Holidays in South Tyrol = a real treat! But what is behind it? Why is it almost impossible to eat badly in South Tyrol and what does our chef Alex have to say about it? Between steaming pots and sizzling pans, we asked him to chat about favourite dishes and philosophies of taste:
South Tyrol tastes good!
But why is that?
What does South Tyrol taste like to you?
Alex: That depends on the season! Now in spring, I would say: of crystal-clear mountain air and lightness. Of relaxation and freedom and a calm that makes you want to live. And when summer comes, I would say: of alpine meadow hay drying in the sun.
Why is South Tyrol so interesting from a culinary point of view?
Alex: We manage to combine different cooking traditions and culinary philosophies in a playful and effortless way. Here with us, hearty Alpine peasant fare can be served alongside light Mediterranean dishes, and nobody questions whether or not they go together. We are very good at bringing apparent contradictions under one roof – or rather, under the cooking hood.
What are your favourite dishes and why?
Alex: I'm a real cheese lover and I like simple dishes, so I would say spinach spatzle with mountain cheese sauce!
Which dish is only available in the Rodenecker-Lüsner Alm region?
Buckwheat dumplings with gorgonzola sauce! This is another wonderful example of South Tyrolean fusion cuisine: the down-to-earth buckwheat with its earthy Alpine flavour meets the intense spiciness of gorgonzola, which originally comes from Lombardy. When the first real guests came up to our hut in the 1960s, they brought a whole host of new things with them. Among them was gorgonzola, which the hut staff found rather suspect at the time. Today, almost everyone knows and likes it.
Which South Tyrolean dish is overrated and which is underrated?
Kaiserschmarren is definitely overrated, but barley soup with Tirtlan gets far too little attention and everything with ‘Topfen’ should be in the spotlight!
Topfen?
I think in standard English you say ‘curd’ for that. It's very popular in the fitness scene, I've been told!
Do you want to share a recipe with us?
Of course! Let's stick with quark and make spring-like potato dumplings with a herb and quark filling!
Potato dumplings with quark and leek filling for 4 people
Ingredients for the filling: 125 g curd cheese, 30 g onions, 1/4 leek, 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped chives, freshly ground salt and pepper.
Preparation: Finely dice the onions, leeks and garlic for the filling. Fry briefly in olive oil and allow to cool slightly. Then mix with the quark and season with salt, pepper and chives. Meanwhile, put the filling aside.
Ingredients for the potato dumplings: 400 g floury potatoes, 2 egg yolks, 1 tbsp melted butter, 120 g flour, 1 pinch of nutmeg, freshly ground pepper, salt.
Preparation: Peel the potatoes, dice them and boil them in salted water for about 20-30 minutes. Press the hot potatoes through a ricer and leave to cool. Then knead the cold potato mixture with the egg yolk and the butter. Knead the flour, salt, pepper and grated nutmeg into the potato mixture. Roll out the potato dough thinly on a floured work surface or wooden board, cut out 5 cm round sheets and place the filling on top with a teaspoon. Fold the round sheets of dough into a half-moon shape to form doughnuts and press the edges firmly with your fingers. Then place in boiling salted water and let cook. Lift out of the water with a slotted spoon, drain well and serve with butter and Parmesan.
