Spaetzle’s and their cousin Knoepfe are small pieces of dough cooked in simmering water. They can be little knobs or be thick and uniform almost like a thick spaghetti noodle. The ingredients are simple, flour, egg , water and are seasoned mostly with a bit of salt and nutmeg.

You never call a spaetzle a noodle to a Swabian. They say a Spaetzle must be 4 times in length it's diameter and if it is in the button shape it is called Knoepfle.

Spaetzle is native to Germany but the same dish has different names in different countries, such as , Glauska, Chnophli, Halusky, and as it is made all over the world now the lines are blurred between what is a Spaetzle and what is something else.

It is important to understand because it is really such a part of Swabian culture and their heritage. The Swabians love their Spaetzle. You can add anything to your Spaetzle to make a meal. There are poems and songs written about their beloved dish of Spaetzle. In the novel first published in 1827 "The History of the Seven Swabians," according to which there is a habit in Swabia, "that one eats daily five times a day, five times soup, and twice to Knöpfle or Spaetzle".

While the first literature of Spaetzle has been traced to 1725, Medieval Knights are depicted in paintings with their Spaetzle boards, I am sure it was comfort and sustenance for the busy work of protecting their tribe. Josef Eberle a poet and writer of the region called Spaetzle “…The Foundation of our cuisine, ..the glory of our country, …..the alpha and omega of Swabian cuisine…... “The great importance of Spaetzle for the Swabian cuisine proves u. a. the first published in 1827 novel "The History of the Seven Swabians," according to which there is a habit in Swabia, "that one eats daily five times a day, five times soup, and twice to Knöpfle or Spaetzle"

Spätzles have an interesting History.
Little Sparrows?

Pronounced SHPAYT-zlee

The name comes most likely from the German word Spatzen which means "little sparrows". Why little sparrows? Some think that before there were Spätzle tools they would put dough into their hands like holding a little Sparrow and put small pinches in the water. Another idea is that it was the dough was formed with 2 small spoons making little oval shapes like little sparrow bodies. How it got from Spatzen to Spätzle is not clear, as are many names of dishes in food history. For example if you see "Chili Size" on a menu in the U.S. how would you know that is a chili burger?

The ittle r ounddish Spaetzle are called Knöpfle which means knob in German. These Nob noodles are very similar in shape. This dish became popular in the U.S. around the Dakotas and areas where there are many Germans-from-Russia. They have a famous soup called Knephla soup. The name has also morphed into Nephla and Nifla in some areas.

Spätzle is also used as a favorite nickname, meaning something along the lines of "treasure" or "sweetheart".

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Here are some old Spätzle tools,
from the Spätzle Wonder site

Plane-Model, yes, that's the name, from 1920

Knöpfle-plane from around 1930 - Design familiar?

Spätzle-Schob (Spätzle press)

Knoepfle Mühle from 1920

A cutter or knife and a board called a Spätzle Schaben was undoubtedly the first tool to make Spaetzle.

Many folks feel this is the most authentic and "craftsman-like-way" to make these Spätzles. with practice you get very fast at this, Look at some of the video's and they make it an art form to get the dough just the right thickness and the board wet enough for it to slide off into the simmering water.

Very Old Spätzle-Brett (Spätzle Board)

While most Spaetzle is made from wheat flour now, in the early days it was made from spelt flour. Spelt could exist in the barren soil along with the Swabians which also existed in poverty. Spelt was rich in gluten also so it can make a great spaetzle even if eggs are not available.

ancient grains of Spelt have been traced back to 4000 BC. Many Germans still use spelt. It is called Dinkel Mehl. It is making a comeback in other areas of the world as well.

Old picture Harvesting Spelt

Harvesting Spelt the old fashioned way.

a great website on Spelt

If you are in the area of Southern Germnay you can visit the Spaetzle museum in Bad Waldsee.

On three floors the history of the Spaetzle from board to press, complete with ancient tools, recipes and complete kitchen dioramas with statures showing an 18th century Swabian kitchen the way it was set up.

About The Batter for Spätzle

It is amazing there are so many opinions for a batter that basically consists of just Flour, Eggs and Water

Some Germans are at Polar opposites when it comes to making the batter. So you will have to figure out which way is best for you.

While some folks like to use warm water others like cold.
While some folks swear by mineral water others prefer milk.
Even in some parts they will put some quark or sour cream in the noodle dough.

Some like to coordinate their Spätzle batter with their housework, for the perfect dough. You start it at 8:00 am and every time you walk by it you stir it for a minute. By noon it is ready and perfect.

Others feel that to make perfect Spätzle the lazier the cook the better. Just a few strokes, and you should even be able to see the eggs and the flour.

I like to beat the Spätzle dough until you can see it get a bit stretchy off the sides, and I know it is developing some gluten.

For a Spätzle Press you should make the dough very thick.

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Different types of Spätzles

Emma's Spätzle

This is my grandma's recipe that is characterized by small noodles and the browned butter crumb topping that I can't recommend strongly enough.

These are really easy to make. with so few items it is easy to memorize the recipe so you can put it together in a few minutes.

They also freeze well if you want to do them ahead of time.

Go here to make Grandma Emma's Spätzle
With step by step pictures

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Pressed Spätzle

These are from my friend Oliver Mühling who is a Swäbisher living in SInsheim, near Heidelberg. He sent me this picture recently of the Spaetzle that his mom makes with a Spätzle Schob or Spätzle press. This is different from my grandma's, because the noodles are so much longer and round. You need a stiffer dough, which you just add more flour too.

Here I added more flour and got almost as thick as bread.

If you don't have a Spätzle press I find you can make long noodles by holding up the tool and keeping your push tool flat when you press so the noodles don't get cut off so quick.

Makes Sense?

This video shows how the long Spätzles with the press are made  

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Or you can make the
Handgeschabt style

If you don't have a bona fide Spätzle-Brett you can use
a kitchen knife and a small cutting board.

Here I show you how to make Hand Cut or Handgeschabt Spätzle with step by step pictures

Käsespätzle
Cheese Spätzle

This is like a German Mac and Cheese, and really decadent.

You layer the Spätzle with grated Emmentaler Cheese or Swiss,
Bake and top with fried onion rings.
This is really stepping up the Spätzles a notch or two.

Go here to make Käsespätzle

This is the
Knoephla Suppe
That has become so popular in certain parts of the
U.S. that I think is important to bring in to this discussion

Popular in the Dakotas, and just above in Canada,
The soup makes long ropes then cuts them in 1 inch pieces.

Gaisburger Marsch

This thick stew like soup has a wonderful history to it as well as being a nice showcase of great German cooking. It is an enriched beef stock simmered with potatoes and vegetables and sprinkled with Spätzles and topped with caramelized onion slices.

Lentils and Spätzle

This is a simple and popular dish to put together.
On a bed of Spätzle you ladle some thick
Lentil Soup and then top it with a a good quality Frankfurter.
One that has a natural casing is best.

This is a popular dish when you need a vegetarian one,
You just leave the meat out.

Go here to make some
good thick Lentil soup

"Spätzleslied" by Egon Holz

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Das Kochrezept (Spätzlessong) - schwäbisch

I order from the German Deli more frequently than ever.
I try to get in bulk to make the shipping dollars count.
Also there are sales all the time I like to take advantage of.
They are nice folks. If you don't believe me call them.
and tell them Stephen Block sent you from the German Goodies Newsletter.
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