Regions and places also express themselves through the food they produce, which is appreciated, cultivated and held in high regard. The Via Claudia Augusta is particularly rich in special foods that are inseparably linked to the areas, the people and their cultures. For many of these foods there are consortia that take care of them and even have their own festivals, usually annual, often among the largest and most important in the region. Some of these special foods are born where they are considered native. Some of them also arrived at some point, naturally on the Via Claudia Augusta. Discover the food from the Danube to the Adriatic Sea (Altinate) and the Po (Padana).
Special foods
from the regions along the
Via Claudia Augusta
Bavarian Beer
Developed by the Benedictine monks in 725, Bavarian Beer is still produced according to the old recipe: water, hops and oats. A beverage with different alcoholic-conetnt percentages ranging from 0.5 to 9, and with various colours, it is very versatile and is excellent with snacks, salads, vegetable, meat and fish dishes. Exported worldwide, its traditional places of consumption are however, the Bavarian beer-houses that attract thousands of tourists every year during the Munich Beer Festical.
Alcoholic beverage, light to dark in colour, with alcohol contents of < 0.5% to 9% by volume and, depending on the type of beer, with a finely tart to malty flavour.
Bavaria's beers are so versatile that they are an excellent accompaniment to meat and fish dishes, as well as salads, vegetable dishes and snacks.
Beer brewed in Bavaria is not only popular in the Free State, but is also "exported" to the far corners of the earth due to its unique quality.
There are about 650 breweries in Bavaria. They produce a total of approximately 20 million hectolitres of beer annually.
Use of high quality domestic raw materials:
Water, hops, barley.
The respective beer wort is produced from crushed malt in different malt chutes and water. This wort is then boiled with the addition of hops. Depending on the recipe, the brewmaster determines the original wort, i.e. the later strength of the beer, by means of the boiling time and temperature. After the boiling process, the wort is cooled down and placed in fermenting vats. By adding yeast, the sugar is fermented to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The young beer matures in storage tanks before it is filtered or filled into vessels unfiltered.
Bayerischer Brauerbund e. V., Oskar-von-MillerRing 1, 80333 Munich; Association of medium-sized private breweries in Bavaria e. V., Thomas-Wimmer-Ring 9, 80539 Munich
Bavarian Brezn
From a cake consumed according to the tradition, above all on holidays and feast-days for its religious reference its shape with two rings joined by an arm symbolises arms crossed in prayer- the Brezn has become an all important element of snacks in the Bavarian culture, and also an indispensable complement with white sausage and liver pie. lt is a cake made from wheat flour, with a crust sprinkled with coarse salt or other seeds, and a soft and clear texture.
Brezn have been around for a very long time, but not in the form we know them today. It is a formed bread and probably has its origin in the Roman ring bread, which served as communion bread. The ring bread was especially found in monasteries. At first it developed into a modified form in which one arm, similar to a six, protruded over the ring. The step to today's pretzel was the joining of two one-armed pretzels. The result was the Brezn as we know it today. Its name refers to the Old High German "Brezitella" and the Latin "brachiatellium", which could be translated as "little arm": The Brezn symbolizes arms crossed for prayer. It was a special holiday pastry and was baked on New Year's Day, Palm Sunday or Thanksgiving Day. Since there were many monasteries in southern Germany, the pretzel is also very common in southern Germany.
Wheat flour, water, yeast, common salt, sodium carbonate, fat. Bavarian pretzels contain less fat (1,5 to 3 %) than Swabian pretzels (3 to 5 %).
The dough is kneaded intensively. It then rests for about 10 minutes. The dough is divided into pieces and rolled into a strand. For the Bavarian style the strand is evenly thick, for the Swabian style the ends are tapered. The strand is now looped into a pretzel, whereby the ends have to be pressed firmly. At temperatures above 30 °C and relatively high humidity, the pretzels have to float for about half an hour. Then they are cooled for 10-30 minutes with a good supply of air. They are then briefly dipped in caustic soda solution on a grid. Pretzel lye" is a caustic soda lye whose sodium hydroxide content is diluted to less than 4%. Swabian pretzels are cut lengthwise in the thick middle, Bavarian pretzels are not cut. The pretzels are then sprinkled with salt. At a temperature of 230 to 240 °C the pretzels have to bake for 12 to 16 minutes. After baking, pretzels must cool down well and be kept dry, otherwise the thin salty crust will attract water.
Producers
Pretzels are produced by almost every bakery in southern Germany.
Sign: The Young Baker, Vol. l 0, page 319 (PF)
Wedding Soup
Typical of Franconia and Bavaria Swabia, the wedding soup is a light coloured, thick broth obtained by mixing various ingrediants: a broth with beef, lozenge-shape biscuits, dumplings, including those of liver typical of Swabia, and eggs. An elaborate dish, prepared personally by the lady of the house or by a cook with the help of an assistant, for a course intended to "warm" the wedding banquet.
The Wedding Soup is a light-coloured, double, narrow broth prepared with several main ingredients: turbot-shaped biscuits, semolina dumplings, eggs beaten in soup, marrow dumplings, liver dumplings and Flädle, the typical Swabian conmment.
For the restricted stock, cook in water a bone of beef, broth meat, potatoes, onions, and season with broth and parsley seasoning. The turbot-shaped biscuits are prepared with a mixture of egg yolk, butter, flour and salt, spread over the beaten egg white. Then, in a baking tin lined with buttered baking paper, the dough is rolled out to a height of about 1 cm. The biscuit dough is baked at medium temperature until it takes on a golden yellow colour and then cut into diamond shapes. Flädle, on the other hand, is the typical Swabian soup dressing consisting of an omelette made with flour, eggs, milk and a little salt, cooked in fat and cut into strips. The liver dumplings are prepared with butter, eggs, chopped liver, breadcrumbs, onions, parsley, salt and pepper: all these ingrementl are mixed and the mixture is made into dumplings which are cooked in boiling salted water for 10 minutes.
Mrs Helga Rühr, Obristfeld, Weidnitzerstr. 4, 96257 Redwitz a. d. Rodach
Schrobenhausen asparagus
Introduced at the beginning of the 19th century, asparagus growing is widespread in the Munich-Augusta-Ingolstadt triangle, in the territory of Schrobenhausen: the land, rich in clayey and sandy layers, gives the asparagus a strong taste with a walnut flavour. Harvesting takes place from mid April until the 24th of June, St. John's Day, a period when, according to the tradition, "Kirschen rot, Spargel tot", which means: the cherry is red, the asparagus is dead. The 600 asparagus growers are united in the Spargelerzeuger-Verband Südbayern e.V., Lenbachstraße 32, 86523 Schrobenhausen.
Asparagus spears are always peeled from the head towards the end of the cut. To do this, use a sharp kitchen knife or asparagus peeler to start 1-2 cm below the head, peel thinly at first and then thicker towards the end. Cut off any woody ends generously. When cooked well, the peel and end result in tasty broth for creamy asparagus soups. Salt the water, add 1 strong pinch of sugar and 1 teaspoon of butter, bring to the boil and add the prepared asparagus. Cook in a closed saucepan from boiling for about 15-20 minutes on a low heat, thin stems only for about 10-15 minutes. You can also bundle the stems to 250 g - tie them together below the heads and at the lower third with kitchen string - and cook them upright in the high asparagus pot or lying down in the flat asparagus steamer. Sections can be used to make asparagus soup. The asparagus season traditionally ends with Johanni, on 24 June, when it says "cherries red, asparagus dead.
Today, the cultivation of asparagus enables mainly small and medium-sized farms - also part-time farms - to generate additional income and thus secure their existence. Asparagus is cultivated on an area of about 700 hectares. Asparagus is available directly from the farmer and in food stores.
Mid April to 24 June (St. John's Day). The asparagus season is the "fifth season" in the region and attracts many day trippers and tourists from near and far. Source: Asparagus Growers Association of Southern Bavaria e.V., Lenbachstraße 32, 86523 Schrobenhausen
Kässpätzle
A typical pastry dish originally from Swabia, it is obtained with a rather gluey flour-based mixture cut into small pieces, hence the name Spätzle. After being cooked in boiling water, the Spätzle are seasoned with onions, salt, pepper and nutmeg and then baked together with Swiss cheese and cream: they are served when the pastry is crisp.
Ingredients for 4 people:
500 g flour, 5-6 eggs, 250 ml water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 500 g Emmental cheese, 4-5 onions, 1 cup of cream, butter, breadcrumbs, freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg, parsley and chives to garnish. Tools: medium bowl, large saucepan, large pan, large fireproof bowl, spaetzle slicer or spaetzle pusher (Spätzleschwob)
Place the flour, eggs, salt, a pinch of pepper and most of the water in the middle bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the water until a tough "mush" is formed. The consistency is correct when the dough starts to bubble and it is difficult to get the spoon out of the dough. Leave the dough to rest for a while, while boiling the salted water and melting it. Add the onions cut into small cubes with salt, pepper and nutmeg in butter until they become glassy. The cheese is finely grated. When scraping from the spaetzle board, take a moistened wooden board (preferably with a flattened edge at the front) with some dough and now scrape small noodles into the boiling water with a sharp and smooth knife. This should be done quickly, otherwise the first noodles will be overcooked before the last of the batch is in the water. The noodles must continue to cook until they float on top and a white foam forms. Skim them, let them drain and layer them together with the cheese and the melted onions in a bowl suitable for the oven. Then fill the bowl with cream, ensure that the cream is evenly distributed and put it in a preheated oven at 180-190° C for about 20-25 minutes until the cream is bubbling and the topmost noodles are crispy.
Hofmann, lrmi: Delicacies from Monasteries, In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol; Munich 1996, page 59
Schwäbische Maultaschen
The traditional first course of Swabia, made with small pastry-eakes with meat or cooked vegetable filling and boiled in a meat broth: seasoned with lard, they can be consumed as a second course. Originally considered a food of the poor, Maultaschen can be enriched with fillings of quail meat, veal sweetbreads of veal or morel, thus becoming a choice dish.
For 4 people:
400 g flour, 4 eggs, 1/4 tl salt, 50 g streaky bacon, 2 diced onions, 1 diced clove of garlic, 150 g frozen spinach, 350 g coarse sausage meat, 2 eggs breadcrumbs, 2 eggs chopped parsley, 1/2 tl freshly grated nutmeg, 1 tl black pepper, fresh from the mill, 1/2 tl salt, 1 egg white, 2 1 strong meat stock.
Prepare a soft pasta dough with flour, eggs and salt, cover and leave to rest in a bowl for 30 minutes. Dice the bacon and leave it out. Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the spinach and fry until no more liquid is left. Let the mixture cool down a little and mix with sausage meat, breadcrumbs and parsley. Then season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Roll out the dough in two portions on a thinly floured kitchen towel 3 mm thick. Mark squares of about 8 cm on a piece of dough and put a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each. Brush the spaces between the squares with egg white. Place the second piece of dough on top and press down the spaces between them. Then cut out the squares. Bring the meat stock to a boil in a large pot, place the Maultaschen in it and cook for about 10 minutes in gently simmering water. For the melt, heat butter and brown the onion stock in it. Lift the Maultaschen out of the pot and add some stock. Finally, place the onion rolls on top and serve quickly.
Leeb, Olli: Bayerische Leibspeisen, München 1999, Seite 116
Bayerischer Radi
Appreciated since the Middle Ages as a healing plant, the Radi has become a regular element in traditional Bavarian snacks. The typical bitter taste is made sweeter and milder with a sprinkling of salt on the thin slices into which the Radi are cut: these "leaves" of radish, flavoured with pepper and a knob of butter are a true delicacy, ideal for serving with an ale in the beer gardens of Munich.
Today's garden radish originally comes from Asia Minor. Even the slaves in ancient Egypt are said to have used radish as a tonic when building the Pyramid of Cheops, because it contains a lot of nutrients. The Romans brought the radish over the Alps to Central Europe around 50 BC. In the 13th century it was loved as a medicinal plant. Today the radish is an integral part of the Bavarian bread-time culture. Paul Heyse, Nobel Prize winner for literature and a native of Berlin, dedicated a tribute to the radish and his adopted home of Munich: "There is a story about the Trevi source, from which one drinks eternal homesickness for Rome. A longing that tirelessly thinks and writes poetry, just to look at St. Peter's Cathedral once more. Thus never has a heart renounced Munich, that ever dipped into your stream. I would never have taken root so quickly without you and your friend, the radish.
Brush the radish under running water, cut off the green and the side roots. From the base of the stem, cut diagonally and tightly with a sharp knife, so that the radish is still held together from below. Repeat the process on the other side. Then carefully salt the radish from both sides and let it soak in a little. The salt makes the radish lose water and makes it milder and softer, so that you can pull it apart to form a garland. Connoisseurs put another butterflake on each leaf and push it rolled up into the mouth.
Anyone who orders a measure of "Helles" in the famous beer garden at the Chinese Tower in the Munich English Garden today easily succumbs to the temptation to order a portion of radish cut into thin spirals for "Brezn". With salt and pepper, this is a deliciously refreshing - and vitamin-rich - delicacy, especially in summer.
Gutberlet, Ronald: Brezel, Zipfel, Leberkäs, Brotzeit und Vesperspeisen Hamburg 2002, page 23
Rohrnudel
The traditional cake for fasting days, prepared by families for respecting the rule of not eating meat on Friday.
Rectangular in shape, it has a golden-brown colour with a sweetish taste, and can be enriched with a filling of
cherries or plums. lt is eaten hot with fruit in syrup or with vanillacustard, or cold, together with coffee.
flour, yeast, milk, sugar, egg, salt, butter, clarified butter
The flour is mixed with the salt. Press a depression in the middle, crumble yeast into it and mix with sugar and half of the lukewarm milk. Cover the dough and let it rise for 20 minutes. Melt the butter in the remaining milk and add it to the dough with the sugar. Knead the whole mixture until the dough comes off the bottom of the bowl. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 40 minutes. Stone the plums or cherries for the filling. When the dough has risen, use a tablespoon to prick off portions of the dough and shape them into balls on a board. In the middle of each ball you press a depression, which you fill with a few cherries or one or two plums. Then you pull the dough back together over the fruit. With this point downwards, place the Rohrnudeln side by side in an elongated roasting tin, which has previously been well greased with clarified butter. Cover them and let them rise again, spread them with butter and bake them at 200 °C for half an hour until golden brown. Then take it out of the pan, let it cool on a grill and sprinkle the top with sugar. A variant of the Rohrnudeln is the "Drahden Noodles", which are baked in hot fat instead of in a mould. In order to obtain the twisted ("Drahde") form, the dough balls are first turned into a circle and then into a figure of eight.
Kupfmüller, Judith, Steinbacher Dorothea, Altbayrischer Festtags- und Brauchtumskalender 2002, München 2002, Seite 86
Schupf-Noodles
This is the traditional rural dish of Swabia, consisting of a "sausages" of finger thickness and five centimetres long, obtained which a mixture of boiled potatoes with a little flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Cooked in a pan with butter, they become golden brown and are ideal with roe goulash or rabbit stew, or can be eaten with sauerkraut and salad.
Schupfnudeln is a peasant dish. They were already on the baroque menu, as can be seen from the Gesinde-Ordnung für Oberschwaben. However, potatoes were not yet used for production in the 18th century.
Boiled, mashed potatoes, some flour, egg, salt, nutmeg and pepper.
