Buckwheat tends to be associated with soba noodles, Brittany crepes and kasha (Russian buckwheat grains). While buckwheat is tends to be associated with wheat, it is in fact not a wheat at all or even a grass. The seeds of the buckwheat are a cereal which are related to rhubarb and sorrel and are enjoying…
Kaiserschmarrn: the Kaiser’s delightful pancake mess
A few summers ago, staying in the mountains outside the spa town of Merano in the German-speaking region of Alto-Adige, we discovered Kaiserschmarrn. This fluffy concoction is similar to a sweet fried souffle made with raisins and dusted with icing sugar and served with lingonberry jam. It is of Austrian origin but is eaten throughout Alto…
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A Guide to Good Value High Quality wines: What makes a true wine aficionado?
Nowadays many people seem to be of the opinion that loving wine means drinking the most expensive wines in existence. While particularly at the more affordable end of the market, the price tag has some correlation with the quality of wine as it will determine how much the wine maker could afford to spend on creating the…
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One of the world’s most beautiful drives: Strada delle Dolomiti
Green valleys are dotted with yellow, pink, purple and white wildflowers. Towering over are awe-inspiring mountains of sheer rock. Charming wooden houses straight out of Hansel and Gretel peek out from behind trees. Each twist of the road brings an even more spectacular panorama into view. This is the Strada delle Dolomiti (the Great Dolomite…
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Cellar Tour: Hofstatter and its Alpine cowboys
Hofstätter is located in a 15th century building founded as an inn by Joseph Hofstatter in the town of Tramin (Termeno) in Alto Adige. This is the Germanic part of Italy and Tramin looks more like Austria. The inhabitants speak German first then Italian and Ladinish. Hofstätter wine was originally produced from the inn’s mountain-side…
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The most maligned cuisine in the world
It’s all very confusing. I am in Italy but I am not. From one village in Trentino to the next in Alto Adige, no one speaks Italian anymore, at least not natively. They speak it halteringly, searching for the correct translation in their heads. Even the character of the people changes….suddenly rules and regulations take…
