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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Luxembourg
Small human-shaped brioche pastry, with raisins for eyes and sometimes a small white pipe. It is the sweet of Saint Nicholas and Advent in Luxembourg, sold in bakeries in the weeks before Christmas.
Traditional sweet from Luxembourg
Also known as: Boxemännercher, Boxemaennchen
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Boxemännchen — Luxembourg
The Boxemännchen is a sweet brioche shaped like a little person: head, arms and legs, with raisins or candies for eyes and buttons. Traditionally, some include a small white pipe. There are variations in decoration and size.
According to Luxembourg’s official government portal, the Boxemännchen is one of the symbols of the Saint Nicholas celebration, the Kleeschen, who brings gifts to children. Traditionally, the little figure is placed on the plate that Saint Nicholas leaves for them.
The treat accompanies the whole Advent. In the weeks before Christmas it is found in bakeries across the country and appears as a surprise at breakfast or as a small gift. It helps mark the waiting for Saint Nicholas and, later, for Christmas.
The dough is a simple brioche: flour, yeast, warm milk, sugar, eggs, butter and salt. The government publishes the recipe by Maischi Tibesart, a cook and author of Luxembourgish cookbooks.
The name is written with an umlaut, and in the plural, in Luxembourgish, it is Boxemännercher.
Luxembourg
Sweet bread of the Kleeschen, sold in bakeries throughout the country.
Wheat flour, yeast, warm milk, sugar, eggs, butter and salt; raisins or candies for decoration; sometimes a chocolate or sugar glaze.
By hand, in the morning or afternoon.
Saint Nicholas celebration (Kleeschen) and the weeks of Advent.
Your questions
A little brioche figure decorated with raisins, typical of the Saint Nicholas celebration in Luxembourg.
In the weeks of Advent, especially on Saint Nicholas Day, when it is sold in bakeries.
In Luxembourgish, Boxemännercher.
Flavors of Luxembourg
Cake baked in thin layers around a rotating spit in front of a flame, forming rings like those of a tree trunk. It arrived in Luxembourg from another European tradition and became a sweet for weddings and large celebrations.
Thick green‑bean soup with potato, onion, bacon and sausage, served as a main course. It’s a traditional Luxembourgish home soup and is served at Buergbrennen bonfires after Carnival.
Sweet made from leavened laminated dough, covered with sugar icing and almonds, shaped into a loop that resembles two entwined arms. It is the gift of Bretzelsonndeg, the fourth Sunday of Lent, when men give it to the women they care for.
Cold salad of cooked beef cut into cubes, with hard‑boiled egg, pickled cucumber and a mustard‑and‑vinegar dressing. It originated as a way to use leftover boiled meat and has been made for generations in Luxembourgish homes.
Flat patties made from grated potato with onion, parsley and seasonings, fried until crispy. Official tourism presents them as a national dish, and they are traditional at fairs and Christmas markets.
Smoked pork neck, slow-cooked and served sliced with fava beans in a creamy sauce and boiled potatoes. It is the dish most often cited as Luxembourg’s national dish.
Simple dumplings made from a batter of flour, milk and eggs, cooked in water and served with fried bacon or melted butter. They are home-style, winter food, with recipes passed down through generations.
Open tart with a buttery crust topped with Quetschen plums arranged in circles, baked until the fruit releases its juices. It is Luxembourg’s autumn tart, made when the plums ripen, usually in September.
Sweet strips of dough tied into loose, irregular knots, fried until golden and dusted with powdered sugar. They are Luxembourg’s Carnival sweet and are still often made at home.
Pork sausages browned in a skillet and served in a creamy Luxembourgish mustard sauce, with mashed potatoes. The name means “wine sausage with mustard sauce.”
Meat pie in a golden crust, filled with a pork and veal ragù and finished with a Riesling wine jelly. It is a specialty of the capital’s pastry shop and, according to the family that sells it, was created in the city of Luxembourg in 1928.
