Passing on the traditional food trade from generation to generation, taking care of preserving the diversity of species and varieties, treating nature's treasures respectfully and producing high-quality food in rhythm with the seasons - Carinthia is a place of regional enjoyment.
The Carinthian Alpe-Adria cuisine is committed to this principle. Because here in the sunny south, people actively take care of a healthy, responsible nutritional and food culture, where everyone actively joins in to help give the regional food products a conscious priority in the province's creative kitchens. Traditionally produced, sustainably cultivated, free from additives, seasonal and fresh, they can be refined and prepared creatively with a clear conscience by the chefs. A collaboration between producers and chefs that is based on appreciation and mutual trust. From a regional perspective. Enjoying consciously and responsibly, knowing the origins and producers of the products, in order to respect the agricultural heritage of the south.
And in doing so expanding your knowledge, understanding the context, so that you can really taste the result. Flavour enhancer? Not here in Carinthia.
Good.
For a rich, fresh and healthy food culture with the best products from the agricultural wealth of Carinthia.
Clean.
For the production of food in harmony with the environment, health and the earth's sensitive resources.
Fair.
For fair conditions, fair prices and fair guidelines. From production and processing to culinary enjoyment.
How food grows and matures, which processing steps are consciously taken with care and appreciation, and how tasty the different products end up tasting - all this can be experienced in Carinthia in the Gailtal and Lesachtal valleys. This is where the world's first Slow Food travel destination is located. Giving the product time, treating nature and its valuable resources with care - that is what the hosts and producers want to convey to the guest with a complete sense of originality through unique Slow Food travel experiences. Whether you want to dabble in the pasta, stir the butter, harvest the corn, make fresh ice cream or taste real Gailtal bacon, there is an exciting workshop for everyone. To rediscover the taste of childhood. www.slowfood.travel
Taking freshly baked bread out of the wood-fired oven, gathering sweet and fruity berries for the picnic under a blue sky, or sending self-made paper boats on a big journey - Carinthia brings childhood rushing back again. And talking of freshly baked bread: Ten master bakers from Carinthia and East Tyrol have joined together to form the association "The Bread Craftsmen".
They stand for really good bread, take enough time to produce it, use regional raw materials and bake it according to traditional production methods. Old cereals such as emmer, einkorn and spelt are re-introduced into the bakeries. With regional ingredients, water and salt the doughs are kneaded with much love and craftsmanship in their bakery. With pure natural sourdough, without industrially produced baking aids or additives. Fresh from the oven and honest.
The influence of three cultures, Austria, Italy and Slovenia, has shaped the Carinthian Alpe-Adria cuisine for centuries. Relaxed enjoyment by the glittering water, at rustic alpine chalets or in the midst of a convivial get-together at one of the seasonal festivals - in Carinthia, you can get to know the cordial hosts better and be inspired by their joie de vivre. Ideally all year round.
If the delicious Easter snack or the first asparagus tempts you in spring, fresh fish dishes with a light Mediterranean touch are not to be missed in summer. Things get fruity and wild in autumn when Carinthia's berries ripen and savoury game dishes grace the tables. And finally, while winter puts on its white robe across the land, traditional Christmas bakeries enter the warm rooms.
Which restaurant serves freshly caught lake trout every day? Where can you find the best cheese specialities? Which 'buschenschank' (traditional tavern) is open today and when will the Slow Food travel experience with the exciting bread baking course take place? The new Carinthia Kitchen Guide has the right culinary address for every occasion. Valuable tips on where to find the best farm shops and gourmet shops, which winegrowers and beer brewers in the south create award-winning wines and full-bodied craft beers, where liquor, whiskey and fruit juice producers are based and which culinary festivals should not be missed.
With this handy guide, you can enjoy Carinthia's delightful countryside and discover the great variety of southern cuisine. The new Carinthia Kitchen Guide can be ordered free of charge at www.kaernten.at. Another pleasure tip is the food blog www.genusslust.info. Here you will regularly find new articles on the various regional producers, typical Carinthian customs and suitable recipes to cook for yourself. Allowing the taste of wonderful southern lightness that is Carinthian cuisine to continue to linger within your own four walls after your holiday.
