Spätzle are small, irregularly-shaped dumplings, like the German cousin of gnocchi. Unlink gnocchi, spätzle are not made with potatoes but rather with flour, eggs and milk. A common side dish in Germany, spätzle can be found fried in butter with spices or boiled to make a starchy accompaniment to gravy drenched meat dishes like goulash. While some of the most dedicated German home cooks have special spätzle shapers, many people push spätzle dough through a colander to form the dumplings’ characteristic shape. Spätzle usually have a rough, rustic appearance and a hand-made texture and taste. Once you try them, we’re sure you’ll appreciate their unique appeal.
photo by Seph Swain via CC, adapted by ParTASTE.