Luxembourg - The Multicultural Schueberfouer

Now that Schuebi (short for Schueberfouer, an autumn funfair which happens in Luxembourg since 1340) is over, let's talk about what you missed if you did not check it out. For a month everyone living in Luxembourg, but especially the ones living next to the Glacis area, got a taste of the goodies sold at the fair, enjoyed the parties, tried the roller coasters and had sleepless nights because of the general noise.

But if you pass all the inconveniences, all the crowds, all the noises and the smells, you are left with a very multicultural experience, as I do believe culture is expressed through its dishes. Where else (except maybe Bazar International) could you sample the delicacies from Italy, Germany, Romania, Greece or Portugal?

Bare in mind, those stalls are kept by migrants to Luxembourg and the tastes were adapted to the ones required by people living here. But, nevertheless you can get an idea about the certain dishes specific to a country or a region. There are a lot of stereotypes, which are put to the mix, such as pasta from Italy or churros from Spain, when in fact churros is different from one region to the next in Spain and throughout Southern America.
When I was first introduced to Schueberfouer by my Luxembourgish friend, I was told about the tradition to eat some sort of fish, mussel (moule) or sea fruits in one of the many restaurants placed in tents and, of course, sample the local beer. I did that on the first year and because I'm a fussy eater I did not eat at Schueberfouer for the next three years, until I've discovered the sweets.

 When I think about Holland I think about raw herring and not gaufres, but since in our days everything is so mixed, I guess they got some inspiration from their Belgian neighbours, so here is Holland at Schueberfouer.

When living in such a multicultural place you create your own traditions, so for me the potato pancakes (gromperekichelcher) are more associated with the Christmas Market, so no chance I would eat that in the summer. I guess they are an all year dish for the German part of Luxembourg as you could find them everywhere at the Schuebi.

Churros, crepes, everything sweet for your taste-buds. 

Brezeln from Bavaria

Kurtos from Romania. 

Wait, we have to talk here. I say from Romania, because I love them, they have a special place in my heart and are owned by Romanians, but of course you can find kurtos kolacs from Transylvania to Vienna and in the south to Belgrade, every country on the way claiming this sweet dish. If you ask wiki and I think it is right, kurtos kolacs or chimney cake originates from Hungary. The traditional one is with a lot of sugar and nuts, but you can find them even with chocolate flakes if you want to. 

Now that Schuebi is over I will miss them till the Christmas Market :(

If this hut doesn't scream Greece, I don't know what does. 

Italian pasta, anyone?

Simon is a Luxembourgish beer, an ok-ish beer I might say, but I live in Belgium so my beer taste is up on a certain level :) Nonetheless, Simon is a good beer, try it if you have the chance.

Again a potato pancake stall 

This is flamed salmon advertised at the Schueberfouer as a Finnish dish. It is very good and after tasting it at the Christmas Market and now at the Schueberfouer I want to go to Finland. You see, cuisine can be a very good promoter of a country :)

I think it was a Bavarian hut, but I'm not sure. It had beer, that's about all I can say about it. To be fair, by the time I arrived there, I had Finnish salmon and a lot of sweets, so beer was all I could fit in. 

Another hut with a lot of wursts, a pork sausage.

It would not be Schueberfouer without the gingerbread harts.

Last but not least I arrived in Portugal.

"Pastel de nata" is a Portuguese sweet dish I've heard a lot about. Even if the Portuguese community is very big here in Luxembourg, I've never tried it here. I'm not saying you can't find pastel de nata in Luxembourg, I'm just saying I don't know where to find it in Luxembourg. Well, lucky me, I've spotted this hut right before I was about to leave Schuebi and bought some for the road home.

As I always say, look for the story. I hope that at some point someone would organise guided food tours within the Schueberfouer, as I would be the first one the sign in. Because I was lucky enough to go there also on a not so busy day and I've talked with the sellers and asked questions, I got a better view of the funfair and its multicultural dimension. 

I hope you loved reading this post as much as I loved putting it together! Also, if you fancy keeping in contact with me, drop a line at Dichisuri.ro on Facebook.

Raluca