Although the so-called mac n cheese is an innately American staple, other cuisines also have their own versions of it. At just 62 square miles in size, the tiny postage-stamp of a country called Liechtenstein has a dish that’s surprisingly similar and some even claim better than the original. So, what is the Liechtensteiner Käsknöpfle, and how to make it?

Käsknöpfle Is Liechtenstein’s “Mac and Cheese”

Instead of traditional pasta, the “mac” in this recipe is actually spaetzle and the cheese is a combination of three different varieties. Liechtensteiner chefs and food lovers add caramelized onion for extra flavor and an optional touch of apple sauce to heighten the taste.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 package spaetzle (or pasta of your choice)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 onions, sliced thinly
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• ⅓ cup (heaping) shredded Fontina
• ⅓ cup (heaping) shredded Emmentaler
• ⅓ cup (heaping) shredded Gruyere
• Extra cheese for serving (optional)
• Apple sauce for serving (optional)

How to Prepare the Recipe

Step 1

Whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, pepper, and salt until you get a nice and even, somewhat pasty, batter. Set aside for half an hour.

Step 2

Caramelize the onions. If you want to follow the original Liechtenstein recipe, fry them until crispy, but you can also take them out while they’re golden.

Step 3

Prepare the spaetzle or pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Based on your preferences, boil the spaetzle or pasta for the amount of time described on the package.

Step 4

Once the pasta is ready, add it to the pan of caramelized onions. Add in the cheeses and cook and scoop for a couple of minutes until it’s all melty and well-combined.

Step 5

Serve while hot, top it with more shredded cheese and plenty of apple sauce as they do in Liechtenstein. Enjoy!

Locals to the Italian region of Lucca in Tuscany are anticipating the reveal of their very own Atlantis. A submerged village is located in the mountains of central Italy and has been at the bottom of a lake since the 1940s. Now it seems the village is going to resurface for the first time in many years.

Fabbriche Di Careggine

The village of Fabbriche di Careggine in Italy dates back to the 13th century and is understood to have been inhabited by ancient ironworkers. Fabbriche di Careggine is a little slice of history, but in 1947 it became a memory as it was sunk to the bottom of a lake.

This wasn’t an act of nature, however, and the village was sunk deliberately by locals when a dam was built on the Edron river. The village was flooded to create the artificially made Lake Vagli.

Time To Come Out Of Hiding

There are rumors that the village may be revealed by the local authority in 2021, but it won’t be the first time people have explored Fabbriche di Careggine. The plan is to drain the lake to reveal the secrets that lie beneath it.

The last time Lake Vagli was drained was in 1994, when tourists flocked to feast their eyes on the remains of Fabbriche di Careggine. It’s expected the village may make a reappearance in 2021 in a bid to boost tourism to the region.

Visiting History

Typically the sunken village sits underneath 35 cubic meters of water, meaning it’s inaccessible to anyone other than expert divers. Should the local authority decide to drain Lake Vagli, it will present a rare opportunity for people to walk around the village unrestricted.

The lake has only been drained four times since its creation in the 1940s, so it’s due another draining soon. There are no official dates for the unveiling of Fabbriche di Careggine, but it is expected to happen in 2021.