Gourmet trip to the Salzburg region

Andreas Herbst delights in the astonishment on his guests' faces when he serves the vegetable course featuring Chioggia beets and Jerusalem artichokes with fragrant saffron oil: "Last year, the Otting farmer harvested the first crocuses." Alpine saffron, grown at an altitude of 800 meters? Sounds amazing, but only to 21st-century diners. Up until 100 years ago, the young chef explains, Austria was known for its saffron; it was simply forgotten. Dedicated farmers like Georg Wölfler from the Ottinghof farm are now reviving this time-honored tradition. Spelt rice and heritage apple varieties, quail and Jura lamb – everything used in Herbst's menu comes from small producers in and around Leogang.

With the gourmet restaurant on the top floor of his family's holiday hotel, the chef fulfilled a long-held dream a year ago. The Riederalm in the ski and mountain biker paradise of Leogang already had a reputation for its excellent cuisine; now, however, guests sit at round, elegantly set tables in a restaurant that would do any metropolis proud. "Dahoam" (At Home) is the name of the alpine fine-dining concept, and it's also displayed in illuminated letters on the wall, in the handwriting of Herbst's grandmother. As a child, he spent every summer with his grandparents on their farm, helping in the kitchen and the barn: "That gives you a different relationship with food."

Professional snowboarder and alpine innkeeper

Many of the successions came as a surprise even to those involved: Hans-Jörg Unterrainer, who today, with his lederhosen, embroidered traditional vest, and winning smile, looks like a picture-perfect Alpine innkeeper, has a career as a professional snowboarder behind him. His return to his family's house in the Salzburg region, the legendary "Kirchenwirt" in the old village center of Leogang, whose history dates back to 1326, was never part of the plan.

But during his travels to competitions around the world, he developed a taste for great wines, and there was no better place for his growing collection than the centuries-old natural stone cellars at home. Today, he runs the establishment with his sister Barbara; the third member of the team is the young chef Stefan Birnbacher, who comes from the region and completed his apprenticeship at the "Steirereck" in Vienna and on Lake Geneva.

From left to right: Court "Die Riederalm-Blume", Hotel Riederalm, "Kirchenwirt".

The menu covers the entire Alpine region

The chemistry is right: Birnbacher is also a passionate snowboarder and loves good wine, consciously cooking with the wine in mind. Naturally, his menu also has an Alpine theme, but the scope is broader than at the Riederalm in Salzburg, encompassing the entire Alpine region. Organic vegetables from the Oberpinzgau National Park meet Swiss cheese, air-dried Villnösser speck from South Tyrol, and chocolate from the Bregenzerwald.

What matters to Birnbacher: "A product has to sing." In his view, the Alpine prawn from a farm in Hall/Tyrol does just that! Marinated raw as a tartare, it can showcase its outstanding freshness and delicately sweet aroma, accompanied by parsley, hazelnut, and monk's beard. Or the "Ox am Berg," perfectly pink roasted sirloin (flat roast beef) from Salzburg mountain cattle, served with Kukuruz (the local name for corn), South Tyrolean volcanic asparagus, black walnut, and aromatic thyme jus.

In the wood-paneled rooms of the "Kirchenwirt," despite the high culinary standards, there's no need to fear any stuffiness: Guests sit between the tiled stove and deer antlers, just like in a good old inn. Whether you order the eight-course gourmet menu or prefer perfectly seasoned veal goulash is entirely up to you. Everyone, however, can choose from Unterrainer's opulent wine list with around 1,000 selections (many more wines slumber in the depths of the house), which, in addition to countless discoveries from Austria, also offers impressive wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux.

Nova-Regio cuisine at its finest

The Salzburg region is rich in historic buildings that have been brought into the 21st century by the younger generation. The "Weyerhof" is one such example, an imposing building at the foot of the Wildkogel mountain in Pinzgau, not far from the Hohe Tauern National Park. First documented in 1130, it has been run as an inn for centuries, and since 1832 by the Meilinger family. The wood-paneled rooms, where guests sit at tables with white tablecloths under the domed ceiling, were lovingly restored a few years ago with great attention to detail.

All the more appealing, then, is the contrast to Franz Meilinger's surprise menu, which so perfectly captures the spirit of the culinary zeitgeist, as if one were dining in Copenhagen, Berlin, or Vienna, and not in Bramberg am Wildkogel. Venison is served in two courses: first, a flavorful Bolognese with béchamel sauce, accompanied by homemade fregola sarda tossed in sage butter and topped with lightly iced cranberries and fermented blueberries. Then, the perfectly pink roasted saddle of venison is served with braised and puréed fennel, a stuffed plum, and a classic plum and black garlic jam.

Via Vienna and Singapore back to the Salzburg region

This is Nova Regio cuisine at its finest, which is no surprise when you know that Meilinger spent formative years at Heinz Reitbauer's "Steirereck" in Vienna. On his way back to his home cooking, he also made a detour to Singapore. Today, he cooks together with his childhood friend Andreas Stotter, who was Reitbauer's sous-chef for five years and brought a passion for fermented foods with him to Bramberg. Countless preserving jars line the pantry, and when the fisherman brings fresh char, Stotter reaches into the cupboard and gives the fish a harmonious accompaniment with unripe fermented plums and olive oil.

