Alsace's culinary identity is distinct from the rest of France — the influence of German and Rhénane tradition is unmistakable. Choucroute garnie (the garnished sauerkraut) is the preparation that most completely expresses this dual identity: the sauerkraut is German in tradition; the Riesling is Alsatian; the combination and its careful timing are classical French.
Sauerkraut (fermented white cabbage) braised in Riesling wine with smoked pork knuckle, bacon, Strasbourg sausage, and blood sausage — the definitive preparation of Alsace, the region that sits on the Rhine border between France and Germany and whose cuisine reflects both. Choucroute garnie is a preparation of accumulation: each pork product added to the braising liquid at the correct moment so that all arrive at service simultaneously at their correct texture.
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