There are few ways better to learn about a country than through its food and cultural icons, and this week’s instalment of Knowledge Bites is rich in both.
A common answer if you ask a Luxembourger what their favourite sandwich topping is. It’s essentially a runny, rather gloopy, substance that you put on bread (usually). If you’ve studied a bit of Luxembourgish you should be able to deduce that it’s a form of cheese (cooked cheese, if you want to be literal about it).
As with most food, there’s several ways you can go about it. It’s usually sold in little plastic (unfortunately) pots, ready to eat, but you can also buy a mysterious roll of the stuff that you have to cook in milk (or cream, if you’re feeling naughty) before eating it. The adventurous among you may also want to try boiling it up with a bit of wine, some herbs, garlic, or whatever tickles your ever so culinarily talented fancy.
And, of course, it’s best served with a healthy serving of Luxembourgish mustard. So that’s bread, kachkéis, and mustard - in that order, mind, and rebellion is frowned upon.
Weird, but yes, there are. You could use it as the base for a cheese fondue, smear it on anything else (your imagination and palate really sets the limit here), dip vegetables into it, or just eat it straight out of the pot with a spoon. There’s no wrong way to eat it so long as you like it, assuming you’re not in fact eating it on a sandwich with the mustard spread on first. That’s a crime.
Yes, it is rather – but that’s my subjective opinion, of course. It’s got a surprisingly strong flavour that isn’t to everyone’s taste, but it’s certainly worth trying if you haven’t already. It can also be quite good for you if you buy the lower fat (0%) version, which is rich in calcium. And, of course, it’s been known to give people superpowers.
Superpowers! Well, there’s only two known instances really – and admittedly it’s all fictional. You probably noticed that the country was plastered with Superjhemp posters towards the end of 2018 (if you were here then and, if not, welcome!).
A pudgy chap who flies around fighting crime, in essence. He’s Luxembourg’s national comic superhero. The concept is not a mile off from Popeye, who famously gets his strength from spinach. Superjhemp has a rather more sophisticated palate and gets his from kachkéis. A public servant by trade, Superjhemp transforms himself into a superhero with the power of flight by gobbling down a pot of the good stuff.
Having you been living under a rock? October 2018 saw the release of the much awaited De Superjhemp retörnshttps://lb.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Superjhemp_ret%C3%B6rns! A full-on action blockbuster featuring Luxembourg’s very own caped crusader! It features plenty of Luxembourgish humour, spectacular shots from the Grand Duchy (and beyond), and more kachkéis than you could shake a stick at.
That should be rather obvious at this point, I think. Run to the supermarket, buy some kachkéis, prepare a buffet of delicious sandwiches, and sit down to watch Superjhemp at the earliest possible opportunity!
