What to eat Tyrol? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Nestled in the Alps, Tyrol is naturally known for its rich cheese tradition. The term Bergkäse is used to describe various pressed cow's milk mountain cheeses such asAlmkäse, Hochpustertaler, Formaggio di montagna di Sesto and Stanga di Dobbiaco. Tiroler Bergkäse has a PDO. This is also the case for Tiroler Graukäse

, a cheese that can be recognized by its white heart surrounded by a thick gray rind and its strong smell.

In Austria, charcuterie is often smoked, but not in Italy, except of course in South Tyrol, where you will find Südtiroler Speck or Speck Alto Adige - a very famous type of smoked dry-cured ham with a PGI - but also Würstel (Viennese sausage) or Kaminwurzen

(smoked salami). The beef in the region is often excellent. The lakes and rivers of the region are ideal for freshwater fish: trout, grayling, pike, whitefish, perch, tench, etc.

These mountainous areas with a harsh climate make the cultivation of wheat and corn complex and rye, barley, buckwheat and spelt, which are less fickle, are common. Breads include Schüttelbrot (rye, sourdough, caraway seeds), a flat bread with a firm consistency and a thick crust. Ur-Paarl (rye, spelt, wheat) is typical of the Val di Sole. The original recipe is preserved by the Benedictine monks of the Monte Maria Abbey in Malles. It sometimes takes the form of two loaves stuck together (Vinschger Paarl). Finally, the Pusterer Breatl

(rye, wheat, fennel, coriander and caraway seeds) is a flat, round bread from the Val Pusteria.

The Tyrolean culture recommends a Frühstück, a hearty breakfast including dairy products, cold cuts, eggs and cheese. Lunch is often the real meal of the day with a hot dish. Finally, dinner will be very copious on festive days, but in everyday life one will often be satisfied with Butterbrot, bread (black if possible) with cold cuts, butter and cheese. Marend

is a kind of snack that can be eaten in the morning as well as in the afternoon, in the form of bread, cold cuts, cheese, etc. Indispensable to farmers and shepherds to keep them going in the mountains. Among the local establishments, the Gasthaus (guest house) and the Wirtshaus (inn) usually offer traditional cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. The Weinstube is a wine bar/restaurant, while the Heuriger and Buschenschank are establishments adjacent to vineyards, serving their own wine. The Heuriger is more like a guinguette, while the Buschenschank is traditionally more rural. The Hofschank is a traditional restaurant rather located in the mountains but which does not produce wine. Of Bavarian origin, the Biergarten is a brewery generally proposing local food and usually located in a garden. Finally, the Konditorei is a cross between a pastry shop and a tea room.

The Brettljause is an assortment of mountain cheeses and sausages, including speck, served with bread. It is an ideal way to start a meal. Tirtlen, a rye doughnut filled with spinach, ricotta cheese, potatoes or sauerkraut and then fried, are also a good choice. Cajincí arestis are potato dough turnovers filled with ricotta cheese and spinach, also fried. Zillertaler Krapfen are small fried turnovers filled with mashed potatoes and cheese, typical of the Zillertal valley. Soup is the zuppa d'orzo or Gerstensuppe, made of pearl barley, beans, potatoes and smoked bacon. The zuppa di gulasch or Gulaschsuppe

is, as its name suggests, a local version of the Hungarian goulash, made with beef, potato, carrot and of course paprika.

Knödel or canederli are German-inspired dumplings that are usually cooked in a broth. They are usually made of bread and various ingredients (speck, cheese, spinach, beet, meat). They are served as a single dish or as an accompaniment to dishes in sauce. Kaspressknödel are bread dumplings with cheese and onions but are pan-fried and not boiled. Spätzle are fresh short pasta from Alsace to Hungary. Cooked in water and then pan-fried in butter, it is served alone or as an accompaniment to stews. Pasta recipes, especially on the Italian side, remain common, such as maccheroni alla pastora, penne with sausage, peas, mushrooms, cream, tomato sauce and cooked ham. Schlutzkrapfen, or mezzelune

, are half-moon shaped ravioli usually filled with ricotta and spinach. There are also recipes with potato, mushroom or meat. Gröstl is probably the most emblematic dish of Tyrol. It is a pan-fried potato with cubes of beef or pork, smoked bacon and onions, topped with a fried egg and a good dose of chopped chives. There are various meat stews also called Gulasch, although the recipe is different from the Hungarian specialty of the same name, which is more like a soup. Here it is more like a meat (beef, venison, wild boar, pork) in a rich sauce flavored with paprika with onion, wine, carrot and potato, all accompanied by a cranberry compote. Carne di castrato or Hammelfleischgerichte (lamb) is popular, as is the generally excellent alpine beef rib steak. Polenta, made from corn flour, is typical of the northern Italian table and is often served with meat in sauce. Röstkartoffeln, or fried potatoes, are also common.

