Spätzle
Also known as: spaetzle, spatzle, knöpfle
Egg noodles of irregular shape with a rough, porous surface, whose dough goes straight into boiling water; "Schwäbische Spätzle" is an EU protected name.
Spätzle are egg noodles of irregular shape with a rough, porous surface, made by putting a firm dough directly into boiling water or steam. The shape ranges from thick to thin and from long to short.
The name "Schwäbische Spätzle / Schwäbische Knöpfle" was entered in the EU register as a protected geographical indication (PGI) by Implementing Regulation (EU) No 186/2012 of 7 March 2012. The specification treats the two names as the same product, interchangeable in everyday speech. The production area is Swabia: all of Baden-Württemberg and the Bavarian administrative district of Schwaben.
According to the specification, the ingredients are semolina (durum wheat and/or spelt), eggs and drinking water; salt (at most 1%), spices, herbs and spinach are optional. Fresh spätzle may use wheat and/or spelt flour in place of some or all of the semolina and may be lightly oiled. Dry spätzle contain at least 2 eggs per kg of semolina, fresh ones at least 8 eggs per kg of semolina and flour.
Spätzle are sold fresh, pasteurised, chilled or frozen, and also dried.
Facts
| Raw material | Semolina (durum wheat and/or spelt), eggs, drinking water; fresh: flour allowed 1 |
|---|---|
| Region | Swabia: Baden-Württemberg and Bavarian Schwaben 1 |
| Registered | PGI, Regulation (EU) No 186/2012 of 7 March 2012 2 |
How it connects to Pasta
Links
- What it contains
- Wheat flour, 🥚 Chicken egg
- Part of
- Gnocchi and spätzle, Egg pasta
- Similar and different
- Gnocchi, Bürger Spätzle und Knöpfle, Tress Großmutters Küche, Settele, Birkel's No.1, 3 Glocken Die mag ich, Bernbacher Die Guten, ALB-GOLD Frischteigwaren, Valfleuri Pâtes d'Alsace à l'ancienne, Pâtes Grand'Mère Spécialités
Frequently asked questions
Are spätzle noodles or dumplings?
They are irregular egg noodles with a rough, porous surface, made by putting a firm dough straight into boiling water or steam.
Are Spätzle and Knöpfle the same thing?
In the EU register the names “Schwäbische Spätzle” and “Schwäbische Knöpfle” are treated as one product, interchangeable in everyday speech.
Is it true that spätzle can be made anywhere and still be called Swabian?
Not quite. The protected name belongs to the production area of Swabia: Baden-Württemberg and the Bavarian district of Schwaben.
Why is the spelling spätzle, spaetzle or spatzle?
The umlaut ä is often written ae or just a in English; all three spellings denote the same egg noodles.
How many eggs must spätzle contain?
By the protected specification, dry ones need at least 2 eggs per kg of semolina and fresh ones at least 8 eggs per kg of semolina and flour.
Comparisons
What to read next
- 🥚 Chicken egg — The egg of the domestic hen: in pasta it gives yellow colour, an elastic dough and protein, and in the EU it must be highlighted on labels as an allergen.
- Tress Großmutters Küche — Tress rolled egg noodles and Spätzle made the grandmother's way from durum semolina and fresh eggs; the Spätzle and Knöpfle carry the "Schwäbische Spätzle" PGI.
- Gnocchi — Italian dumplings, usually of potato and soft wheat flour; each region shapes them its own way, from Parma and Liguria to Sorrento, and shop-bought ones cook in about 2 minutes.
- Settele — German family company from Neu-Ulm, founded in 1968, that makes fresh Swabian specialities: spätzle, Maultaschen and Schupfnudeln.
- Wheat flour — Finely ground common wheat: in Italy it is used for home-made fresh and egg pasta, in Germany for spätzle.
Similar
What it includes
- Schwäbische Spätzle
- Settele Spätzle
- Settele Eier-Spätzle Knöpfle
- Settele Eier-Spätzle geschabt
- Settele Lange Spätzle
- Settele Spinat-Spätzle
- Birkel's No.1 Schwäbische Spätzle g.g.A.
- Bürger High Protein-Spätzle
All (44) →
- Settele Spätzle
- Schwäbische Spätzle
- 3 Glocken Die mag ich Spätzle
- 3 Glocken GENUSS PUR Spätzle
- ALB-GOLD Albspätzle Geschabt
- ALB-GOLD Bauernspätzle
- ALB-GOLD Bio Dinkel Eierspätzle
- ALB-GOLD Bio Hartweizen Eierspätzle
- ALB-GOLD Gourmet Knöpfle
- ALB-GOLD Gourmet Spätzle
- ALB-GOLD Jägerspätzle
- ALB-GOLD Kaiserspätzle
- ALB-GOLD Knöpfle
- ALB-GOLD Königsspätzle Geschabt
- Bernbacher Die Guten Echte Spätzle
- Bernbacher Die Guten Spätzle
- Bernbacher Die Guten Wellenspätzle
- Birkel's No.1 Schwäbische Spätzle g.g.A.
- Bürger Bio Spätzle
- Bürger Frische Dinkel-Knöpfle
- Bürger High Protein-Spätzle
- Bürger Schwäbische Eierknöpfle
- Bürger Schwäbische Eierspätzle
- Pâtes Grand'Mère Knepfle
- Pâtes Grand'Mère Spaetzle
- Settele Bio Eier-Spätzle
- Settele Dinkel-Spätzle
- Settele Eier-Spätzle Knöpfle
- Settele Eier-Spätzle geschabt
- Settele G'schabte Spätzle
- Settele Lange Spätzle
- Settele Spinat-Spätzle
- Settele Vegane Spätzle
- Tress Bauernspätzle
- Tress Feine Spätzle
- Tress G'schabte Schwäbische Spätzle
- Tress Omas Schwäbische Spätzle
- Tress Original Schwäbische Knöpfle
- Tress Original Schwäbische Spätzle
- Tress Schwäbische Spätzle
- TressOhne Spätzle
- Valfleuri Knepfle
- Valfleuri Spätzle
- Valfleuri Sundig Spaetzle
Sources
- Markenblatt Heft 26, 01.07.2016, Teil 7e — vollständige Produktspezifikation „Schwäbische Spätzle / Schwäbische Knöpfle“ g.g.A. (DPMA)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 186/2012 — Schwäbische Spätzle / Schwäbische Knöpfle (PGI)