This year the Knepfelfacht in Riquewihr (Quenelle festival) will take place on June 13-14, 2020. See the official 2019 programme, just to give you an idea. Details for 2020 to come.

It’s now been four years since Riquewihr decided to pay homage to one of the most emblematic dishes of the Rhenish and Central European universe: the Knepfel also called Knoedel in certain regions. We can translate by “quenelle”. The recipe variants are endless! This is the opportunity to enjoy some amazing gastronomy every year on the second weekend of June. 

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Chefs and winemakers are accomplices …

The concept of the Knepfelfacht is based on a dozen pairs of cooks and winemakers. The chef creates a recipe around the Knepfel that he prepares in front of visitors. The winemaker offers one or more wines to accompany the dish. The party takes place on the square in front of the town hall where a dozen tents shelter as many cooks and winemakers. There is also a cook show during which well-known Alsatian chefs fight each other in a friendly manner. Who will produce the most original knepfel recipe? The jury will decide.

This year the Knepfelfacht in Riquewihr (Quenelle festival) will take place on June 13-14, 2020. See the official 2019 programme, just to give you an idea. Details for 2020 to come.

But what is Knepfla or Knepfel?

Knöpfle, or Knepfle, means “little button” in many language variants of German, including Alsatian. The French word “quenelle” comes from the German Knödel (“dumpling”, from the Latin nodus, “knot”). These terms broadly refer to an egg pasta dish served as a side dish to sauce dishes. The Spätzele (better known) are a finer and longer variant of Knöpfle, or Knepfle.

Learn more about Knepfla and how to make them. See the full page here.

The variety of possible recipes means that at the Knepfelfacht in Riquewihr you will only taste different dishes. And unexpected ones.

Knepfle: a secular dish …

Learn more about Knepfla and how to make them. See the full page here.

In 1671, the abbot Friar Bernardin Buchinger, an Alsatian from Kientzheim near Colmar, published in Mulhouse a cookbook entitled “Cookbook for religious households as well as for the laity”. Obviously the book was successful since barely a year later, in 1672, it was necessary to reprint. This is the second edition I found at the Staatsbibliothek Stuttgart. I got some Knepfle recipes from 350 years ago for you.

Learn more about the history of Knepfla and some old medieval recipes. See the full page here.

While waiting to be able to implement yourself these very old recipes that are part of the culinary heritage of the Rhine, come and taste the Knepfle recipes offered at Riquewihr at the Knepfelfacht!