From boiled, mashed potatoes, a little flour, egg, salt, nutmeg and pepper a dough is made from which finger-thick sausages are formed. These are cooked for 3 minutes in salted water and then fried in a pan in clarified butter until golden brown. While in former times the Swabian housewife made her Schupfnudeln by herself, nowadays people like to use already finished Schupfnudeln, which only have to be fried in the pan.
Spezialitäten aus Bayern, www.food-frombavaria.de: Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Referat Marketing, Ludwigstraße 2, 80539 München
Allgäuer Emmentaler
lts is an opaque yellow hard cheese, with a smooth a golden skin and-a characteristic walnut flavour. Produced with dayfresh full-cream cow's milk, it is put in a fermentation cellar where it forms the typical holes as a result of the gases produced; these cherry-size holes must be evenly distributed. lt was introduced in the region of Allgäu in the early 19th century from the Swiss region of Emmental, and preserves all the characteristics of the famous Swiss cheese.
Raw materials
Raw cow's milk, cultures and natural rennet
Production
The milk is put into so-called cheese makers with copper or steel inserts. Bacterial cultures are used to balance the different ripeness of the morning and evening milk. A rennet extract made with whey is added to the milk, which is 29-31 °C warm. After about 30 minutes, the milk becomes a gelatinous mass (thickened). The curd is then cut with a cheese harp, then stirred further while warming, whereby the curd shrinks to pea size. The curd settles at the bottom of the cauldron in fine-mesh steel sieve baskets, while the whey drains off. The curd is then pressed. The Allgäuer Emmentaler is then placed in a salt bath for two to three days, in which a rind is formed. It is then stored for about 4 weeks at a temperature of pre-fermenting and then stored in the fermenting cellar at a temperature of 20-23 °C for another 4-5 weeks. In the fermenting cellar, gases create the famous holes of Emmental. When this gas formation decreases and the cheeses stand out, they are finally stored at around 8 °c for a period of 3 to optimally 6 months.
Landesvereinigung der Bayerischen Milchwirtschaft e.V., Kaiser-Ludwig-Platz 2, 80336 München
Tyrolean Schnapps
In the panorama of grappas, the Tyrolese grappas, distinguished by the Tyrol Quality mark, stand out for the raw materials used, berries or stone fruits, and tor the procluction method featuring double distillation: this results in particularly fragrant grappas with a rich aftertaste. The Stanz plum grappa is famous.
The fruits and roots are crushed. The fermentation of the liquid sugar stored in them results in their conversion into alcohol. During distillation, the fermented mash is heated, the alcohol-like parts evaporate and pass through the riser pipe into the cooler, where they are cooled and liquefied again. The quality of the end product depends to a large extent on the distillation process. For a good schnapps a double distillation process is necessary. With the first distillation you get the so-called rough distillate, with the second the fine distillate.
Already in Maria Theresa's time, schnapps was distilled on Tyrolean farms. The production of schnapps was then subject to the state monopoly. From the very beginning, however, farmers were subject to their own regulations which enabled them to produce schnapps at favourable tax rates. For this home-made schnapps there were and still are fixed maximum quantities. In Tyrol alone, more than 9,000 self-distillers are registered. The best products of the numerous Tyrolean distilleries bear the "Qualität Tirol" seal on their corks. This is a 100% guarantee that the schnapps was distilled exclusively from local berries or pome fruit.
Stanz and also the neighbouring villages are known as the place of the distillers. Well known are the Stanzer Zwetschken, whose cultivation finds favourable conditions here. The hillside location of the orchards, countless hours of sunshine, the large temperature differences between day and night and the hairdryer characterise the particularly intensive aroma of the fruit. Some of the many local distillers have been awarded for their products.
Feindestillerie Christoph Kössler,
6500 Stanz 57, Tel. 0043(0)5442-61200
Monika Falkeis,
Kauns 103, 6522 Kauns, Tel.: 0043(0)5472/ 2311
Gerti Sturm,
Untertösens 1, 6541 Tösens, Tel.: 0043(0)5477 / 300
Sorb-apple Grappa
Sorb-apple Grappa is one of the Tyrolese grappas in most demand obtained from mountain sorb-apples patiently picked and carefully separated from their stems, the distillate of sorb-apples preserves the flavour of the highlands, which improved in quality with an ageing process.
In Tyrol, the Vogelbeerschnapps is one of the most traditional brandies. The high price for a good Vogelbeerschnaps is quite justified. On the one hand harvesting and mashing are labour-intensive and on the other hand the alcohol yield is very low. Rowanberries belong to the fruit species with the lowest yield. One thing in particular should be borne in mind when shopping: Before you reach for your wallet, you should thoroughly check a sample with your nose and palate! The grip on quality pays off in several ways. By the way, Vogelbeerschnapps is suitable for longer storage. With age it gains in harmony and elegance. It loses its youthful nooks and crannies and becomes a wonderful, mild distillate with a distinctive, strong aroma.
Tyrolese Speck
Tyrolese Speck is made with the meat of selected and carefully-bred pigs: according to a millenary tradition, it is obtained with a smoking procedure·at moderate temperatures. The meat, smoked with the smoke of coppice wood, is dried, hardened and flavoured, also thanks to the use of a mixture of spices that varies from valley to valley. A basic ingredient of snacks and in various dishes, Tyrolese Speck is particularly recommended for preparing Tyrolese Knödel with speck.
Tiroler Speck must be stored in a dark, cool, dry and airy place or in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for several months.
Before refrigeration technology found its way into households, salting, smoking and drying meat were the only ways to preserve it. The first "commercial smokers" are mentioned in Tyrol around 800 AD. Bacon production became widespread during the 30 Years War: it is said that farmers hung their meat in the fireplace to hide it from robbers and looters.
Ingredients:
40 dag dumpling bread or stale rolls, 15 dag bacon, 15 dag sausage or leftover smoked meat, 1 onion, parsley, salt, 3 eggs, approx. 1 milk, possibly some flour.
Preparation:
Pour hot milk over dumpling bread, dice bacon and onion finely and roast them and add them to the bread mass, season with salt. Mix sausage and chopped parsley into the bread mixture, knead with eggs and possibly some flour to a kneading dough. Form dumplings with wet hands and cook in boiling salted water or steam. (Recipe from the book "Tiroler Bäuerinnen kochen" by Maria Gschwendtner, Edition Löwenzahn)
LEBA Verein für Lebensqualität aus Bauernhand,
6511 Zams Buntweg 14, Tel. 05442-65765
Tiroler Gebirgshonig
Despite the competition of sugar starting from the 18th century, honey continues to be sought-after as a sweetener and also as a healthy, genuine and inimitable food, and particularly that of the Alpine regions: among the renowned types frorn the Tyrol is the honey obtained frorn the rich flora of the Alpine rneadows and surnrner pastures, the honey of flowers of lime-trees and Norway spruce. The most characteristic of all, however, is the Miele di Rosa Alpina (rhododendron honey) with a high percentage of glucose, obtained frorn the Rhododendron ferrugineum, a plant with rust-coloured leaves and beautiful flowe,s that grow high in the mountains.
The honey produced by the bees in the hive is usually collected twice a year. In the harsh climate of the Alps it can often only be harvested once. Honey is harvested by centrifuging the honeycombs, which must be freed from the wax lids. The honey thus obtained still contains numerous pollen grains and air bubbles. For this reason it is left in a large container in a warm place so that the impurities can rise to the surface and be skimmed off. Only then can the honey be stored, or bottled and sold. A beehive delivers about 10 - 15 kg of honey per year. Thanks to the rich composition of honey, it is considered a real foodstuff and not just a sweetener. In addition to glucose and fructose, which are rapidly absorbed by the body, honey also contains B and C group vitamins, mineral salts and enzymes.
In Tyrol, different types of honey with different chemical, physical and taste characteristics are produced. Among the most popular alpine honeys are honey from the rich flora of the alpine meadows and mountain pastures, lime blossom honey and spruce honey.
A speciality is the alpine rose honey. The main plant for alpine rose honey is the rust leaf alpine rose (Rhododendron ferrugineum), a plant with beautiful flowers that grows at high altitudes. Alpine rose honey is characterised by a high content of glucose and ferments.
The honey should never be heated above 40° C, because otherwise the essential oils, one of the most valuable components of honey, are lost. The beekeeping uses modern research results today. The bee is the only producer of honey, royal jelly, beeswax, propolis and other substances used in human nutrition and pharmaceutical and comet industries. Bees are valuable allies of the farmer, as they are necessary for the pollination of many fruit trees and vegetable seeds. Other products of beekeeping are royal jelly, the queen bee's only food, pollen, an important source of protein, propolis with considerable antibiotic effects, beeswax, from which the honeycombs are formed, and last but not least, bee venom, which is used in the production of medicines.
Monika Falkeis,
Kauns 103, 6522 Kauns, Tel.: 0043-(05472/ 2311
LEBA Verein für Lebensqualität aus Bauernhand,
6511 Zams Buntweg 14, Tel. 0043-(0)5442-65765
Tyrolean cheese
The history of the Alpine regions is full of information regarding the production of cheese, a very nourishing food that can also be consumed in the winter season. 0ver the centuries, the different geographic, weather and environmental conditions of the Alpine regions and the various types of cattle rearing influenced the methods of working milk, thus leading to the creation of typical products with a variety of flavours, traditionally produced also using different types of cow's, sheep's or goat's milk.
Tyrolean gray cheese and
Tyrolean alpine cheese
Graukäse cheese is the typical Tyrolese cheese. The milk is skimmed, enabling the production of butter with the cream and, with the milk, the production of a typical bluish or greyish fatless cheese with a rather sour, strong and spicy taste due to the fact that salt, pepper and also aromatic and medicinal herbs are used during its preparation. Tiroler Almkäse cheese, on the other hand, is a traditional summer mountain pasture eh se produced with skimmed cow's milk.
In external appearance, Tiroler Graukäse has a thin, bluish-grey to green-grey rind with slight cracks. The colour inside varies between grey and grey-green, the paste is marbled or has a white, pot-like core. The taste is sour, spicy to hot. Loaf shapes with a diameter and height of 25 cm or stick shapes are typical for grey cheese. The weight is between 3 and 4 kg.
Method of production
The raw or pasteurised skimmed milk is coagulated by adding its own cultures after about 20 hours. The resulting mass is then crushed to bean size and reheated to about 50 °C. This process is known as burning; repeated turning promotes whey release. When the curd is sufficiently dry, it is lifted out with a cloth to allow the remaining whey to drain off. Salt and pepper are also added, possibly with herbs, then it is put into moulds and lightly pressed. The fresh cheese thus obtained must be stored in a warm and dry room until the surface shows small cracks. Only then may the cheese be taken to the ripening room.
Information
Tiroler Graukäse is a typical product of Tyrolean mountain farming. It is eaten with fresh bread and butter or with oil, vinegar and onion. It is also used in the preparation of various dishes (grey cheese curls and grey cheese soup). On farms, the "grey cheese" quickly became popular for two reasons: Firstly, the cheese-making process is very simple and secondly, the skimmed milk produced during the butter-making process could be used to the full. Tyrolean grey cheese has retained its importance to this day. For centuries it has thus been an important part of the rural food culture. Tyrol's cheese dairies produce around 450,000 kg of grey cheese annually.
In external appearance, Tiroler Almkäse has a brownish and crack-free rind with a thin layer of smear. Its interior is a uniform ivory yellow smooth paste with a small round hole in cherry size. Its aroma and taste are somewhat tart, slightly piquant and slightly salty. The loaf shapes, which weigh up to 60 kg, are sold whole or in pieces.
Method of production
The milk from the mountain pastures, milked in the evening, is placed in large containers and skimmed or centrifuged by hand the following morning. The skimmed alpine milk is then mixed with the milk obtained in the morning in a copper kettle and processed into Tiroler Almkäse. The milk, to which cultures have been added, is heated and rennet is added to promote coagulation. The resulting mass is crushed to the size of a pomace. The cheese curd is then heated to 50°C in about 45 minutes, while stirring constantly. When the desired dryness is reached, it is removed with a cloth and filled into the cheese moulds.
After pressing, the cheese is placed in a salt bath for 2-4 days. The moulds are regularly deep moistened with salt water and are matured after 4-6 months.
Information
Tiroler Almkäse is produced exclusively on the mountain pastures with the milk of mountain cows and can be sold at the earliest after a maturing period of 4 months.
Particularities
Already in the Middle Ages there were numerous alpine dairies on the Tyrolean alpine pastures. A document dating from 1554 bears witness to the cows being driven up to a Tyrolean high alpine pasture and the distribution of butter and cheese to the individual farmers.
Meat and milk
of Tyrol Grey cattle
In the Alpine regions of the Tyrol there is a grey breed of cattle which, by virtue of a millenary adaption process, can be deemed indigenous. Formerly sought-after for its strength as a work animal, it is now a cow with a dual aptitude: the milk and the meat it produces, enhanced by the feeding conditions of Alpine pastures, are of excellent quality. The milk of the grey cow is used for making a cream based on a true Tyrolese confectionery delight: the Tiroler Edle, bars of milk chocolate with refined creamy fillings with late Tramin grape wine or grappa made with Oberland plums, or a fresh mountain cranberry jelly. Only at the Hansjörg Haag patisserie, 6500 Landeck Maisengasse 19.
For those with a sweet tooth and a sweet tooth, there has been a secret address for some time now. The small confectionery Haag in Landecker Maisengasse is considered a special tip for fans of a sweet delicacy: Chocolates with sophisticated fillings, made from Tyrolean natural products, handmade piece by piece, this is something special, only here. The sweet cream needed for the chocolate production comes from the organic dairy Kaunergrat (Prutz).
The workshop, or rather the chocolate production facility in Landeck is surprisingly small, but it smells beguilingly of chocolate. Liquid chocolate is stored in a special device, a kind of tub with a pumping and rotating device. The mass, which shimmers silky smooth, is constantly being moved, because this processing gives the later product that sought-after melodiousness. Good chocolate must melt on the tongue! On a stand there are plastic moulds which look amazingly similar to the ice cube containers from your own fridge.
Liquid chocolate is poured by hand into these forms, which correspond to the later chocolate bar. What is too much is scraped off with a spatula, then the bar is placed in a stand where the chocolate dries until it has set. After this first operation, the next one follows and the chocolate is filled. Creamy mixtures based on Traminer Spätlese or Oberländer Zwetschkenbrand have been developed, as well as a fruity fresh cranberry jelly. After the filling is completed with chocolate mass, let it dry, tilt it out of the mould, wrap it in tin foil and complete it with a banderole, the chocolate is ready!
Kaunergrat Sennerei,
6522 Prutz Mühlberg, Tel. 0043- (0)5472-2500
Konditorei Hansjörg Haag,
6500 Landeck Maisengasse 19, Tel. 0043-(0)5442 623 28
Herb cultivation in the
Upper Inn Valley
Always the friends of man for their aromatic and medicinal properties, in the warm and sunny Obergricht valley, today the herbs are cultivated by combining traditional techniques and modern methods, including their preparation in a dryer. lt is mainly the women, always the repositories of a traditional knowledge of medicinal herbs, who attend to the cultivation of Marigold, Cornflowett Bee Balm or Lemon Balm...They have numerous culinary and medicinal uses.
More and more agricultural enterprises are devoting themselves to the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic herbs. In the relatively dry, often extremely sunny and hot area of Obergricht, the medicinal and aromatic herbs thrive particularly well.
