Following a guided tour through Weingut Gager, a winery in Deutschkreutz, I joined a tasting in the salesroom of the winery. After having several tastings in old vaults it was a pleasant variation to sit at a modern table in a stylish room.
The Genussmeile is an event which takes place every fall in the Thermenregion Wienerwald, an area south of Vienna. On that event one can walk along a wining and dining trail right in the vineyards between Mödling and Bad Vöslau.
During summer 2013 the organization Steirisches Kürbiskernöl g.g.A. (Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.D.O.) offers a tasting for pumpkin seed oil in a traditional restaurant of Graz. Opposite to other tastings of products this event doesn’t present different types of pumpkin seed oil for selling but explain the difference between Styrian pumpkin seed oil and other oils from abroad.
After walking through the gorge of the Mendlingtal I ordered at the Hammerherrenhaus a “Beuschel” for lunch. This is a traditional meal especially in Vienna, but one gets it in other parts of Austria too. Generally it includes the lungs and the heart of a calf served with a bread dumpling. There are variations with other plucks too.
A compilation of starters which are common in the Austrian region Mostviertel (from left to right): Räucherforelle (smoked trout), Sulz (cured meat in gelatine), Schafkäse (sheep milk cheese), Grammelschmalz (lard with greaves) and Karreespeck (back fat).
At the Kaiser-Josef-Markt – the oldest farmer market of Graz – I saw this offer for McIntosh apples. Well, the spelling on this label is wrong but the story of these apples is interesting. I was told the famous computer model Apple Macintosh is named after this apple.
On a tour through Graz guided by the Graz Guides I had this selection of Styrian delicacies at the restaurant Eckstein. By the way did you know that Graz is also known as Austria’s Capital of Culinary Delights? More…
One reason to visit the restaurant of Hotel Klammstein was the ‘Pfandlwoche’. In this period the restaurant offered especially dishes served in pans (‘Pfandl’). I had a pan with mushrooms and dumplings. The owner of the restaurant told me the mushrooms were collected in the woods around the hotel.
At the restaurant of Hotel Klammstein I tried nettle soup as starter. It was a great alternative to all these noodle soups you generally get in rural areas. The owner of the hotel told me that she collects the stinning nettle herself at certain places around the hotel. More…
‘Big’ surprise at a Heuriger in Burgenland: At the Schnitzelheuriger Posch I got this huge portion of Tafelspitz. If you would like to learn more about this traditional Austrian dish have a look here: Article on Wikipedia.
One of my most favourite dishes in Styria: An egg dish with Styrian pumpkin seed oil. What dishes with Styrian pumpkin seed oil have you already tried?
Me and the ‘Ölkuh’. By pounding a wedge into this traditional tool the pumpkin seeds stored in the two plates of bright wood get pressed and delicious pumpkin seed oil drops into the bowl below.