The British seem to ignore this part France, rarely visiting and shunning both its’ food and wine. I can’t understand why, both are truly wonderful. We really should show more respect to a land that gave us the Christmas tree! Where to start? Well the German influence on food is obvious, but I can assure you it is done with French finesse and delicacy.

We should no so much talk of cabbages and kings but cabbages and cherries and plums.

Cabbage first. This simple vegetable is transformed into Sauerkraut (choucroute) by simply pickling it in a salt solution. This is just the beginning and where Alsace-Lorraine shows its true French roots, it should be cooked in Alsace Riesling, goose fat and flavoured with juniper and coriander seed. It is only a base to show off some of the best charcuterie in France. Lorraine is peppered (excuse the expression) with salt mines and they put it to good use. A truly dazzling array of sausages made of pork or beef to which they add pistachios, hazelnuts, anise, horseradish, caraway seeds and even the odd truffle. Smoked, grilled, and boiled. You may know Strasbourg as being the seat of the EEC but to most Frenchmen it is the capital of la Saucisse. Salted, plain or smoked pork shanks are added and I have even seen all three. Though much rarer, try and find a turnip sauerkraut (choucroute de navets).

Goose and game are also held in great affections, usually combined to great effect with local fruit or wines or both.

I truly wish I could explain why but….Alsace-Lorraine is famous for its noodles. Though not as varied as Italy, they are served as an accompaniment rather than a course. Look out for nouilles au beurre (plain butter) á la crème (cream), au lait (browned breadcrumbs in butter and milk), the little twisted ,worm like, Spaetzli and finally the odd Totelot a cold noodle served with a hot sauce.

I hope you were not holding your breath for to talk about quiche. Quiche is simply a derivation of the German for kitchen. So it won’t come as a shock that there is not a Quiche Lorraine sitting on the table on every dining room in Alsace-Lorraine. For a start locally they prefer something called Zewelwai which is the one we all know stuffed with onions sautéed in goose fat. The fact is the doughs are many, and the fillings even more so. And not just savoury, the local fruit grandstand in the shape of plums, apricots, cherries, bilberries or just a sweetened version of the classic.

Munster, or Monster as a member of staff at the Brasserie once called it, is the principal cheese. The notoriety of the smell of this cheese has crossed many frontiers, but don’t be put off, the taste is not quite as strong. Try it with a local sweet Gewurztraminer or plain on some plain boiled potatoes. If you have any complaints about it stinking out you home, blame the Irish. It was Irish monks who started making it in 7th having come over to Alsace to convert the locals.

Finally not satisfied with the Christmas tree, Alsace Lorraine gave us the Baba au Rhum. The story goes that in the 18th the Duke of Lorraine thought his Kugelhopf (a cross between a bread and a cake) was a bit dry. He simply poured some rum over it, finding it very much to his taste he gave it a name inspired by a character in the book he was reading at the time “A thousand and one nights”.