It is mainly the farmers' wives who, with their special knowledge and diligence, are engaged in this alternative production. Because especially the harvesting and processing of herbs is truly a "handful" of work. In countless hours, the blossoms of marigolds, cornflowers, mallows and golden balm or leaves of various types of mint, such as lemon balm, are picked and processed.
It is best to use the herbs in the kitchen naturally fresh. But there are also good ways of preserving them. Either the conventional method of air drying or electric drying equipment is used. These drying cabinets with dehumidification systems tend to guarantee a more consistent quality. The dried aromatic herbs are then processed into herbal salt and spice mixtures. Various tea mixtures are prepared from the medicinal herbs. Of course, the regulations of the food codex and drug law regulate exactly what may be used and these are naturally observed by the producers.
In addition, there are countless other "old and new" uses, such as oil and alcohol extracts (for example: St. John's wort oil and arnica schnapps), herbal oils, herbal vinegar, herbal pesto, herbal syrup, cosmetic products and much more.
The golden melissa, also known as "honey bee", was once part of every farmer's gartl. It is a relief for the nerves and has many other positive effects. The fresh herb or flowers of the golden balm are used in many ways. It tastes fresh and aromatic in fruit salads, salads, vegetable and meat dishes and is just as delicious when Golden Balm is used as a syrup, fresh tea juice or vinegar.
Herb cultivation and direct marketing can be found in the municipalities of Flirsch, Fliess, Kauns, Ried and Tösens:
Berta Rudiger, Flirscherberg 32, 6572 Flirsch, phone: 05447 / 5917
Hildegard Larcher, Sägehof 84, 6521 Fliess, Tel.: 05449 / 20091
Verena and Edgar Buchhammer, Kauns 53, 6522 Kauns, Phone: 05472 / 2693
Monika Falkeis, Kauns 103, 6522 Kauns, Phone: 05472/ 2311
Lisi Maaß, St. Christina 96, 6531 Ried, Germany, Tel.: 05472 / 28077
Gerti Sturm, Untertösens 1, 6541 Tösens, Phone: 05477 / 300
Stanzer plums
Exploiting the favourable environmental conditions, a and with good exposure to the sun, high temperature differences between day and night and a mild climate despite being over 1,000 metres a.s.l., thanks to the beneficial effect of the Fön, fruit-growing characterises the economy of various towns in the vicinity of Landeck: the renowned Stanz Plums are excellent when eaten fresh, and are used for making jams, delicious liqueurs, numerous grappas, tasty fruit mixes and plum cakes, as weil as strudel and gnocchi.
Through the planting of over 10,000 plum trees over the decades, fruit growing has become a strong sideline. In addition to the sale of tableware, the processing of the fruit into schnapps plays an increasingly important role in Stanz. An integration of the distilleries into the tourist offer of the region is planned.
Ingredients:
1 kg curd cheese 20 % fat (quark), 8 tablespoons wheat semolina, 8 tablespoons breadcrumbs, 8 tablespoons wheat flour smooth, 4 eggs.
Preparation:
knead the ingredients into a dough and leave to rest in a cool place for at least half an hour. Form 12 dumplings from the mixture, fill each with a plum, put them into boiling water, cook for about 12 minutes. Strain well, turn in crumbs roasted with butter and serve with icing sugar.
Bon appetite for all sweet tooth!
Direct marketing:
SALT Rural Marketing and Producers Association Stanz reg. Gen.mbH,
6500 Stanz, No. 16 Phone: 05442/66963, Fax: 05442/66963-4.
Tyrolean Sauerbrunn
Medicinal and mineral water from Ladis
These are thwo curative waters with beneficial effects or kidney liver, intestinal and stomach disorders, as well as for the respiratory tract and thyroid, and also recommended in diets. Acetous Water has been offering its benefits since the early 13th century and is reputed to have cured the ailments of many poweful figures, including Archduke Ferdinand. Therapeutic cures are possible in the localities of Ladis and at the spa of Obladis, where there is a suphur water spring.
There would be no end to tell who came to Obladis - the place of origin of this spring - and gave the healing water the name "Tyrolean Sauerbrunn". Archduke Ferdinand II. The princess Claudia and Archduke Leopold the V. and many others had the water sent to Innsbruck for a messenger's fee. The keeper of Laudeck Castle had to go up to the spring with the messenger and seal the "Pittiche", as they were called, to make sure that it was the real healing water from the spring at Obladis. Archduke Ferdinand then donated the marble column, which is still preserved today, in memory of his restored health. There is a document about all these events in the Museum Ferdinandeum in Innsbruck.
Modern medicine also uses Sauerbrunn successfully for diseases of the kidneys and liver, intestines, stomach, pancreas, mucus in the respiratory tract, loss of appetite and also for thyroid gland disorders. The best effect is also achieved with drinking cures for gastritis, asthma, heartburn, metabolic disorders and chronic constipation. The "Sauerbrunn" is very suitable for diet cures due to its low salt content. The medicinal water of the sulphur spring of Obladis is also excellent for drinking cures for liver, gall bladder and pancreas inflammations as well as for skin allergies and constipation. The medicinal water of the sulphur spring is not bottled, but it can be drunk on site.
In the village of Ladis and in the old spa house of Obladis, which has been renovated, guests can also take drinking cures. For this purpose the medicinal water is bottled with very little or a little more carbon dioxide in bottles of 1l, 0.35l and 0.25l. The medicinal and mineral water "Tiroler Sauerbrunn" is distributed throughout Tyrol. If you would like to know where you can purchase "Sauerbrunn" in your area, please call 0043-(0)5442-6236.
South Tyrolean bacon
A typical product produced throughout the Upper Adige and in particular the Val Venosta, Upper Adige Speck is made with leg of pork, spiced with bay and juniper berries, smoked and cured. It can be enjoyed raw, with black bread or dry flat loaf, or used in various dishes, such as the traditional Upper Adige canederli. Available in Italian and European supermarkets.
Today the South Tyrolean Speck I.G.P. is produced from the leg of pork. Once boned, the meat is "massaged" with a mixture of salt and spices, including laurel and juniper berries, as well as some secret "final touches" from the individual producers. The legs are then left to rest for two weeks in special tubs at a constant temperature. During this phase they are turned several times so that the aromas penetrate the fibres well. The next operation is a delicate matter. This is the smoking process, which must be carried out at a temperature of no more than 20°. Drying then takes place, during which the protective moulds form on the surfaces. The last step is the maturing process, which lasts about six months.
According to gourmets, bacon is eaten raw, with black or shaken bread. However, it is also an ingredient for many dishes, not only for the South Tyrolean speciality par excellence, the dumplings.
Ingredients for four people:
250 g of stale white bread, cut into small cubes, 2 eggs, 1/41 milk, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives, salt, pepper and some flour, but not more than 30g.
Roast the onion in the butter, add the bacon, then put everything in a pot with the bread and pour the milk and the beaten eggs with the herbs over it. Mix well, season with salt and pepper and leave to rest for fifteen minutes. Then add some flour and start to work the dough carefully, forming balls of five or six centimetres in diameter. These are boiled in boiling water or broth for fifteen minutes. They are served dry with finely chopped white cabbage.
The South Tyrolean Bacon I.G.P., which is identified by the corresponding trademark, is now available in all Italian supermarkets as well as in various points of sale abroad.
Paarl
Originally from Val Venosta, Paar! is a rye bread flavoured with caraway seeds, fennel and "Brotklee" with the classic eight shape being formed of two joined loaves. lt can be enjoyed with speck or cheese, or in hot soups. Available in baker's shops in the Val Venosta, Val d'Ultimo and Val Pusteria.
Ingredients for four people:
1 Stale Vinschgau Paarlbrot (a double bread made of rye flour), 60 g butter, onion, 1 litre broth, 1-2 eggs, chives.
Cut the stale bread into cubes, then fry it in a pan with butter and chopped onion. Add the stock and let go for a few minutes stirring. Add salt and pepper. Always stirring together the egg last. Serve the soup hot in the plates sprinkling with chives. A variation is the onions which are cut into thin slices and then floured before being browned in an oven dish with seed oil and a knob of butter. Once dried with absorbent paper towels they are distributed on the bread soup prepared according to the recipe.
This particular type of bread is produced today by several bakeries not only in Val Venosta, but also in other areas of South Tyrol, Val d'Ultimo and Val Pusteria. It is also offered for sale in the form of single loaves, the so-called Vinschgerle, which are smaller than the traditional pair breads. Thanks to the acidity of the dough, the rye Paarl is kept fresh for several days.
Upper Adige Apple
The particular climate of the Adige valley - high insolation, wide temperature ranges, limited rainfall - has favoured apple growing since the Middle Ages. Today, the name Upper Adige Apple indicates various varieties: Granny Smith and Pink Lady in the lower Adige area, Fuji and Royal Gala towards Bolzano, Rell Deliciouss and Braeburn in the Merano basin and Golden Delicious in Val Venosta. The Upper Adige Apple is eaten fresh and is also used for producing juices and concentrated juices as weil as being the basic ingredient for the traditional strudel.
Today there are eight thousand producers who are members of cooperatives. The South Tyrolean apple is one of the products bearing the I.G.P. trademark, i.e. the protected geographical indication GGA. The production follows the principles of integrated plant and environmental protection. The characteristics of the apples are favourably influenced by the climate. South Tyrol can count on at least 300 days of sunshine per year. The high variations in temperature contribute to the increase in sugar and vitamin content.
You can find different apple varieties along the South Tyrolean section of the Via Claudia Augusta. Starting from Salurn, Granny Smith and Pink Lady are the most widespread in the lower Adige Valley. The former presents itself with an intense green colour with possible rosy nuances, while the latter has a yellow to light green skin and a juicy, mainly sour tasting pulp. If we move further up towards Bolzano, we find the Fuji variety, with its pink-brownish colour and sweet taste, and the Royal Gala type, which is characterised by different colouring with pronounced stripes and sweet taste. Between Bolzano and Merano we find the Red Delicious variety, with a lively red skin and sweet taste, and the Braeburn type with its red-brownish colour on a green-yellow ground and the balanced taste. Finally, along the Vinschgau Valley the green-yellow, very juicy and mainly sweet tasting Golden Delicious type predominates.
The apples are used to make the traditional strudel, a thin roll of puff pastry or short pastry filled with pine nuts, sultanas, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, apple slices, sugar, cinnamon, lemon peel and breadcrumbs. It is baked in the oven at 180°-200° for one hour.
The South Tyrolean Apple I.G.P. is available practically all year round in shops and supermarkets throughout Europe. It is brought to market directly by the producers' consortia.
Stilfser cheese
The mountain environment and the quality of the fodder give rise to the particular characteristics of Stelvio - Stilfser cheese, a soft, cooked cheese obtained from skim milk with the addition of particular milk enzymes that determine its fragrance and flavours. Recommended as a dessert or hors d'oeuvre. On sale in cooperative dairiesrin the Upper Adige and in other regions of ltaly.
Part of the historical cheese tradition is also the Stilfser cheese , whose name was first officially mentioned in 1914. At the end of the 19th century, farmers in various areas of South Tyrol decided to join forces in order to process the milk using more rational criteria. This led to the creation of cooperatives that began to produce and sell cheese and butter in a professional manner. Even today, this system still guarantees mountain farmers an income sufficient to meet family needs.
Stilfser cheese has been registered as a PDO product with Protected Designation of Origin in Italy thanks to the characteristics of the milk with which it is produced. These characteristics are linked to the quality of the fodder the cows eat and to the mountain environment. During the various phases, all the standards set by the production regulations are strictly observed. The maturing period may not be less than sixty days. Stilfser is a cheese with a soft, cooked cheese mass, made from semi-skimmed milk, with the addition of special lactic acid bacteria, which, in addition to a protective antibacterial effect, determine the aroma and taste. The cheese mass has a light yellow, straw-like colour, while the rind varies from orange-yellow to brown. After being cut and eaten at the table, it can be enjoyed as a dessert or as a snack, possibly accompanied by the traditional boiled potatoes (see recipe under Algundian goat's cheese).
Stilfser is available in the cooperative dairies of South Tyrol and in almost all supermarkets. It is also sold in other regions of Italy.
Vinschger apricot
Cultivatetl for over a century in Val Venosta, the Marille apricot has a clear and compact pulp, and a fine and elegant fragrance. Harvesting begins towards the 20th of July and continues throughout August. The fruit is available in shops in the Upper Adige. Tasty canederli can be prepared with the Marillen.
The characteristics of the Val Venosta apricot are due to the climate - of the valley: little rain, harsh winters and a warm early summer. The harvest takes place between the twentieth of July and the end of August. The apricots present themselves with a fine, elegant aroma, an excellent acid/sugar ratio and bright, compact flesh. The even pink appearance can be "disturbed" by sudden precipitation. For connoisseurs, this is only an optical problem, whereas for normal consumers it is an inferior apricot.
The Vinschger apricots are used to make jams and distillates. You can find them on the market in practically all fruit and vegetable shops in South Tyrol and, of course, directly at the local producers or at the Vischgau fruit cooperatives.
Ingredients for four people:
1 kg potatoes, 250 g flour, 3 eggs, 200 g butter, 100 g breadcrumbs, sugar, salt, 16 apricots.
Boil the potatoes, then peel them, press them through the potato ricer and let them cool down. Add the flour, the eggs, a piece of butter and a pinch of salt and mix everything together. At this point, give the dough the shape of a sausage, which is divided into many pieces of about five centimetres in length. Flatten these pieces, giving them the shape of squares of a size that allows each one to take a pitted apricot and then close them in a ball shape. Place the dumplings in boiling salted water until they rise to the surface. In a separate pan, melt the butter with the breadcrumbs. Add the dumplings and roll them so that they take on the taste. Serve sprinkled with sugar.
Algunder goat cheese
Lagundo is a hard goat's cheese produced with full-cream milk available only from Easter until the end of August, from goats bred in the farms of the Merano district. lt can be enjoyed with traditional boiled potatoes with salt and can be used in the preparation of canederli with cheese or sprinkled in flakes on potato dumplings. Ideal with a good full-bodied red wine. On sale in the Merano area and at various cooperative dairies in the Upper Adige.
This cheese goes well with a full-bodied red wine, which is best young, fruity and not very acidic. At table it can be enjoyed alone or together with other Algunder cheeses, perhaps together with the traditional boiled potatoes, which can be prepared as follows.
Ingredients for four people:
1 kg medium to small potatoes, 1 handful of coarse salt.
Wash the potatoes well and cut them into two or three pieces with the skin, depending on their size. It is preferable not to use mealy potatoes. Then place the potatoes in a pot, add water until they are covered, add a handful of coarse salt and turn on the cooker. Keep the temperature high for the first few minutes, then lower it slightly. Calculate fifteen minutes cooking time from the start of cooking, possibly a few minutes more if the pieces are a little larger. When the potatoes are ready, peel them off in your hand while still warm.
The Algund goat cheese can also be used to prepare various dishes, such as cheese dumplings (see recipe in the data sheet of the bacon, where the sausage is replaced by the cheese). Excellent also in thin flakes to sprinkle on potato dumplings, together with some browned Alpine butter and perhaps a bouquet of finely chopped parsley.
The Algundian goat's cheese is easily available throughout the Merano area, but also at all the outlets of the various South Tyrolean dairy companies and, of course, in the better-assorted gastronomy shops.
