Remeber you are now in an extra-territorial region of Austria, so don't expect any typical Italian food while you are in Sudtirol. Instead, be prepared to embrace Southern German cuisines and lots of high-calorie fatty specks.
This is not to say the quality of food available in Sudtirol are bad. It is just that the majority of them are essentially German /Austrian country cuisines. If you love fried pork cutlets (schnitzels), sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, grilled sausages or potato/bread dumplings, then you are in safe hands.
So, what are the regional specialities of Sudtirol?
1. Knödels with Speck
One of the most famous regional specialities of Sudtirol is the Sudtiroler Speck Alto Adige PGI, a special kind of dry-cured ham whose production is regulated under the protected geogrpahical indication (PGI) status. Unlike other cured hams in Italy, Sudtiroler Speck is manufactured by combining two different meat conservation methods - curing and smoking. Speck is an important ingredient in Sudtirol's cuisines, you will find it everywhere from breakfast to noodles and soups and oven-baked dishes. It also makes good gifts as they can be easily stored if unopened in its original vacuum packaging, and adds that extra creamy, savoury taste to your spaghetti carbonara.
As for knödels, well, they are basically dumplings made with bread, potato, semolina, flour etc. and boiled or poached in water. Usually they serve as side dishes to meat main course but can also be eaten on its own.
One of the most famous regional specialities of Sudtirol is the Sudtiroler Speck Alto Adige PGI, a special kind of dry-cured ham whose production is regulated under the protected geogrpahical indication (PGI) status. Unlike other cured hams in Italy, Sudtiroler Speck is manufactured by combining two different meat conservation methods - curing and smoking. Speck is an important ingredient in Sudtirol's cuisines, you will find it everywhere from breakfast to noodles and soups and oven-baked dishes. It also makes good gifts as they can be easily stored if unopened in its original vacuum packaging, and adds that extra creamy, savoury taste to your spaghetti carbonara.
As for knödels, well, they are basically dumplings made with bread, potato, semolina, flour etc. and boiled or poached in water. Usually they serve as side dishes to meat main course but can also be eaten on its own.
I am not a fan of knödels - as they tend to be too filling, even fatty, for my taste - and certainly not someone who goes to a Paulaner beer garden restaurant while on holidays (I don't even go there while not on holidays). But this is Bozen, and there are not that many places which are still open after 9pm, so I had to make do with Paulaner.
The blue-and-white tiles of the decor ensures a distinctive Bavarian touch to the whole place - Paulaner is from Bavaria and they make sure you are aware of it :)
Now, the interior of the Paulaner in Bozen really looks like one of those little country inns in southern Germany, or a beer garden restaurant during the Oktoberfest.
See all these beer bottles on the wall? I should have known better this is the place for beer, not wines. I ordered a glass of local white to go with my speck, cheese and spinach knodels, and the wine was not a very good company to the heavy taste of the knodels. Should have ordered a beer ....
So, this is knödel - boiled potato dumplings with cheese, speck, and spinach. To be honest, I have no idea why I ordered three of them. One is probably enough as they are really very filling. By the time I finish my second knodel, I thought to myself I would never touch knodel again for the next 10 years.
2. Fried Pork Cutlet/Schweinschintzel
Another major speciality of Bozen and Sudtirol is the deep-fried breaded pork cutlet (Schweinschnitzel). And this is certainly much better than knödel with speck. Interesting enough, the style of deep-fried pork cutlet served in many restaurants in Bozen is more similar to the Milanese style of preparing schweinschnitzel than the authentic Viennese pork cutlets. Still, they taste excellent - juicy, tender and very satisfying. Highly recommended if you are into deep-fried foods.
3. Apfelstrudel
The overwhelming presence of apfelstrudels in cafes and restaurants all over Sudtirol attests to the region's strong and continuous assoication with its Austro-Hungarian heritage. It is probably the only place south of the Alps where one could encounter really authentic home-made apfelstrudels at each and every cafe you run into. It is best enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some fresh creams and a cup of hot chocolate. Don't worry about the calorie questions when you have the chance to taste this regional speciality. As light snacks, or companion to your afternoon tea or coffee, apfelstrudels are much healthier than conventional cream cakes or other sweet stuffs, and it actually fills you up without giving you too much extra weight.
Copyrights@2010. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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