-range eggs, and includes classic short and long pasta, Alsatian specialities (spaetzle, knepfle, nids), a 'Terroir' range, as well as wholemeal, organic and quick-cook pasta.
| Address | 7 Rue du Général de Gaulle, 67520 Marlenheim, France |
| +33 (0)3 88 59 59 09 | |
| grand-mere@pates-alsace.com | |
| patesgrandmere.com | |
| Facebook page | |
| @patesgrandmere | |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2000. |
Artisanal industry
Valfleuri presents itself as a French family business founded in 1922, originally specialising in the manufacture of Pâtes d'Alsace made with 7 fresh eggs. Over a century, the company says it has evolved from an artisanal to an industrial scale, and now claims to be the 3rd-largest pasta manufacturer in France.
Its historic recipe combines 7 fresh free-range eggs per kilogram of durum wheat semolina — a composition that the company says has remained unchanged for more than 100 years. According to the company, both the eggs and the durum wheat used are of French origin, with the wheat for the 100% durum wheat range sourced from farms certified 'Haute Valeur Environnementale'. Valfleuri offers more than 40 different pastas, sold notably on its online shop.
| Address | 5 Rue de la Charente, 68270 Wittenheim, France |
| +33 3 89 57 08 60 | |
| relation@valfleuri.fr | |
| valfleuri.fr | |
| Facebook page | |
| @valfleuri_officiel | |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 1998. |