Würstel Meraner
In the large frankfurter family, the Meraner Würstel - or more correctly, Meraner hauswurst - is distinguished by he mixture, spices and preparation. it is a fresh sausage made from prok (70%), beef and bacon, seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, sweet majoram, garlic etc., steam cooked then smoked. It is served with sauerkraut, medium-strong mustard and with a good beer. Available averywhere in the Upper Adige and in various Italian supermarkets.
For its part, the Merano house sausage has long been a tasty variant invented by a Merano butcher at the end of the 19th century and spread immediately in the Vinschgau Valley and gradually in the rest of the province. The variant is based on the fact that the domestic sausage is cooked and smoked with steam. But let's try to describe the production method in more detail. The raw material consists of 70% pork, i.e. lean belly pork, while the rest is made of beef from various cuts, which is always lean and free of tendons. The pieces of meat are put into a mincer with a capacity of about one hundred kilograms for a medium size farm and then seasoned with salt and natural aromas, monopod glutamate, sodium nitrite and potassium nitrite. The mixture is then turned over with the addition of water in the form of ice to lower its temperature and make it more homogeneous. Once it is ready, it is filled into natural casings of about twenty centimetres in length. The sausages are then left to dry before being cooked at a steam temperature of 75°. The last phase is that of smoking, during which a temperature of 20° must not be exceeded.
The Merano sausages are consumed after heating for about ten minutes in very hot water (the water must not boil, otherwise the sausage will disintegrate). It is essential to serve them with medium hot mustard and a good beer - perhaps also from Merano".
The Merano sausages are available in South Tyrol everywhere in the trade and in various Italian supermarkets. You can taste them in passing at the sausage stalls, the characteristic sales points at the roadside and in the historical city centre. You should also try them grilled with ketchup or curry sauce. They are also very tasty sliced with soup noodles and chives.
Asparagus of Terlan
The Terlano asparagus, grown on the narrow flatland at the bottom of the valley and fertilised by the Adige on an area of ten hectares, is particularly excellent fot its taste an sonsistency. It is enjoyed with Boznersauce (Bolzano sauce), and Spargelwein, a cuvée produced mainly with Pinot Blanco. Available throughout the province of Bolzano in season, from March to June.
The Terlan asparagus is particularly appreciated for its taste and consistency. The soil is fertile and rich in minerals, thanks to the Adige river that crosses the plain where it is cultivated. In Terlan ten hectares are reserved for the cultivation of this vegetable. These are long beds, which are covered with cloths to protect them from the sun and the weather. At the time of harvesting, the asparagus spears are cut off with an appropriate tool. All the asparagus is then taken to a single processing centre where it is first cleaned and packaged with the Margarethe trademark. During the season it is available throughout the province of Bolzano and only in some shops outside the region. In fact, compared to the excellent quality, production is rather limited and covers only little more than the local demand.
From April to June various restaurants try their hand at old and new gastronomic combinations. These must be accompanied by asparagus wine, a cuvee made mainly from Pinot Bianco. Before it is consumed, the asparagus is peeled by a third, then gathered in a bunch and dipped into boiling water. After a minute, turn off the flame and leave it to simmer for twenty minutes.
A classic recipe is to enjoy six beautiful cooked asparagus spears with Bolzano sauce, prepared as follows
Ingredients for four people:
Take four hard-boiled eggs and separate the yolks from the egg whites. Then press the yolks through a sieve. They are then mixed with seed oil, as if preparing a mayonnaise. Add vinegar, salt, chives, pepper and some parsley. Finally, add the finely chopped egg whites to this mixture and mix well. Terlan asparagus is also served with roast goat lamb and boiled Easter ham.
Lagrein
A vine species par excellence from the Bolzano basin where it is grown on an area of 152 hectares, Lagrein is a dark red wine with a smooth and full-bodied flavour, ideal for roast meats and garne. Lagrein Kretzer, on the other hand, is a lighter and versatile rose'wine.
Gourmets appreciate it because it goes well with roast and game. In the kitchen, Lagrein is suitable for enhancing the flavour of braised roasts and dishes based on red meat or game. For some years now, a cheese called Lagrein has been produced in South Tyrol after it has been treated with just this wine. The taste is really original.
Ingredients for four people:
4 beef steaks, 200 g of veal and pork mince, 40 g of dried mushrooms, 1 egg, spices, 60 g of bacon, a quarter of dark Lagrein, 2 tomatoes, finely chopped vegetables, 1/8 of seed oil, 50 g of butter.
Season the minced meat with salt and pepper and add the dried, minced mushrooms and the spices. Stuff the steaks by folding them in half and closing them with some bacon. Dust with flour and fry lightly in oil on both sides, add the Lagrein and add the tomatoes. Then add the previously browned vegetables and continue cooking in the oven with the pot closed.
Aromatic Traminer
Aromatic Traminer, produced on 143 hectares, nearly all in Terme o, is a white wine with a full, intense and slightly bitter flavour, pleasantly fragrant, with a yellow-green aml straw-yellow colour. Suitable as an aperitif or with hors d'oeuvres and desserts, it is also excellent for preparing traditional dishes such as roe-deer cutlets with Traminer Available in the best ltalian and European wine shops.
The Gewürztraminer presents itself with a green-yellow or straw-yellow colour and a full, intense, slightly bitter and pleasantly aromatic taste. It is suitable as an aperitif or to enjoy with starters and desserts. It is also ideal for preparing traditional dishes or local products.
Recipe for four people.
Ingredients:
12 venison chops with bones, 1 glass of cranberry jam or gelatine, oil and butter, 1 clove of garlic, 12 triangular pieces of brown bread.
For the marinade:
1 bottle of white wine Gewürztraminer, nutmeg, pepper and salt, 1 orange.
Tap the chops and marinate in the wine for at least six hours, to which nutmeg, pepper and salt and the thinly sliced orange have been added. In a saucepan, heat the butter and oil with a clove of garlic and remove the latter when it is well browned. When the frying mixture is properly browned, add the drained chops and fry on both sides. Then remove the chops from the pot and place them on a preheated plate. Pour the marinade into the pot and let it boil for about fifteen minutes, then put the chops back in and cook everything together for another ten minutes.
Toast the brown bread in the butter and place two or three slices on the plate of each table companion. Add the chops with their sauce and complete the plate with a spoon of cranberry jam.
The Gewürztraminer from Tramin can be found in the best Italian and European wine shops.
Trentino sauerkraut
A typical dish of the Alpine areas, Sauerkraut represents an old method for preserving vegetables: the head cabbage, pressed with water and salt and flavoured, keeps fresh for the entire winter period. lt goes weil with various dishes. The sauerkraut of Trentino produced in Val di Gresta is renowned.
Particularly famous is the organic sauerkraut from the Gresta Valley, which is called the "organic vegetable garden" of Trentino, since almost all the vegetables produced there are organically grown in the region. Some of these vegetables are listed in the National Register of Traditional Agri-food Products: head cabbage, carrots and celeriac.
The head cabbage is harvested at the end of September or the beginning of October and, after having been kept in an airy place for eight days to dry, it is cut with an appropriate cutting machine. The cabbage is then placed in special food containers, in layers alternating with layers of salt, to which caraway, seeds of wild fennel and juniper berries can also be added. The tightly compressed cabbage is covered with cabbage leaves on which a lid is placed with a weight to keep the pressure inside the container constant. At this point it is left to ferment at room temperature for a week and then in a cool cellar room for at least 3-4 weeks. To preserve it, rooms are used in which a very cool temperature between 8 and 12° C is guaranteed.
In the Gresta Valley, every year at the end of July the CamminaGrestana is held, a kind of marathon of taste, where you can taste the typical Merenda del Contadino (farmers' snack) with freshly squeezed carrot juice, enjoy the traditional dishes based on Crauti e Luganega (sauerkraut and Luganega sausage), sip a freshly roasted Gaffe d'orzo (malt coffee) and finally taste the wild berries.
Trout of Trentino
Appreciated since the 16th century, Traut and Char have formed the basis of sh farming in the Trent district, carried out in modern facilities since the late 18th century. Thanks to the cold waters and consequent lengthening of the production cycle, leaner and rmer traut with a more slender shape similar to wild traut are obtained. The Traut are processedf a single centre in the form of gutted, hat and cold smoked trout, fresh or steam-cooked llets, paste and cakes.
Trentino was the cradle of Italian trout farming, thanks to the particular nature of its watercourses, which form the original natural habitat of the trout. It was here that the first fish farms were established: the Torbole fish farm in 1879, at the instigation of Don Canevari, Agostino Zecchini and Filippo Count Bassi Fedrigotti, which was followed in the last years of the 19th and early 20th centuries by other initiatives that placed Trentino among the elite fish farms at European level.
Because of the low temperatures, the production cycle of trout is longer here than in fish farms. In other regions where the water temperature is higher: in this way, trout are obtained with a more compact and lean meat on average and a slimmer shape that is more similar to that typical of wild trout.
The farmed fish species are mainly the rainbow trout (90%), the brown trout and the char. In view of the particular quality of the water in Trentino, the local trout farms are involved not only in the production of trout for human consumption but also in the production of reproductive material, which is exported in large quantities due to its superior quality.
The trout, bred using modern techniques and in compliance with a specific regulation, are processed in a single centre - into gutted trout ready for cooking or smoked hot or cold, fresh or steam-cooked fillets, paste and hamburgers.
Dried or smoked Lucanica
A member of the big Lucanica Trentina (Trent sausage) family that embraces various traditional dressed pork products, Lucanica Mochena is one of the most representative for its strong identity tied with the "Mocheni", a folks of German origin settling in the Fersina valley in the 13th century. Produced with pure, cured and smoked pork, it can be served alone or cooked on the hotplate and served with polenta.
The fresh Lucanica sausage serves as an ingredient for other traditional products such as dumplings and sauerkraut. It is part of some classic Trentino recipes, such as Tonco del Pontesel (mixed meat sauce) and Smacafam (sausage in a sauce). Moreover, the sausage can be grilled and served with polenta, which is very popular at village festivals. Once dried, the Lucanica can be served without everything.
The dried or smoked Lucanica-Mochena sausage also owes its name to the strong identification with the farmers of German origin - the "Mocheni" (ethnic group of the Fersental Valley) - who settled around the 13th century, and with the miners known as "Canopi" who came from some regions of Central Europe in the 15th century when rich deposits of copper, iron and silver were discovered in the valley. This product accompanies every oeno-gastronomic event in the valley, where the "Mocheni" dress in traditional costume, as evidenced by two beautiful tales by the famous German writer Robert Musil, who fought as an ofzier in this area.
The Lucanica Mochena is a sausage made from pure pork egg, which is eaten raw after appropriate drying. The product takes on the name Lucanica Mochena Affumicata (smoked Lucanica Mochena sausage) when it is smoked after the drying period, i.e. when it is placed in a cold oven in which smoke is produced using appropriate sawdust and juniper berries. The smoking process takes about 12 hours. Production takes place throughout the year, whereas in the past, due to problems associated with preservation, it was only carried out between September and April.
Trentino Grappa
0btained from the distillation of marc, Grappa Giovane Trentina has the characteristic of being made with marc coming exclusively from protected grapes of the Trento district: distilled according to the traditional "double boiler" method introduced by Tullio Zadra, or with inore modern production methods, it is made mainly in small and family-run distillerie:;;. Among the most appreciated are those produced with the marc of a single vine species. Recommended as a digestive liqueur.
In the distilleries of Trentino, the principles of traditional distillation, carried out according to the old rules of indirect heat source - the 'water bath' method introduced by Tullio Zadra - have been maintained unchanged. Having worked as a journeyman since his early youth with a famous coppersmith, Lorenzi di Calliano, manufacturer of stills, the still, Tullio Zadra soon adopted the difficult art of working copper. Constant research led him to equip stills with inspection windows, thermometers and manometers, vats to collect the "heads" and "tails" (the first and last escaping alcohols respectively) and, certainly most important and decisive, back-flow condensers and venting devices, as well as stirrers for the pomace. Between 1950 and 1960 he worked out the "water bath", which he perfected more and more and always gave his name to. In the course of time, more modern production techniques were applied: The marcs from noble grapes are distilled fresh, softer, no longer fruity as before, to obtain a grappa of exceptional quality.
The grappa has a guarantee of origin and quality and can be easily recognised by the trident mark on the neck of the bottle or on the back label of the bottle. The mark is awarded by the lstituto Tutela Grappa del Trentino (Trentino Grappa Protection Institute) after a series of checks and guarantees defined by the producers themselves, who are members of the Institute.
Trento D.O.C.
classic method
The Trento Controlled Designation of Origin is reserved for white and rose sparkling wines produced using the method of bottle fermentation, which represents almost 40% of Italian production. To the still base wine made with Chardonnay and/or Pinot Bianco and/or Pinot Nero grapes, sugar and selected yeasts are added. The wine thus bottled begins a second fermentation, followed by a resting period of at least 15 months on the yeasts (at least 24 months for the indication of the vintage and at least 36 months for the product Riserva), the elimination of the residues, the dosage and finally the sealing with the cork. To confirm its undisputed quality, in 1993 Trentino sparkling wine was awarded the D.O.C. Trento registered designation of origin, the first of its kind in the national framework.
The product presents itself with a crystalline straw-yellow colour, which is even more intense in the Riserva, fine and persistent sparkling, fine and elegant, fruity, floral and fragrant bouquet with a slight hint of yeast; dry, fresh, soft and harmonious taste.
The Trento D.O.C. is a rounded wine, suitable as an aperitif and to accompany the whole meal, after being served with a wide variety of dishes, such as fish, white meat, risotto and fried vegetables, cold meats and mature cheeses.
Teroldego rotaliano D.O.C.
An indigenous vine species par excellence, Teroldego rotaliano D.O.C. is considered the "Prince" of Trento wines: cultivated in the Rotaliana Area, Europe's most beautiful vine garden, it features a deep ruby-red colour and a bouquet of woodland fruits. When new it goes weil with cheese saufe and in-between dishes. When ge it is excellent with Salted Meat, game and ripe hard cheeses, such as Vezzena and Trentingrana.
The vine has found its favourable habitat in the Piana Rotaliana, a vast plain that Cesare Battisti described as "the most beautiful vineyard in Europe". The peculiarities of the gravelly and stony terrain give Teroldego those organoleptic characteristics that enabled it to obtain the D.O.C. (Controlled Denomination of Origin) in 1971, and which led Mariani, chronicler of the Council of Trento, to describe the Teroldego grapes as capable of producing "silent wines that make you talk". He is rightly considered the "prince" of Trentino wines.
The wine presents itself with an intense and shiny ruby red colour; garnet red, however, at full maturity. fruity bouquet with nuances of raspberries and blueberries as well as notes of spices; dry, spicy and harmonious taste. Serving temperature: 18 - 20°C. As a young wine it goes well with cheese souffles and main courses. When aged, it is excellent with carne salada (cured meat), game and hard, mature cheeses such as Vezzena and Trentingrana.
Every year, at the beginning of September, Mezzocorona hosts an exhibition dedicated to the "prince" of Trentino wines, in which all the wineries in the area participate.
Trentino D.O.C.
Müller Thurgau
Selecte in 1882 by the Swiss researcher Dr. Hermann Müller, ifrento 0.0.C. Müller Thurgau is obtained from a vine species hich, thanks to its good adaptability to the cold climate of the mountaln regions aandearly ripening, has found its natural habitat in the lands of the Val di Cembra at over 500 metres a.s.l .. Straw-coloured wit a'fruity bouquet, it is ideal for rst courses with shellsh sauces or with barbecued sh. Excellent as an aperitif.
