The birthplace of tarte flambée

or rather flamed!

The tarte flambée is undoubtedly a typically Alsatian product, but its origins can be found in the heart of the Beau Jardin, in the Kochersberg region to be precise!

It is difficult to date exactly when the first tarte flambée appeared. It dates back to the time when the same oven was used to bake bread for several households in the same village. The farmers would make and bake the bread for the coming days. When everyone had baked their bread, they would use the leftover dough and add a few farm products, and the day would come to an end in a convivial atmosphere (already!) over this finger food.

You know the recipe: homemade pastry made with flour, water, oil and salt… and the classic: thick crème fraîche and/or fromage frais, smoked bacon and chopped onions, and off you go! But don’t bake for too long (3 minutes is enough) in a hot oven. Each restaurant has its own recipe and seasoning! There are endless variations, but purists will tell you that the real thing is the traditional one: cream, onions and bacon!

over a wood fire!

The term “flambée” is in fact the result of a mistranslation of “flammenkueche” – which, more accurately, should be translated as “flamed tart” in reference to the flames of wood-fired cooking! You’ll find this more accurate name on the menus of some of our restaurants.

It was in the early 1960s that the tarte flambée first appeared in restaurants. The history of the Alsatian tarte flambée is one that has been passed down through the years, in keeping with tradition!