In the area of sweetness, the classics of Austrian pastry are to be found, in particular the indestructible Apfelstrudel, a cake rolled with apples in a dough as thin as cigarette paper. This classic of Austrian cuisine - found everywhere - is very popular in South Tyrol, known for its large apple production. Tirolerkuchen or Tiroler Nusskuchen is a chocolate hazelnut cake. Gluten intolerant people can enjoy Schwarzplententorte, a buckwheat flour cake with a red fruit filling. Tiroler Gugelhupf is a brioche cake in the shape of a kugelhupf, which often contains hazelnut powder and chocolate. Prügeltorte is a spit-roasted cake known in Germany as Baumkuchen

("tree cake"), which is prepared by pouring several layers of dough onto a heated cylinder. Another classic - widely spread throughout Austria - is the Kaiserschmarrn, a large, thick, airy pancake that is torn into pieces and served with red fruit coulis or apple sauce. Frittelle di mele or Apfelkiachl or Apfelradln are simple but tasty apple fritters. Moosbeernocken are pancakes with blueberries or cranberries. Kirchtagskrapfen are crispy diamond-shaped doughnuts similar to our bugnes from Lyon, while Mohnkrapfen are very similar and are filled with poppy seeds. Finally, the Strauben is a type of doughnut whose dough is poured into oil in the shape of a bird's nest. Austria and Italy are known for their excellent coffee. Tyrol is also famous for its hot chocolate, not to mention the local herbal teas(Alpenkräutertee) made with mint, sage, lemon balm, nettle, etc.

As in the rest of the Germanic world, beer is the most popular drink in Tyrol. South Tyrol has its own emblematic beer, one of the best in Italy, Birra Forst, which comes from the Merano region. On the Austrian side, Falkenstein, a typical beer of the East Tyrol, and Starkenberger, from Tarrenz (North Tyrol), is one of the most awarded beers in Austria. Not to mention Huber Bräu, Vilser Bergbräu, Zillertal Bier, Bierol and Tiroler Bier, brewed in Innsbruck.

Schnapps is a clear brandy distilled from fruit (cherries, plums, plums, etc.) and is the most typical Tyrolean drink. The traditional Krautinger

is a spirit made from turnips, produced in the Wildschönau region. On the non-alcoholic side, Almdudler, even though it is not native to Tyrol, is a typical Austrian drink. This lemonade flavored with herbal extracts was invented in 1957. Liftler is the name given to the mixture of white wine and Almdudler.

The wines of the Italian Tyrol, made from vines that benefit from ideal warmth and sunshine, are of excellent quality. The Austrian Tyrol, unlike its Italian neighbor, does not have a wine tradition. South Tyrol has 5,200 hectares of vineyards. The great diversity of landscapes and microclimates, the altitude, the orientation, the level of sunshine and the soils allow the cultivation of an abundant variety of grape varieties. At night, the cool currents that flow down from the mountains along the slopes of the hills create significant temperature differences. This favors a good balance between acidity and sugar during the ripening of the grapes.

South Tyrol produces about 45% red wines and 55% white wines. The reds are produced mainly around Bolzano and along the Strada del Vino: in addition to the two native grape varieties (lagrein and vernatsch), there are merlot, pinot noir (Blauburgunder

in German) and cabernet. White grape varieties find favorable conditions in all production areas, especially in the Vinschgau-Venosta and Eisacktal-Isarco Valley where the climate is harsher. The Bressanone region, in particular, produces excellent white wines such as Kerner. South Tyrol has three indigenous grape varieties: vernatsch, lagrein and gewurztraminer. Vernatsch, or Schiava (in Italian), is the red grape variety par excellence in South Tyrol and its more vigorous vines are well suited to the higher altitude. Its wines are light, fruity, low in tannin and go well with cold cuts. The lagrein, more delicate, is cultivated in the bottom of the valleys, on the lower slopes where the temperatures are higher. It goes perfectly with meats in sauce and game. Gewurztraminer, from Tramin-Termeno, is an aromatic wine with notes of tropical fruits, appreciated with dessert or alone as an aperitif.