For these reasons, its cultivation spread in Trentino, where its ideal habitat is in the hills above 500 metres. And so it found its cradle in the small, steep vineyards of the Cembra Valley, which is characterised by a climate with harsh winters and sunny summers. The viticulture of the Cembra Valley is testified by a "situla", a wine vessel that appeared in 1838, dating back to the 7th-5th century B.C. and probably used for rituals in honour of Bacchus and his satyr Silenus.
The wine presents itself with a beautiful straw-yellow colour with sometimes slightly greenish rexes. Its bouquet is fruity, floral and slightly aromatic with hints of sage, apple and jasmine. The taste is dry, fresh, spicy and harmonious. Serving temperature: 10 - 12°C. Excellent as an aperitif; suitable for first main courses based on mussels and with grilled fish.
The corn spin or
Nostrano of the Valsugana Valley
Maize, introduced in the 17th century from America, maize gradually replaced the previous grain crops such as wheat, rye, oats and millet and in the 18th century had already become one of the basic dishes of the Trento area, namely with polenta Today, the cultivation of Spin maize and valsugana Flour promotes the consumption of this traditional food: polenta is ideal as a side dish with a single dish based on cheese, or meats, game and sausage. lt is excellent with sauerkraut, every type of luganega (sausage), and woodland mushrooms.
Corn Spin is a variety that reaches an average height of about 2 meters. The bright orange cob is long and heavy, but the production per hectare is rather limited. Cultivation, processing and finishing techniques must comply with appropriate regulations, including the limited use of mineral fertilisers and the prohibition of the use of moth repellents during conservation. Ginning is carried out when the moisture content approaches 12-13% and the subsequent milling process produces a yield of polenta flour, known as Farina della Valsugana (Valsugana flour), of approximately 80%.
Polenta, which until a few decades ago was one of the basic dishes in the diet of Trentino people, is generally eaten as a side dish in a stew based on cheese or on meat, game and sausages. Polenta is an excellent accompaniment to sauerkraut, any type of Luganega sausage, wild mushrooms and cheese.
Vezzena
Before the introduction of Trentingrana, the hard cheese Vezzena represented the typical seasoning cheese. Produced in the farms and dairies of the Vezzena tableland and the mountain areas of Lavarone, Folgaria and Luserna, it was sought-after in the Trento district and in Veneto and also by the imperial court of Vienna. Today it continues to be produced with the milk of traditional dairy cattle breeds, such as the Brown, Alpine Grey, Rendena and is markade "M" ("malga" or mountain farm) stampedo the cheeses.
Before the First World War, the Vezzena cheese was almost the only cheese used in Trentino, at this time known as Italian Tyrol, for dressing food, and it was sold without difficulty on the local market, in Veneto and even in Vienna, where it was also appreciated at the Habsburg court. With the annexation to Italy, the Vezzena was gradually replaced by the Trentingrana, until it almost disappeared, also due to the. destruction of a large part of the mountain pastures that produced it. At present its production is also widespread in other mountain pastures of the Valsugana and Vallagarina valleys, although the heart has remained on the plateaus.
The Vezzena is a cheese with a hard dough, half-fat, half-cooked, to be eaten or grated in the piece, with a straw yellow or straw-coloured, light-coloured dough, compact, with light, scattered holes. Its shape is cylindrical with a diameter of 30-40 cm and a height of the järb side of 9-12 cm. The weight is between 8 and 10 kg. A minimum ripening period of 4 months is required for the medium-ripe variety, at least 1 year for an aged Vezzena and more than two years for the extra-ripe "stravecchio".
The milk must come from cows of the Bruna, Grigio Alpina, Rendena (autochthonous) and other breeds, which were mainly fed on grass or hay from permanent meadows produced at an altitude of over 700 metres above sea level. The vezzena, produced in summer with pasture milk, has been adopted as a Slow Food delicacy and can be identified by the "M" (for "malga" = alpine pasture) printed on the cheese wheels.
Meat - Salame Bellunese,
Carne de Fea Fumegàda, Pendole,
The particular geographic characteristics of the Feltre-Belluno area, with its narrow valley-bottom plains, ample-meadow and woodland areas on the slopes of the mountains and still more ample Alpine meadowlands, have always favoured the growth of stock-rearing, with sheep and goats up to the end of the 18th century and then decidedly more oriented towards the cattle sector, always integrated with the breeding of farmyard animals.
Clear traces of that tradition have remained in the traditional cuisine which, alongside the many beef dishes, is still able to offer recipes with an old flavour, recalling the households of the past, and that still maintain the classic preservation methods by smoking, as in the case of smoked mutton or in the Plindole, which are thin strips of smoked meat of different animals, or with the eat preserved in the form of sausages, such as Belluno Salami and other sausages.
In order not to succumb to the idea of diffuse meat dishes, especially among shepherds, it must be remembered that consumption was very limited: the slaughter of a sheep and, above all, a lamb was considered a waste of resources. The whole animal was left to hang for about 10 days. It is then cut transversely into pieces and left to crumble for a further two days with flavours and salt. After being exposed to the sun or the air for a day or wrapped in sheepskin to absorb the salt, they are placed on wooden skewers and arranged one by one on the "secaröla", the wooden grate lying on a fireplace. Smoking is generally done with juniper wood, which gives the meat the special aroma of the plant. According to traditional recipes, the meat of the Fumegäda (smoked mutton) was grilled, cut into carpaccio or used as an ingredient in the preparation of barley soup. Although the meat was not very common among shepherds, there was a habit of eating the tails of the animals. Nowadays, carne de Fea Fumegäda is mainly found in the butcher shops of Lamon.
Traditionally, this typical product of our mountains has been prepared with sheep or goat meat or game and in some cases rabbit meat; however, any type of meat is suitable for this type of preparation. Nowadays, lean pork is used because it retains a certain softness even when dried. Generally, the leg and loin are used, which are placed in brine in strips cut about one centimetre wide, the pendole. Two days are enough to soak the brine, then the strips are hung up and smoked. At the end of the smoking process, they are dried for a few days at a temperature of 12°C.
Honey
If honey is produced everywhere in Veneto, it is above all in the Pre-Alpine foothills of the Treviso area and the Feltre-Belluno valley hich, thanks to the richness of habitats distributed from the bottom of the valley to middle to high mountain areas, that honey finds a variety of unique expressions: from lime and chestnut honey to refined acacia and even rhododendron honey. And thanks to a valley bottom not overurbanised and not industrialised, the honey has organoleptic qualities of absolute genuineness.
The characteristic honeys of the area are lime-blossom, chestnut and acacia, the latter being a distinctive honey, almost colourless or of a light straw-yellow colour and with a very pleasant taste. Other types of honey produced are the amber-coloured millefiori primaverile (a thousand spring flowers), sometimes very pale, and the millefiori estivo (a thousand summer flowers), with a dark amber colour and a more intense odour than the former. At higher altitudes, rhododendron honey can also be found.
This wide range of honeys characterizes the Bellunese Dolomites as one of the most interesting of the Alps, where excellent honey qualities are obtained in the fragrance and, above all, in the taste. This pre-alpine area, situated between plain and mountains, is characterised by an extremely low level of environmental pollution, which makes the honey under this profile pure and very healthy. In order to provide consumers with total quality guarantees, the beekeepers carry out accurate analyses of their honey and are proud to offer a very healthy product with superior organoleptic characteristics and a constantly growing demand.
Among the market exhibitions: A tavola nel Feltrino (At Table in the Feltrin area), in Lamon, on the third weekend in September; market exhibition in Villa Pat in Sedico on the third weekend in October; Biogusto in Crespano del Grappa on the third weekend in December.
Beekeeping associations: Associazione Apidolomiti,
Piazza S. G. Bosco, 732100 Belluno, tel. 043730999.
Koinze und Kodinzón
The exploitation of the Pre- Alpine geographic environment stimulated inventiveness, and the need to preserve apples-and fruit after ripening gave rise to the discovery of the Koinze and the Kodinfön. The method is simple and absolutely natural: the water evaporates and the sugars become concentrated in slices of apples exposed to the sun, therefore the pieces of apples can be preserved for a long time.If, on the otherhand, the apples are chopped into small pieces and cooked. a puree can be obtained. This puree. spread and left to dry in thin layers, becomes delicate sheet& which are ideal for filling cakes, tarts or, covered with honey, for enhancing the performance of sportspersons.
The simpler product, the Koinze, are apple rings that are dried in the sun without any treatment or addition of sugar, as this concentrates naturally with the loss of water. The Koinze is eaten without anything, reminiscent of fruit candy, or used in vin brüle (mulled wine) or to make a frosting for tarts and crostates. The codinzón, on the other hand, is a rolled out apple puree leaf, brown in colour and a few millimetres thick, which is dried and cut into small pieces or strips. The peeled apples, cut into pieces, are cooked until they form a puree (for 1 kg of codinzón, 8 kg of apples are required), which is then spread out on a baking tray or metal grid and left to dry. Again, no sugar or other sweetening products are added. The codinzón is therefore a highly natural and energizing product, suitable for sports activities, especially when enriched with honey.
The fruit most commonly used in the production of koinze and codinzón are the different varieties grown in the area: above all, the apples of the Rosetta group, all of which share the medium-strong character of the plant, the fruit growing in clusters on the branch, with a flattened shape, and a hard, yellow-green skin with a generous reddish side when ripe. The flesh is creamy white in colour, very aromatic, crunchy, sour and juicy. Then come the apples of the Ferro Cesio variety: the plant is not very vigorous, with fruit of rather modest size, green in colour with a red side covered with white dots. The flesh is creamy white, compact and dry, pleasantly fragrant, and its taste is slightly sweet when ripe.
These traditional apples are now only moderately widespread throughout the Feltrine area and the Bellunese valley, and are mainly maintained in non-specialised cultivation, which is still characterised by the presence of large trees scattered over the land, which grow in a mixture with the meadows and sometimes with the vines. Successful innovative exceptions in this sector are the association "Mele a Me" (Mel is a municipality on the left bank of the Piave river where an exhibition is held every year) and the organic farm of Giovanni Moretton in Sovramonte (via Faller, 124), where an exhibition of the organic Pan Prussian is held in October.
Nut and chestnut
the Feltrine area
An important part of fruit and vegetable growing in the Feltre area and a significant element of the local countryside and scenery, the Feltre Walnut has given rise, in the last centuries, to a regular local, regional and even international trade thanks to its characteristics of softness and goodness. Feltre Walnut growing has now been relaunched by a special protection Consortium. The chestnut, on the other hand, humbly entered local cuisine in the form of boiled and roasted chestnuts; however, with the end of famine times, it succeeded in gaining respectability in the local gastronomy, not only in the preparation of cakes, but also as an ingredient of first and second courses.
The Feltre Chestnut is renowned for its white pulp, sweetness and compactness, wich withstands cooking, and for at least two centuries the chestnut-tree has been a characteristic element in the piedmont strip of the Feltre area.
Together with the grapes, chestnuts were a rustic gift for the adored ladies in imperial Rome. Charlemagne had the habit of enjoying them cooked in wine (we, on the other hand, more modern but also more stupid, consume them cooked in water). In the Middle Ages, the use of this fruit, catalogued under acorns, was stimulated by repeated famines, but did not penetrate into eating habits, except during the wars of the 15th century in the form of flour. In Veneto, chestnut-growing was not stimulated until much later, by a 1756 Serenissima decree which, in order to slow down deforestation, imposed the obligation to plant four chestnut trees per suitable field. From the end of the eighteenth century onwards, the chestnut tree invaded the landscape of almost the entire foothills of the Feltrine area and its fruits, the humble chestnut and the noble chestnut, entered the local cuisine, unless they were exchanged for the flour of the plain out of necessity, in the most modest and simple form of the castegne lesse (boiled chestnuts) and the chestnut rotidi (roasted chestnuts).
The chestnut of the Feltrine area is ovoid, with velvety hair, one flat and one convex side and thin outer skin, of brown colour with darker stripes lengthwise. The kernel is easily detached from the hull when peeled, unlike the chestnut. The white flesh is famous for its sweetness and compactness, which resists well to the cooking process.
Other times - other uses: when the era of hunger and need was over, chestnuts and chestnuts found their way into the gastronomy, revealing an incredible versatility and imagination, both in "salty" dishes (appetizers, stews, soups ...). The cultures are managed by the Consorzio di Tutela Noce Feltrino (Consortium for the Protection of the Feltrine Nut), 1 Piazzetta della Biade, 32032 Feltre, and the Consorzio tutela Marone e Castagno del Feltrino (Consortium for the Protection of the Chestnut and Chestnut of the Feltrine Area), 21 via C. Rizzarda, Feltre. Tel. 04393331, assisted. The products are available on the occasion of numerous festivals in October: II Castagno in Festa (Chestnut Festival) in Pedavena, Festa del Marrone Feltrino (Festival of the Chestnut of Feltre) in Rasai di Seren del Grappa, and the Antica Fiera di San Matteo (ancient St. Matthew's Fair) in the first week of November in Feltre.
Piave and Schiz
Schiz traditionally represented a way of consuming fresh cheese, utilizing the scraps left after pressing in the moulds. Today it is a fresh, soft cheese made with full-cream cow's milk, specifically from the Belluno area, to be consumed cut into slices with polenta and mushrooms. Piave, on the other hand, is a typical cheese from the Belluno area, obtained by an industrial process since 1960: it is a cooked, ha anti ripeni!tf cheese, suitable as a table cheese and also for grating.
It is eaten as a table cheese or as a basic ingredient in traditional recipes such as formai frit, i.e. fried cheese served with polenta and sauerkraut. Thanks to its taste and the characteristics of the dough after ten to twelve months of maturing, Piave is also highly appreciated as a grating cheese to add flavour to typical dishes of traditional cuisine. Even more than a particular cheese, the schiz among dairy products embodies a way of eating specific to the Bellunese area. When, according to the traditional method of processing semi-skimmed milk in an alpine pasture or in a dairy run by the partners, the curd was removed from the cauldron and pressed into the cheese moulds, the excess dough would go over the edge: cut in a suitable way, it would form cheese strips which, after being sliced, were cooked in the pan. The fresh cheese, cooked in a cream or milk sauce, was served with the traditional polenta. The schiz is therefore nothing other than the immediate use of a fresh cheese, a resource of nutrition that was used by the alpine dairymen especially during the alpine pasture months.
Today the Schiz has become a typical cheese of the country, but it is made from whole milk from cows. The processing begins by bringing the milk back to the temperature it had at the moment of milking - about 35° C. With the rennet, the milk protein coagulates, forming the curd. After a short cooking phase, the schiz is obtained, a delicate cheese with a semi-cooked paste that solidifies in a square shape when filled into appropriate moulds, which favours slicing. This cheese, which is not very pressed and unsalted, is sold fresh.
Cut the schiz into 1 cm thick slices, salt and pepper. Lightly brown some butter in a frying pan and place the slices of schiz inside; brown well on both sides. Add cream and cook for a few minutes. Serve the schiz in its saucepan and with polenta slices. The dish can also be enriched with mushrooms.
