spätzle
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spätzle
A southern German and Austrian type of pasta made from eggs, flour, salt, and water, usually served as a side dish with meat dishes and gravy. The word is used almost exclusively in the plural.
Zum Zwiebelrostbraten gibt es traditionell Spätzle.
Spätzle are traditionally served with Zwiebelrostbraten.
The name 'Spätzle' is a Swabian diminutive form of 'Spatz' (sparrow). So to the people who invented them, the little dough dumplings looked like 'kleine Spatzen' (little sparrows). The '-le' at the end is a typical southern German diminutive ending.
In Schwaben isst man traditionell handgeschabte Spätzle.
In Swabia, people traditionally eat hand-scraped spätzle.
'Spätzle' are inseparably linked with southern German, especially Swabian, and Austrian cuisine. In other parts of Germany they are known, but they are not an everyday food.
Wenn wir meine Oma in Stuttgart besuchen, macht sie immer Spätzle für uns.
When we visit my grandma in Stuttgart, she always makes spätzle for us.
The word 'Spätzle' is almost always used in the plural with the article 'die', because you never eat just one single 'Spätzle'. You always order or cook 'Spätzle'.
Möchtest du zum Braten Reis oder Spätzle?
Would you like rice or spätzle with the roast?
Spätzle are often served as a side dish 'mit Soße' (with gravy/sauce). A very well-known dish in its own right is 'Käsespätzle' (cheese spätzle), where the pasta is prepared with cheese and fried onions.
Im Allgäu habe ich die besten Käsespätzle meines Lebens gegessen.
In the Allgäu, I ate the best cheese spätzle of my life.
noodle
'die Nudel' and 'die Spätzle' are both types of pasta that you cook and eat. 'Nudeln' is the general term for many shapes, for example spaghetti, penne, or ribbon noodles. 'Spätzle' are a specific type of pasta from southern Germany and Austria, often with egg in the dough. They are often eaten as a side dish with meat and gravy. The words can be confused because Spätzle can also be a kind of noodle. If you are talking generally about pasta, 'Nudeln' fits. If you mean this specific southern German dish, you say 'Spätzle'.
Lena isst Spätzle mit viel Soße und einem Salat.
Lena eats spätzle with lots of gravy and a salad.
Heute machen wir Nudeln, weil sie schnell fertig sind.
Today we're making pasta because it cooks quickly.