I am in the business of selling cookbooks that I create. I offer cookbooks from around the world but for me to create a cookbook, I have to have an interest in the foods of the region(s) I am writing about. Alsace-Lorraine is the region where my surname comes from, so I naturally had a reason for dwelling into the foods of Alsace-Lorraine since that is one of the places where my family is from.

Alsace-Lorraine is two regions located next to each other in the eastern part of the country of France. Alsace lies along the Rhine river, the border with Germany, while Lorraine is the region just to the west of Alsace. Alsace and Lorraine both have had a turbulent history starting from the 17th century until recently. Alsace was part of Germany until the Treaty of Munster in 1648 while Lorraine was French with German masters. For the next 300 years, both regions were passed back and forth between France and Germany until after WWII.

Alsace has much in common with Germany, the language and the culture, the architecture and the food. Sauerkraut with all the pork trimmings is the region's signature dish. The soil is rich and the agriculture abundant. The region's products are celebrated with festivals around the year. Alsace is also know for it's foie gras and it's pate de foie gras. For those of you who do not know what foie gras is and are not vegetarian, keep reading, otherwise skip to the next paragraph. Foie gras is the mixture created from the livers of ducks and geese which are forcefed to create fatty livers. Pate is just a more refined product of the same process.

Lorraine, on the other hand, has more in common with France. A region of rolling pastures and farms, Lorraine is famous for a dish called Quiche Lorraine, created during a time period when Lorraine actually had it's own royalty. The region has been important to history for many reasons but salt is the primary reason. The area has always been a heavy producer of salt and it's main source of wealth due to salts preserving characteristics.

Both regions offer wine but Alsace offers wines of distinction, primarily Gewurztraminer, perfect with a hunk of Munster Cheese, strong cows milk cheese aged to varying degrees. Alsace also has a strong baking tradition, sometimes rivaling the better creations of the bakers of Paris. Game and Fish are important additions to any menu in the region and is supplied to kitchens across France and Germany.

I hope this information encourages you to find out more about dishes from this area of France whether because your family comes from this area or because the informastion has peaked you interest. Feel free to communicate with me if you have further questions.