Piave and Schiz are the symbolic cheeses of Lattebusche, the cooperative dairy of the Val di Feltina, 59 via Nazionale, Busche (BELLUNO), tel. 0439.3193, the first Italian company in the cheese sector to achieve the goal of quality certification according to UNI EN ISO 9002 standards.
Bean from Lamon
and Gialét bean
A fundamental resource in the Modern Age, beans rapidly ousted the old broad beans in the culinary tradition of the Feltre area, for preparing soups, vegetable soups with rice, salads, sauces or simply as a side dish. Widespread throughout the central and lower areas of the province of Belluno, they have also found their natural habitat in the Lamon and Sovramonte tableland; so much so that there are even four traditional varieties with the name Lamon Bean. lf the latter is betterknown, there are also other excellent varieties, inclulling the Dahit, or Peers an, round, yellow and small with characteristics of lightness that made it sough-after by the ruling classes and traditionally intended for the Vatican Curia.
The consolidated position and reputation of the Lamon bean must not, however, make us forget other rare, precious and ancient local varieties, including the small, roundish Gialet bean, also known as Fagiolo Pisello (pea bean), now included in the National Register of Traditional Products, with the unmistakable intense yellow colour of its seeds, which in the past were the exclusive preserve of the nobility and were traditionally destined for the Vatican. This advantage is based on its extremely delicate taste, its very fine skin and its particular characteristic of being very digestible and light, and is excellent for consumption in side dishes, hors d'oeuvres or even in light and extremely delicate soups.
We should also mention the Bala Rossa di Feltre variety, which is similar in typology to the better known Lamon bean, but differs from it in its stronger and more decisive flavour and can be recognised by its red wine coloured spots on a creamy background, combined with a light purple colour. Other beans worth mentioning are the Bonei beans, once one of the most widespread varieties, with a strongly flattened, boat-shaped shape and a light hazelnut-brown colour. They are famous for their exceptional taste and are excellent for dishes such as fasoi col tocio (sauce).
The beans can be bought and prepared both as pitted fresh product and as dry product. The numerous existing recipes, the result of a long tradition of using the bean in Feltrin cuisine, - from the simpler soups and stews to the more refined and elaborate variants - will delight even the most demanding palates. Excellent and traditional is its use in barley soups with beans, or as a cooked vegetable to accompany roasted polenta, pork goulash, tripe or - again traditionally - Pendolcin, an ancient dish based on beans and potatoes.
To underline the local bean tradition, Lamon hosts a famous and characteristic festival every year, A tavola nel Feltrino (At Table in the Feltrin area), entirely dedicated to this rare and renowned legume, where you can buy the product and taste it in all its classic recipes. The product is available only from farmers who are members of the Consorzio di Tutela del Fagiolo di Lamon della Vallata Bellunese (Consortium for the Protection of the Lamon Bean of the Bellunese Valley), Comunitä Montana Feltrina, Feltre, tel. 0439303210. Pro Loco Lamon headquarters, Via Resenterra, 32033 Lamon (BELLUNO), tel. 0439794201.
Prussian apple
The pom prussian, which is very widespread in the Sovramonte area, is an appreciated apple variety imported from Prussia by emigrant miners at the end of. the nineteenth century. lt is a !arge fruit with a wide a flattened shape and very short stalk. The peel is bright red, with yellow and green faces and streak:;, lt:; intense and unmistakable fragrance is accompanied by a firm, crisp and not very juicy pulp. There are three varieties having similar characteristics, but which differ mainly for the colour and ripening times.
Three different varieties of the 'Prussian Apple' with similar characteristics are found in this area, which vary among themselves mainly in the colour of the fruit and a different degree of earliness. In general, the 'Prussian Apple' is a fruit with a large lump size, with a broad, flattened shape, a very short stalk and a shiny red colour of the skin, with stripes and clearly defined sides in yellow and green. The aroma is intense and distinctive, while the flesh is firm, crunchy and not very juicy.
The "pom prussian" is ideal for simple fresh consumption, it is a fine ingredient for apple pies and "pinza" (a typical cake made with corn flour) or it is made into pleasant tasting products such as apple juice, cider, vinegar, jams and ice cream. In Faller di Sovramonte, the organic farm Giovanni Moretton has valuable experience in the production of "pom prussian", its processed products and trees. The "Fair of the organically grown Prussian apple", the
which takes place in Faller at the end of October and combines the aspect of advertising the noble fruit with interesting cultural references to local tradition.
Vineyards of the Dolomites
The I.G.P. Polomite Vineyards are currently cultivated on the cones facing south in the northern piedmont strip of the Feltre area; these are dry and hard to work screes, therefore cultivation activities are still traditional and manual. Also wine-making is carried according to the tradition, with soft pressing and fermentation completed after lengthy soaking with the marc. The wine reaches ideal ageing twelve months after vinification. Several vine species, such as Bianchetta and Nera Genfle called Pavana, boast an illustrious tradition.
This is a very rustic vine, which adapts well even to unfavourable terrain. When cultivated on sunny, calcareous land, as is the case in the Feltrin area, it produces grapes with excellent organoleptic characteristics, rich in sugar and with a strong golden colour. The straw yellow wine is full-bodied, fresh and has an average acidity. Its taste and bouquet reveal nuances of moss and wild chrysanthemums. It is served at an ideal temperature of 8 10°C. Recommended as an aperitif or with low-fat starters, soups, risotto and pasta with vegetable and fish sauces.
This vine is suitable for cultivation on lean, dry soils and can withstand late frost. The grape is of medium size and has a blue-violet colour. It ripens after an average long time until late. The wine has a ruby red colour and is characterised by average to high acidity, freshness and a mountain flower bouquet. It is served with local dishes such as rabbit, chicken, cold cuts and aged mountain cheeses. Ideal temperature 18° C.
This is a vine that also adapts well to clayey, fertile soils. The fruit presents itself in good size with thick, very fleshy grapes of blue-black colour. The wine has a ruby red colour of average intensity, with violet nuances. It is very tasty on the palate and has a fruity bouquet reminiscent of the fruit of the undergrowth. Suitable to be enjoyed as a new wine. It is recommended to be served with typical dishes such as polenta and "formai frit" (fried cheese), polenta and mushrooms, bean soup with lamon beans, fresh sheep and goat cheese. Ideal temperature 16° C.
Cornéta-potato
Becoming established later than its relatives, maize and beans coming from America, the potato has acquired an important place in the culinary tradition of the Feltre area. lts use is as varied as it is simple: from the traditional gnocchi (dumplings), to r.ice and potatoes, and the various soups and vegetables soups with rice, or served with roast meats and stews, or eise boiled, with tomato sauce. Among the older varieties is the Corneta potato. Thus called because of its horn shape, it is small, elongated and curved and with unbeatable characteristics among potatoes: yellow with a fine granulation, firm and soft at the same time· elements that are preserved even after the cooking phase. The cultivation of the Corneta and other varieties is particularly developed in the municipality of Cesiomaggiore, where the Potato Festival is held in August every year.
The use of the potato in the local tradition is as varied as it is simple: from the traditional "gnocchi" (potato dumplings) to rice and potatoes and the various soups and vegetable minestroni, as a side dish for roasts or goulash or even prepared in tomato sauce, this tuber is suitable for countless uses. To enjoy the local potato at its best, the preferred system is still simple cooking in water and - for those who should have the opportunity - cooking in the hot wood ashes of a larin (typical local fireplace) or fireplace. The recognised quality of the Corneta potato and the other local mountain potatoes, apart from their intrinsic organoleptic characteristics, is based on the combination of unique and unrepeatable environmental factors, such as the harsh winters which limit the development of diseases and parasites, the high temperature variations between day and night which have a positive effect on the development of flavour, the appropriate rainfall and the marked vocation, fertility and naturalness of the soil. These natural factors are joined by a human factor that combines traditional cultivation techniques with the use of integrated and organic farming's own products and techniques.
In the Feltrine area bordering on the Bellunese Dolomites National Park, and in the municipality of Cesiomaggiore in particular, it is precisely from the successful combination of the above factors that an organised group of potato producers has developed and spread, which can boast of a certified product guaranteed by appropriate regulations and controls, and which organises the characteristic Cesiomaggiore Potato Festival at the end of August each year, where it is possible to buy the product directly from the farmers organised in the association and taste dishes based on the local potato tradition.
The Corneta potato and all the other varieties can be bought at the Agricultural Cooperative La Fiorita. Busche sales point, Via Nazionale (next to Lattebusche), Cesiomaggiore. Phone 320-6036403.
Sales point and warehouse: Via Toschian 14, Cesiomaggiore,
e-mail: coopfiorita@libero.it, phone 336-524070.
Polenta flour
Sponcio corn
Of the rnost common traditional varieties from the Belluno area with free ollinatio , and non-hybrid, such as the Fiorentin, Ungherese and Sponci, the atter has been recently rediscovered and valorised as a product worthy of consideration Sponcio maize is a rostrate, with a long bright orange ear and pointed seeds instead of round, hence the name. The flour, produced by traditional stone grinding, is used for the traditional Belluno and Feltre polenta, which is yellow, firm and fragrant. lt is served with salami anU cheese, especially the typical Schiz, but also with rabbit, chicken and game in general.
The grain has a strong stone-corn ("vitreo") composition, which is particularly suitable for the production of polenta flour. In keeping with tradition, the grains are ground in an integral state with millstones, without removing anything, not even the germ, so that all their organoleptic characteristics are preserved and an intense yellow flour of medium grain, dotted by the characteristic brown halves, in which all its nutritional components are fully present, is guaranteed.
The Sponcio maize flour gives the polenta a particular, strong consistency, which is why it is traditionally eaten as the classic yellow polenta of the mountains, which must be firm and well cooked and, after falling onto the cutting board, must not flow from it but, on the contrary, be sliced with the classic thread and, if necessary, eaten by hand. A polenta with a decisive character and an intense flavour that satisfies even the greatest appetite and is served with schiz cheese, salami, parsnip (typical minced meat speciality), sausages, figadet sausages, rabbit, chicken and game in general.
Local production of Sponcio maize flour, together with the Fiorentin and Ungherese varieties, was once widespread throughout the Bellunese valley, but the area traditionally called upon and affected by this production is the Feltrine area. At present, almost all the cultivation of Sponcio maize is entrusted to farmers organised in cooperatives, who follow precise production rules from the cultivation to the milling stage. There are also farmers with small farms, which can be defined as "lovers", whose product is intended for the family's own consumption.
The product is available all year round from the La Fiorita agricultural cooperative. Sales point Busche, via Nazionale (next to Lattebusche), Cesiomaggiore, tel. 320-6036403. Sales point and warehouse: 14 via Toschian, Cesiomaggiore, e-mail: coopfiorita@libero.it, tel. 336-524070.
Vino Prosecco di Conegliano
Valdobbiadene D.O.C.
The wine making sector in Veneto boasts an important production in the hilly area that separates the flatlands of the Treviso plain from the Alpine range: from Asolo to Conegliano, along the Prosecco wine Road Prosecco di Conegliano - Valdobbiadene D.O.C. is produced. Renowned is the Prosecco Extra Dry, an aperitif par excellence but also ideal with not too spicy dishes, and Prosecco Brut, which is best with fish and vegetables.
Cheese Taleggio D.O.P.
A soft cheese, Taleggio can be eaten with roasted polenta, but is est in the cheese tray, with a good young salad. Known for over a thousand years as a mountain cheese, today it is considered a cheese of the plain: in Veneto it is produced in the Monte Grappa foothills and in Casale sul Sile.
Produced from cow's milk, Taleggio, which is now also produced on the plain, was originally mainly a mountain cheese, at a time when the rearing of large dairy cows replaced sheep on the pastures of the Alpine and Pre-Alps. The area delimited by the production regime includes the province of Treviso in Veneto. Its origins are ancient, perhaps going back even further than the year 1000. However, it left its first traces in documents of the 12th-13th centuries; this tasty cheese was the subject of lucrative bartering. Although at that time Taleggio was produced almost exclusively in the mountains, over the centuries its fame and the appreciation of consumers led it to descend into the valley and spread to the wider foothills and plains.
Until the early 20th century, Taleggio was commonly known as 'stracchino', a common name for the whole family of soft cheeses in square shape. Tired ("stracch") were the herds that arrived in the valley after the grazing season, but they still had to be milked, and the milk was still transformed into cheese. In the province of Treviso there are producers in the areas of Fregona, Crespano del Grappa and Borso del Grappa, in Farra di Soligo and in Casale sul Sile. The product can also be bought at the weekly markets: on Sundays in Crespano del Grappa (TREVISO), on Thursdays at the market of Follina, a small village situated northeast of Valdobbiadene towards Vittorio Veneto.
Cheese Asiago D.O.P.
A typical product of the Asiago tableland from where it takes its name, it is available in four varieties: d'allevo, pressato, mezzano, vecchio (ripe) or stravecchio (aged). These are all table cheeses with various flavours, colour shades and compactness. Asiago cheese owes its characteristics to the quality of the tableland pasturelands, rich in fragrant grasses that give the milk a characteristic flavour.
The Asiago is produced in four types: Asiago, made from semi-skimmed milk, has a thin, smooth, regular rind of a yellow-brown colour which becomes brown-reddish as it matures. Pressed Asiago has a thin, elastic rind, a soft paste, a vinous or slightly straw-yellow colour and a pronounced, irregular perforation. It can be eaten fresh and picks up the flavour of the milk. Medium-ripe Asiago (made from semi-skimmed Asiago milk with a maturing period of 3-5 months) has a compact dough with scattered, not very thick, small and medium-sized holes, a pale straw-yellow colour and a delicate taste tending towards sweetness. Aged and extra-aged Asiago "stravecchio" (matured for at least 9 or 18 months) has a more granular dough, a straw-yellow colour and a finer, more pronounced flavour tending towards pungency.
The cheese from the Asiago plateau takes its characteristics from the particular quality of the fodder used in its production. The type of pastureland and the fragrant herbs of the polyphytic meadows that grow in this area - give the milk and therefore also the cheese a characteristic, very pleasant aroma that develops especially with aging.
That on the plateau of Asiago cheese is produced we know since the year 1000. It was indeed a popular pasture for the herds that produced an excellent wool and a tasty sheep's cheese. In fact, the cheese produced here was called pegorin, an expression still used by the ancient mountain people to refer to the Asiago of today, although it is now made exclusively with cow's milk. It is a product with a Protected Designation of Origin, with a zone delimited by the regulation, which for Vicenza covers the entire provincial territory. The product is protected by the Consorzio di Tutela del Formaggio Asiago D.O.P. (Consortium for the Protection of Asiago Cheese with Protected Designation of Origin).
Soprèssa
Soppressa is a classic, typical regional product, present in neary all areas of Veneto, and comes in a wide variety of sizes, according to the size of the cow guts used. Renowned is the Sopressa Vicentina Dop, prepared with the best cuts of pigs born and bred in the province, such as the leg, neck, shoulder, belly, loin, etc. After curing, it is best served alone, together with bread, or with uncooked or fried cheeses, and also with a good polenta.
During the drying process, the Vicentine sopressa takes on a whitish colour on the outside, which is due to the light patina that develops during maturing. When cut, the meat tends to be pinkish red, with the characteristic white grain due to the fat component that surrounds the protein part. The meat is compact but also soft, even after long drying. In terms of organoleptic characteristics, pepper, in combination with other spices and sometimes garlic, gives the Vicentine Sopressa D.0.P. a delicate, slightly sweet and pleasantly spicy taste.
