What is Kaese Spaetzle? Germany's answer to macaroni cheese

PLATE UP

Picture this: it's cold outside on this German winter's day, maybe snowing, the air chilly enough that your breath comes out in puffs of condensation. You've been hiking all morning, or maybe skiing, or just sightseeing in the outdoors. You need to get warm. You need sustenance. You need something filling and fatty and delicious to cure what ails you. You need, in other words, kaese spaetzle. Think of this as Germany's answer to macaroni and cheese, a dish of spaetzle – short, thin noodles similar to pasta, though made with a thinner dough – layered with local cheeses, topped with fried onions and then baked until gooey and crispy and unctuous. Pair this with a tall, frothy glass of German wheat beer and you will be all set to get back out in the cold.

FIRST SERVE

The first recorded mention of spaetzle – a name thought to derive from the German word for "little sparrows" – is in 1725, though food historians believe that those in the southern German area of Swabia were making these noodles well before then. A novel published in 1827 says of the Swabians: "that one eats daily five times, five times soup, and twice spaetzle". And its popularity remains. It makes sense, of course, that sooner or later someone thought to mix local cheeses with this staple of the Swabian diet, though no one is quite sure when that occurred.

ORDER THERE

In Stuttgart, enjoy the traditional, belt-exploding Swabian classics, including kaese spaetzle, at Zum Ackerbuerger (ackerbuerger.de), a charming restaurant set in a 16th-century building.

ORDER HERE

In Melbourne, head to Gasthaus on Queen (gasthausonqueen.com) in the CBD. Sydneysiders can grab a huge slice of German culture (and a large bowl of kaese spaetzle) at the Concordia Club in Marrickville (concordiaclub.org.au).

ONE MORE THING

The true secret to kaese spaetzle's greatness – and what sets it apart from its Italian and American brethren – is the use of German cheeses known as "Bergkaese", aged alpine cheeses that have a nutty, umami-rich flavour that is absolutely perfect for this sort of dish.