This balance is achieved by using the noblest parts of the pig, such as legs, neck, shoulder, belly bacon, best neck fat, loin. In particular, the use of the legs, normally intended for ham and often not present in the non-D.0.P. sopresses, highlights the delicate taste and the slightly sweet tendency.
Grappa
Representing the appendix of a busy vine growing and wine producing activity, the art of distilling grappa has very old roots, already protected in the sixteenth century by a special Association. Obtained from grape marc, Veneto Grappa, white, straw-colour or amber if aged, has an alcoholic content usually between 37.5° and 50°. Grappa is used in particular in the preparation of traditional rural dishes: in cooking pork or game, in pancake mixtu es, in the pastry for Crostoli and in that for the very traditional Zaleto
Grappa is used in particular in the preparation of traditional peasant dishes: in the cooking of pork or game, in the batter mixes for fritters (small pancakes), in the batter for 'crostoli' (carnival pastries) and that of the traditional 'zaleto' (simple cake made with yellow flour). It was a Venetian, the Vicente Luigi Pajello, who, in his "Vicented-Italian Dictionary" published in 1896, was the first in Italy to attribute to the name grappa the meaning of an alcoholic distillate made from marc, thus distinguishing it from other European spirits (cognac, whisky, etc.).
The distillation of grappa is associated - especially in Veneto - with an aura of legend and mystery. In fact, as we read in the books of the Venetian folk history, there were "thousands of secret fires of the black distillery that blazed between the fumes of the dawning industrial age in Veneto".
Today, this product is protected in Veneto by the "Grappa Veneta" Institute, which has taken up the moral heritage of the Association for the Protection of the Market in Grappa, which already existed in the 16th century, and which works with the participation of marc distillers, bottlers and companies involved in the trade. Its main objective remains the protection and promotion of regional grappa in its important cultural value. It is also concerned with the promotion of the image of Venetian grappa, its commercial development in Italy and abroad, the correct use of the geographical indication, the promotion of technological development and the meeting and training of the entrepreneurs and employees working in the sector. In Conegliano (TREVISO), the regional company "Veneto Agricoltura" has created the Regional Centre for Viticulture, Oenology and Grappa, equipped with an experimental distillation flask that is unique in its kind.
Venetian and Trevisan vegetables
For centuries, a passion for the table has characterised the Veneto culture in all its social elements - with a distinction between good and less rened cuisine - and also regarding the holiday or everyday aspect: the gala and feast dishes and those of "fasting", i.e. the days of abstinence. Vegetables have always been the faithful companions of such dishes: from head cabbage, ideal for the Venetian Patate e capussi (potatoes and cabbage) dish, to asparagus, used very imaginatively in the kitchen. The Venetian hinterland and the eastern Veneto plain, with their loose and sandy alluvial soils, have been the cradle of a wild range of good vegetables for centuries.
For 4 persons you need 1 kg of potatoes, 1 head cabbage, 1 /2 onion, olive oil, vinegar, pepper and salt (if desired also garlic and parsley). To prepare, place the potatoes in cold water and boil them for about 30 minutes. Peel them and cut them into 1 /2 centimetre thick slices. The head cabbage is also cut into very thin strips, after which it is spread out on a tea towel and left to dry well. Cut the onion into equally thin slices and, if desired, finely chop the garlic and parsley. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and dress with plenty of olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. It can be served with hard-boiled eggs, which can be seasoned separately or sliced and dressed with the rest.
Asparagus in particular finds good growing conditions in the areas of Meolo, Musile di Piave and Quarta d'Altino and, very nearby, in Bibione, a truly excellent spot for the white variety. In Cimadolmo (TREVISO), on the other hand, asparagus has been awarded the IGP, Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), for the white variety. Asparagus is easier to find in areas where the soil is loose, almost sandy, i.e. along the course of the primeval riverbed of watercourses. It is also eaten raw in mixed salads, but above all cooked, tossed in butter, in soups and creams. It is excellent in risottos, where the tips are added after cooking, so they are practically raw. It is also very tasty as a pasta sauce, in omelettes and in tasty casseroles.
The St. Martin's Festival in Musile di Piave, which takes place around 11 November, skilfully develops the theme of nutrition, with stands where you can also buy or taste local horticultural products. In the first half of May, Cimadolmo has been hosting the White Asparagus Exhibition for thirty years now.
Trentino D.O.C. Marzemino
An indigenous vine species, Marzemino Gentile nds its best expressions in the Municipality of Volano, due to the particular geological and weather conditions. With its bright ruby-red colour and delicate bouquet, Trento o.o.c. Marzemino goes weil with several dishes of the local culinary tradition, such as dressed pork products, snails, mixed grills Trent sausages and park, as weil as rst courses with meat sauces and seconds with white meats or poultry.
The wine presents itself with a beautiful, shiny ruby red colour with purple reflections and. is characterized by a fine, intense bouquet, fruity and floral, reminiscent of wild berries and violets. The taste is dry, spicy and particularly balanced. It is served at a temperature of 18°C.
It reveals itself as a wine of great refinement and harmony that goes well with some dishes of the local culinary tradition, such as cold cuts, snails, mixed grills with pork and Trentino Lucanica sausages, as well as first main courses with meat sauces and second main courses with white meat or poultry.
Extravergine olive oil
from Lake Garda D.O.P.
The Verona side of Lake Garda has been called the Olive Riviera, to emphasize the important role olive growing has had there since Roman times. Thus a typical product of the Mediterranean area has become widespread in this corner of the mountains with the production of Garda D.O.P. Extra Virgin Olive Oil . Combined with an element of the mo ntain tradition it has given rise to Polenta consa a polenta seasoned with olive oil.
The recipe, which is part of the almost forgotten traditional cuisine of the Baldo area, brings back to memory those times when polenta was often the only and daily food for the people of Veneto. The polenta consa, or "condita", is part of the mountain gastronomic tradition and is still today a dish to which respect should be paid and which, thanks to its simplicity, is suitable for bringing out the full flavour of Lake Garda oil. To prepare it you need: 1 kg of yellow corn flour, extra virgin olive oil from Lake Garda, Grana Padano cheese, salt. Cook the corn flour for about 40 minutes in plenty of boiling salted water, stirring constantly. Pour the polenta onto a chopping board where, after it has cooled down a little, it is cut into not too large slices (tradition requires a cotton thread!). Arrange the polenta in layers, with grated cheese and oil between each layer. It is eaten steaming hot.
As regards the history of the oil, a 16th century document states that the olive groves of Benaco are 'as ancient as the marble of the first Romans'. The fact is that the first documents mentioning the olive groves of this area date back about 1,200 years: In fact, in a document dating back to 771, one reads of an abbess who received from a clergyman from Sirmione about one hundred and sixty olive trees on various plots of land.
Riviera degli Ulivi - the Riviera of the Olive Trees - is the name given by the tourist guides to the Verona shore of Lake Garda. In this case it is not a simple slogan, but a definition that is absolutely appropriate for this area, which, especially in the northern part, shows the olive tree as its characteristic feature, absolutely appropriate. In reality, the olive groves are not only located along the shores of the lake, but also extend into the area between Benaco and the peaks of Monte Baldo and then drop down to the plain of Caprino with its hamlets and the wide valley of the Adige.
Wine Valdadige D.O.C.
Facing he Adige on the Verona plain, between river deposits in the valley, cones on the mountain slopes and morainic undula ions, the grapevine has found an ecosystem able to produce excellent wines: Valdadige Bianco, a wine for enjoying during the entire meal, recommended for light hors d'oeuvres, noodle soups and boiled fish, and Valdadi e Rossa, also an all-meal wine, excellent with dressed pork hors d'oeuvres, pasta dishes and white meats.
With the Valdadige Bianco you can prepare a delicate risotto. For 4 people you need 4 hg of rice, extra virgin olive oil from Lake Garda, butter, onion, Valdadige Doc wine, vegetable broth, Grana cheese. Steam 1/4 onion in a knob of butter and 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil. When the onion is golden brown, add the rice to sauté it. Pour 1 glass of wine and let it evaporate slowly. Gradually add the broth. When the cooking time is over, add 1 knob of butter and grated cheese Grana Padano. Serve "All'onda" (in softly flowing condition).
Valdadige is a designation of origin that shares the province of Verona with the provinces of Trento and Bolzano. The production area, limited to the Verona area, includes the municipalities of Brentino-Belluno Veronese, Dolce and Rivoli Veronese.
If you go up from Verona to Ferrara di Monte Saldo, you will find a succession of small villages, hamlets, churches and villas, hamlets where time seems to have stood still, votive capitals, military reinforcements and rural farms. If you pass Affi and Pastrengo, you will find yourself next to the Adige where you can still find ancient houses built with seregni, the pebbles rounded by the glacier of the Adige. The glaciers of the Lagarina Valley have also left their mark: a morainic amphitheatre, in the centre of which Rivoli Veronese now stands. The Adige Valley is now crossed by the Brenner motorway, but it has always been an obligatory route for anyone travelling between the Mediterranean and Central Europe. In the past centuries it has passed through pilgrims and barbarian hordes, traders and armies. Historians claim that the Romans used to take a road there (the Via Claudia Augusta), and this is proved by the discovery of the remains of a mansio from the times of ancient Rome in Bretino, a hostel where you could stay, have a meal, change horses and drink a glass of wine, perhaps produced in this area even then. Moreover, the river sediments in the valley, the debris conoids on the sides of the mountains, the morainic hills from the Ice Age create an ideal environment for wine growing. The local microclimate also plays an important role in creating an ecosystem that produces excellent wine products. The result is wines of unquestionable prestige and character that must be protected and presented, which is why the Consortium for the Protection of Wines was founded.
Cheese
Monte Veronese D.O.P.
From the cattle-rearing tradition of the Germanic peoples who settled in the mountains north of Verona in the Dark Ages comes Monte Veronese D.O.P. Cheese, available on the market in two types: d'allevo, a classic table cheese with a "sharp" taste, but also for grating if very ripe, and full-cream milk, with a pleasant taste, to be consumed preferably fresh. Diced with other cheeses, salamelle and together with Garda Extra Virgin Olive Oil it gives rise to Polenta Carbonara.
For the preparation of polenta carbonara you need 1 kg of yellow corn flour; 5 hg of cheese of different varieties; 3 salamelle sausages; 1/2 litro of extra virgin olive oil from Lake Garda; salt. Prepare plenty of boiling water in a saucepan (better still in a copper kettle). Salt. Sprinkle the yellow flour, stirring constantly. Let it boil for about 30 minutes. Then add the cheese cut into small pieces (Monte Veronese D.O.C. made from semi-skimmed milk and whole milk, Alpine cheese, Grana), the sausage meat of the salamelle sausages and the oil, which you allow to absorb completely. Leave to cook for another half hour. The polenta is eaten warm in slices. As wines are recommended: Soave and Valpolicella Classico.
To discover the origins of this cheese, all you have to do is go to its production and maturing area, which is located in the north of the province of Verona. It is believed that the Nordic culture and language of the local population corresponds to the area where the Bavarian-Tyrolean colonies were founded, which would have been established here around the 12th century, or is due to the mixing of clans of Lombard origin. These first inhabitants were shepherds who devoted themselves to cattle breeding and the production of cheese, usually enjoying the benefits of the land they took, with the permission of Bishop Bartolomeo della Scala, after which the income and proceeds went to the Episcopate of Verona.
In various areas of the mountainous area north of Verona, village festivals, fairs and events related to livestock breeding and agricultural products are held throughout the year. On the last Sunday in May, Erbezzo (VERONA) hosts the Monte Veronese Cheese Festival. In Malcenise, the Cattle Fair is held in October; in Rovere, the Fair of Livestock and Agricultural Equipment is very interesting, while in Sant'Anna d'Alfedo, at the July Fair, cheese, wine, livestock and chestnuts are exhibited, as well as in Tregnago at the November Fair.
The Valpolicella D.O.C. Wine
The Verona hills of Valpolicella have given treir name to three renowned wines: Valpolicella Doc, a table wine with a distinct character obtained from a mixture of grapes, perfect with dishes such as pies and roasts, Recioto, a ruby-red raisin wine, and the very well-known Amarone. Tasting is recommendecl at the Fumane wine bar, on the Valpolicella Wine Road.
"Light, dry, red and warm like the house of a brother with whom one gets along" is how the famous writer Hemingway defined Valpolicella. Long before him, however, there were also other ancient lovers of this wine. The Valpolicella wine inspired famous poets and writers such as Virgilius Svetonius, Marziales, Pliny the Elder during the Roman Empire, and in the Middle Ages emperors and high dignitaries such as King Teoderic and Cassiodorus.
Recioto della Valpolicella is also produced from Valpolicella grapes, from the grapes in the upper part of the grape, popularly known as recia. The grapes are left to wither at least until Christmas, before being pressed. The result is a wine with a ruby red colour and a strong, characteristic bouquet. Amarone della Valpolicella, now famous all over the world, differs from Recioto in its dry taste and its power combined with a sweetness that makes it a great wine.
One of the vines that form the basis of the Valpolicella D.O.C. is Corvina, which has a beautiful story to tell.
So: one day in October, Bertrando, who had climbed the hill to see if the time was right for the grape harvest, found an injured grola (crow). The man had pity, forgot the grapes and took care of the bird until it recovered. As he flew away, he circled over the vines of his rescuer and grazed the grapes with his wings. These became plump, deep black and sweet. This is how the legend of La Grola originated, and the grape was also called Corvina (raven).
Areas of production: the hills of the Valpolicella Valley, including the best-known towns of Sant'Ambrogio, Fumane, Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano, Marano and the municipalities of the area east of Verona. The Valpolicella Wine Route combines the scenic and cultural values of the area, and the Fumane Wine Shop, realized with the support of the Consortium for the Protection of Valpolicella Wine, is a sure reference point for an educational tasting.
Mandorlato
from Cologna Veneta
Mandor.lato di Cologna Veneta (almonci cake) is one of typical cakes of the Veronaarea, made mainly with processed almonds, even if an an industrial level, according to traditional artisan methods. It is enjoyed especially in the evenings in winter, served with coffee or a classic grappa.
Its name derives from the fact that it is essentially composed of almonds. The mandorlato requires special preparation, especially in terms of the dosage of the ingredients and, in particular, their cooking process, which determines the quality and the difference between mandorlato and mandorlato. Honey, sugar, egg whites and toasted almonds - all melted together in a copper kettle, with constant stirring and at a constant temperature, and then poured into the traditional round moulds.
According to some, it was created at the end of the 19th century, while others consider it to be one of the sweets preferred by the Doge of Venice as early as the 16th century, but, as with all noble recipes, historical reality and legend merge and overlap, making it difficult to determine the exact date of its "invention"; the mandorlato is no exception, and so far no one has been able to determine its discoverer with certainty. The historian Samuele Romanin, in his work Documented History of Venice in the period 1853-1961, noted: ccThis delicacy was therefore already known and appreciated in the distant past, when the Republic of Venice, the Serenissima, ruled unchallenged in a resentful part of the Venetian territory. ...
And that Cologna was at that time strongly tied to Venice is proved by the fact that it was long attached to the "Sestier del Dorsoduro" in the heart of the lagoon city, and this privilege in relations could probably justify the fact that this speciality was already known in the cuisine of the Doges.
Although its production has been mainly industrial since the beginning of the 20th century, the techniques and processing times have essentially retained the characteristics of the artisan process, remaining absolutely faithful to the ancient and never-altered recipe. In Cologna Veneta, in the first decade of December, the Mandorlato Festival is celebrated: a market exhibition promoting this product.
Pandoro from Verona
Verona Pandoro is the most classic of Christmas cakes with its traditronal truncated cone shape with octagonal star section and soft and smooth outer surface. lt is produced with ingredients that have remained unchanged since its origins, probably dating from the Renaissance, when it was the custom to crown the middle of the table with a ake covered in a golden layer, called the "Pan de Oro".
The ingredients of the Pandoro di Verona have remained the same since its origins: 150 g of white flour, 150 g of potato flour, 150 g of butter, 160 g of sugar, 4 eggs, 2 tablespoons of yeast in powder form, 1 tablespoon of cognac, the juice of a 1/2 lemon, 1 sachet of vanilla sugar. Only with the very special processing technique can the best results be achieved. This consists of numerous successive kneading operations carried out with the aim of achieving maximum lightness with the least possible amount of yeast. The butter is worked in a bowl, then the egg yolks are added one by one and mixed for no less than half an hour. In the meantime, slowly add the sugar, lemon juice and cognac. Separately, sieve the flour and potato starch together and add the vanilla sugar. Pour the dough made of all the ingredients mixed together into the appropriate buttered and flour-popped mould (high and with lateral grooves), which is filled only three-quarters of the way. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes. As soon as the cake has cooled down, cover it with a touch of icing sugar, giving it a snowy appearance that fits in well with the Christmas season.
However, if you don't feel like trying your hand at the noble art of confectionery, here is how to recognise the true Pandoro di Verona, according to the official gastronomic definition: soft dough, naturally leavened; truncated cone shape, with a star-shaped cross-section and a soft, smooth outer surface. Characteristic in aroma and flavour. Natural acidification means the use of yeasts which act on starches and sugars and form gaseous microcells which, when heated in the oven, increase the dough mass. The presence of lactobacilli, similar to those found in yoghurt, also contributes to this. A Recioto della Valpolicella is the most recommended wine to accompany this cake. A wine that Cassiodorus already described as follows: its a pure wine, of royal colour and special taste. It could be called a fleshy liquid or an edible drink". Serving temperature 17°C
Rice Vialone Nano
Veronese I.G.P.
The mogern rice-mills of the Lower Verona district- the heirs of the old "rice piles" -found their favourable habitat thanks to the presence of pure and fresh spring waters. Since 1945 Vialone Nano Veronese has become the most widespread variety, recommended for soups, risottos typical of the area such as 'Risotto all'isolana', salads an cakes.
Vialone Nano Veronese I.G.P. rice is suitable for soups, typical risotto dishes of the area such as "risotto all'isolana" {rice with meat sauce), salads and desserts. It has a cooking time of 12 to 16 minutes. To keep it granular when preparing rice salads, you can add a few drops of lemon juice to the cooking water. During cooking, the rice can absorb four times the volume of water compared to the volume of the grain; the cooking quantity is therefore calculated at around 100 g per person for risotto, salads and desserts, and 50 g for broth. The rice must be kept in a dry place in a glass jar so as not to lose its organoleptic characteristics.
Vialone Nano Veronese rice is processed in the local rice processing plants - direct heirs of the 'pile da riso' {rice mills} which were established in large numbers in the area during the 16th century - in accordance with traditional criteria, despite the use of modern machinery. The 'risone' (paddy rice) is dried in hot-air installations before being stored at the processing plants, since it must have a moisture content of less than 14% before being packaged. The grains freed from the outer layers are subjected to a simple mechanical friction process to change their colour to white, then they are selected using grids with optical readers capable of detecting impurities and poor quality grains.
Rice is the basis of a multi-valued itinerary in the Bassa Veronese, the great plain south of Verona, which is interesting for its scenic and historical, but also cultural and gastronomic profile. It is an area that has been highly valued since ancient times and has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age, having been subjected to various dominations throughout the ages: the Venetians, Celts, Romans, the Republic of Venice and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In lsola della Scala, rightly considered the capital of this product, is the headquarters of the Consorzio della Scala, and it is here that the Rice Fair is held in autumn.
Cheese
Grana Padano D.O.P.
Obtained from the milk of Italian Frisona and Alpine Brown cows, rana Padano D.O.P. is a hard and granulous cheese, with a ull and mild taste. lt can be consumed in a wide variety of ways: when grated it adds a delicate taste to foods, whereas in flakes or thin pieces it is excellent in aperitifs together with white wines, or at the end of,rneals, together with red wines.
The production areas include the breeding areas of dairy cows in the provinces of Treviso, Venice, Vicenza and Verona.
To produce 1 kg of Grana Padano, 15 litres of good milk are required! It is obtained from raw milk from cows that come from no more than two milkings of the same day. After eight months of maturing, only the cheese that has no defects and meets the standard requirements of Grana Padano is marked with the typical quality mark by the consortium's staff.
The cows 'specialised' in Grana Padano are those of the Italian Frisona breed (a variant of the Dutch breed) and Bruna Alpina, which originates from the Swiss canton of Schwyz and was introduced in the neighbouring province of Belluno in the 1930s and only spread to the Po Valley in the period after the Second World War. Where do these cows live? No longer tied up in narrow, dark and smelly stalls, they move around in modern, hygienic stalls with free choice of where to stay, equipped with milking rooms, well ventilated and suitably lit, with space conditions suitable for movement and rest. All this in order to reduce to a minimum the arduous conditions under which the animals have always suffered.
News about the production of this cheese dates back to the beginning of the second millennium. Its history begins in the Middle Ages, when the monastic communities settled in some areas of the lower Po Valley and began the reclamation of land that would soon become pasture for dairy cows. In 1550, the Brescian agronomist Agostino Gallo wrote the treatise "Twenty days in agriculture and the pleasures of the villa", in which he set out the 11 commandments for making good grana: ... pour 20-25 weights of skimmed milk into the cauldron, ... Warm it until "the naked arm suffers"... The Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano D.O.P. has its headquarters in Desenzano del Garda (BRESCIA).
Melon
Appreciated since Renaissance times, the Mantuan melon stands out for its particular organoleptic properties, acquired thanks to the mainly clayey soils and enhanced by modern cultivation methods, such as growing in tunnels or greenhouses and hose irrigation. There are four main varieties, distinguished by the shape and appearance of the peel and for ripening times: the Harper, round with reticulate peel and rather soft, the Supermarket, oval with classic ribbing, the late Tamaris and the scalar Calypso. The most widely used recipe is Harn with melon.
The Mantuan melon is grown in open fields: Transplanting in spring under tunnels or in greenhouses allows ripening to be brought forward to May. Irrigation by means of a hose system guarantees high production rates and a better size of the fruit. The predominantly clayey soil gives the melon special organoleptic characteristics.
This recipe is particularly appreciated in summer for its freshness and lightness. Ingredients: 1 melon (for 3 - 4 people); 50 g of raw ham per person. Slice the melon in half and remove the seeds with a spoon; then slice and remove the skin. Place a slice of raw ham on each portion of melon and serve cool.
The melon can also be enjoyed as a dessert or whisked drink and as an ingredient for starters, first and second main courses.
Mantovana Pear
The first evidence of its cultivation dates back to the middle of the 16th century, after the great land improvement works carried out by the Gonzaga and Benedettini families. The monks of the monastery of Polirone (San Benedetto Po) began to cultivate the fruit in their own orchards, which were also equipped with fruit storage facilities where the fruit could be preserved. To confirm the importance of its cultivation, the pear also appears in the ornaments of the throne room of the Ducal Palace of Sabbioneta and in the garlands of the conjugal bedroom of Andrea Mantegna in Mantua. At the beginning of the 20th century, the cultivation of pears for domestic use was replaced by large-scale production according to the rules of modern fruit growing. The Mantuan pear has diuretic, purifying and intestinal regulating functions. Most of the sugar is made up of fructose, which is why its consumption is also permitted to diabetics. The Mantuan pear includes the following varieties: William, with a smooth skin of yellow-rose colour, juicy and aromatic; Conference, with a rustlike skin of green-yellowish colour, firm, juicy and with a delicate aroma; Decana del Comizio, with a smooth light green or pinkish colour, sweet and juicy; Abate Fetel, with a rustlike skin around the stalk, of green-yellowish colour, crunchy and juicy; Kaiser, with a rough skin and fine, crunchy flesh.
Ingredients: 6 pears, 4 tablespoons honey, the juice of half a lemon, mint leaves. Peel and slice the pears. Put them in a pot with the lemon juice, honey, mint and two tablespoons of water. Mix, cover and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes.
The pear can be eaten fresh or as an ingredient for cakes, fruit salads, jams and mustard fruits in syrup. It also tastes excellent when combined with cheeses such as Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano: Sales start in August with the William variety and continue with the other varieties until April.
The production process of the Mantuan pear I.G.P. (PGI) is subject to strict rules which, combined with the area's high suitability for growing the pear tree, both from a climatic and pedological point of view, allow fruit with excellent organoleptic characteristics to be ripened with minimal intervention for fertilisation and plant protection.
Rice
Rice is linked to the history of Ostiglia; the coat of arms of the municipality depicts swamp grass, ears of grain and rice. The first evidence dates back to the time of Federico II Gonzaga, the first Duke of Mantua (1500-1540), who contributed to the spread of this culture by allowing some producers to use the water of the rivers free of charge. Under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ostiglia became the depot from which all the countries that made up the Empire were supplied: The precious "grains" reached as far as Moscow. The storehouse at the entrance to the town was supplied by boats that reached it through the irrigation canals of the area; at the crossroads of these canals was the customs office, which watched over the product before it was stored. Until the end of the 19th century, rice was grown without distinction between varieties. In 1850 the Nostrale type, a brusone (rice browning) susceptible species, was replaced by the Risone Ostiglia, a very fine, high quality and easy to process rice. When it was affected by brusone disease and contaminated with wild crodo rice, it was gradually replaced by the Vialone Nano Mantovano, currently included in the list of traditional agri-food products and representing the most common variety grown in the Mantuan rice culture, of white colour, round and semi-long shape and average thickness. As a light food, rich in valuable proteins, rice promotes muscular activity and is recommended in cases of high blood pressure, heart and kidney diseases and digestive system disorders.
It was invented by the so-called piloti or pilarini, the people responsible for glazing the grain, who, together with the mondine (weeders) and the riser (monitors the water level), are among the typical figures of rice culture. Cook 600 g of Mantuan sausage meat (loin, under-shoulder and belly bacon from the pig in equal parts, roughly cut with a knife) in butter for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, pour 500 g of rice Vialone Nano in boiling water into the centre of a copper kettle or a stainless steel saucepan, creating a cone whose tip is at the surface of the water or a few millimetres above. When the water starts boiling again, stir and let it boil for 10-12 minutes on a lively flame, shaking the kettle to prevent the rice from sticking. Switch off, close the kettle with a tea towel and a lid and let it rest for another 15 minutes. Add the meat mixture and grated Parmesan cheese. A variation of this is the risotto with pontel: add a browned pork chop or rib.
On the occasion of the spring fair, the Gran Premio Chicco Ostiglia is held, a gastronomic competition among restaurants from different provinces, promoted by the association La strada del riso e dei risotti mantovani (Manutuan Rice and Risotto Road); address c/o Consorzio Terra di Virgilio, Via Cappello 5, 46100 Mantova Phone 0376 228541, fax 0376 322398.
Chisulìna
Chisulina or 'schiacciatina' is a typical baked product of the rural tradition of Ostiglia and Mantua. This bread speciality dates back to the Renaissance and was produced in three varieties: the chisoela, the chisoel and the mirtol, which differed from each other in form and ingredients. The Chisoela was the food of the peasants par excellence, who used it as a substitute for bread when working in the fields: it was made of flour, water, salt and a pinch of bicarbonate - all baked under the ashes. The chisoel, on the other hand, was prepared with fat, flour, eggs, milk, water, yeast and sugar recovered from the cooking of the sausage, a composition that made it similar to matzo bread, so that some people attribute its origin to Jewish cooking. The dough produced was baked in the oven on a greased and floured copper sheet. The Mirtol finally counted among its ingredients white and yellow flour, oil, sugar, milk, lemon and bicarbonate. The dough was then placed on a baking tray, baked, moistened with grappa and sprinkled with aniseed and vanilla powder. The Chisulina Ostigliese, which has lost this variety of recipes over the years, is now considered one of the historic breads of the province of Mantova and can boast a highly prestigious European award, having been included in the list of traditional quality products in 2000. The "schiacciatina" presents itself as a small flake of straw-yellow colour, crunchy, salty, dry, flat and durable. It is generally lightly toasted. It is eaten when "hungry in between" and can be accompanied by a slice of salami and enjoyed with white sparkling wine.
The basic ingredients are the following: Common wheat flour, salt, lard and water. When the dough has reached the right consistency, let it rest for about two hours. Once it has risen, it is rolled out and cut into pieces a few millimetres thick, which are given a square shape. The "schiacciatine" are then baked in the oven at a temperature of 200°c for 15-20 minutes. The chisulina contains no preservatives or other additives. A variant of this is the tiro: the surface of the "schiacciatina" is covered with thin slices of onion.
The traditional Chisulina is available at the bakery. Nowadays there are also industrial versions, which have been incorporated into the connections of the wholesale distribution.
Mantovana Pumpkins
'In the Mantuan culinary tradition, pumpkins have enjoyed a privileged destiny compared with other areas where this vegetable, originally from Central America, was debased to the level of an animal feed or at most for some dumpling dish; elevated in the gastronomy of the Gonzaga Court, it has become a basic ingredient of numerous recipes, including the traditional Pumpkin tortellini, a dish served for many functions. The many varieties grown come from three types: the Cucurbita Maxima, the Cucurbita Moscata and the Delica, all round in shape, flat ene!I at the ends. The pumpkin has a pasty and hard pulp, with a characteristic sweetish taste.
Boil 1 kg pumpkin and work with a fork until an even cream is formed. Add 150 g of chopped amaretti, 180 g of apple mustard in syrup ("mostarda di mele"), 160 g of grana cheese, salt and possibly breadcrumbs to make a more consistent dough. Leave the filling to rest in a cool place for a few hours. Then place nut-sized piles of the filling on the pastry sheet, 5 cm apart, and cut it into square pieces, one pile at a time. Fold the free dough tip over the filling and close at the edges. Cook the tortelli for 5-6 minutes in plenty of salted water, drain them, arrange them in layers on a serving dish and season each layer with melted butter, cheese and sage or alternatively with tomato sauce or a sauce of Mantuan "salamelle" sausages.
This first main course goes back to the Gonzaga's table: the combination of sweet and salty was typical of the culinary tradition of the Renaissance. In the past, pumpkin tortelli were prepared on the occasion of ritual feasts: on 17 January for the feast of St. Antonio Abate, patron saint of animals; on 15 August for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary; on 16 August for the feast of St. Rocco, who protected from the plague; on 11 November for the feast of St. Martin, the day when the agricultural year ended; on 24 December for Christmas Eve.
Every year from September to December the Consorzio Agrituristico Mantovano (Mantuan Rural Tourism Consortium) organizes the event Di zucca in zucca (from pumpkin to pumpkin): in some Mantuan farmhouses exhibitions of food and ornamental pumpkins are set up and it is possible to attend cooking and plant sculpture courses.