Meilinger knew he wanted to be a chef from the age of six and helped his mother Elisabeth in the kitchen: "Her venison loin is still unsurpassed!" Like many chefs in the region, a connection to nature has been second nature to him since childhood. As a child, he gathered mushrooms in the forests in autumn and helped preserve cranberries and blueberries. And even today, he regularly buys a whole pig from the farmer to press the head and smoke his own bacon. Because despite all his culinary ambitions, he has remained charmingly down-to-earth: "We see ourselves as a traditional inn." That's why there's no pretentious "gourmet room" at the "Weyerhof." Here, guests sit together in a diverse mix, regardless of whether they're enjoying the grand surprise menu or a typical Pinzgau farmer's mutton, braised lamb with a rich sauce and caraway potatoes.

Lungau for gourmets

Living tradition behind ancient walls – that's what the Lungau region offers, a quieter corner in the southeast of Salzburg, just before the border with Carinthia. Here you'll find plenty of unspoiled nature; the region has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Perfect for ski tourers and cross-country skiers, but also for gourmets: "There are still many small farms here, and we buy our produce directly from them," says Josef Steffner, who runs the "Mesnerhaus" in Mauterndorf with his wife Maria.

The wild chicken, an old breed with relatively dark meat, comes from nearby organic farms, as does the black alpine pasture pig typical of the Lungau region, as does the calf. Steffner breads the calf's breast and fries it in clarified butter like a schnitzel, while the belly is braised and served pulled, accompanied by cauliflower purée and bright green nettle spinach.

Steffner comes from Mauterndorf and returned home after years of travel, including stints in Mallorca and the Arlberg region, when the opportunity arose to buy the more than 600-year-old "sexton's house"—a listed building, like almost the entire village center with its historic facades. Inside, in the lovingly restored rooms, guests sit under the old wooden ceiling and marvel at what the host discovers on his excursions into nature.

A dish is called "The Forest," and it smells just as its name suggests—it's like taking a deep breath and strolling through the woods. The fresh black trumpet mushrooms and pickled rowan berries are hand-picked, as are the lichens that grow on the ground and have been transformed into a tangy crumble. Venison from local hunting appears as carpaccio, rolled and filled with mushroom forcemeat; for the small raviolo, the game was marinated beforehand with juniper.

pine jus and alpine teriyaki sauce

Vitus Winkler, in the nearby Pongau region, has always drawn inspiration from nature. Standing on the terrace of the "Sonnhof," the family hotel he runs in its fourth generation, one is looking into his pantry: green meadows where cows graze, the rugged mountain peaks, and the forest on the hillside above, where he finds many of his favorite ingredients. Winkler gathers watercress by a small stream, and in the grass he finds meadowsweet ("the queen of the meadows"), dead nettles with their pretty blossoms, and tree beard, which only grows in clean air. Herbs are his element, and they are what have made him famous: "Wild plants bring completely different and healthier ingredients to the kitchen; they have more potency and a more intense flavor."

In the basement of the "Sonnhof," guests can admire Winkler's treasure trove, where large preserving jars and small bottles of mysterious herbal tinctures line the shelves: black walnuts and pickled juniper berries, Swiss pine tea and alpine dashi, mountain pine syrup and wild herb pesto. These ingredients also season his menu and give it unmistakable flavor notes.

For example, when he demonstrates with his "Golden Calf" how even less common parts of the animal can be made gourmet-worthy: Thinly sliced ​​smoked tongue adorns a French toast, dipped in hay milk (from the second hay cutting, which contains more herbs), as a flavorful topping. Pine jus, alpine teriyaki sauce, and watercress flavor the creation; on the side, there is calf's liver ice cream with cheese curds and rowan berries. The dish is nothing less than a declaration of love – to his home, the Salzburg region.

Top 5: The best restaurants in the Salzburg region

• "Obauer", Werfen. The icon of the region, run with verve for decades by Karl and Rudi Obauer. obauer.com
• “Döllerer”, Golling. With his creative “Alpine Cuisine”, based entirely on local products, Andreas Döllerer was a trendsetter. doellerer.at
• Mayer's Restaurant, Zell am See: In the picturesque Prielau Castle, Andreas Mayer serves a tasting menu full of small, aromatic culinary masterpieces. mayers-restaurant.at
• "Pfefferschiff," Hallwang: A fixed star of fine dining, offering classically based menus full of harmony, creativity, and artisanal precision. vigne.at
• “Weyringer Wallersee”, Henndorf am Wallersee. Behind old walls, Emanuel Weyringer virtuously blends Austrian, Italian, and Asian elements. weyringer-wallersee.at

From left to right: Lunch break in the “Mesnerhaus”, “Kräuterreich” in the Hotel Sonnhof, guests in the “Weyerhof”.

5 atmospheric inns in the Salzburg region

• Josef Ramsauer, owner of the "Jadorfer Wirt" in Kuchl, perfectly balances contemporary pub cuisine with a living tradition dating back to 1887. jadorferwirt.at
• "Hohlwegwirt," Hallein-Taxach. Here, the focus has always been on regional ingredients; the owner's passion lies in terrines and pâtés. Good wine selection. hohlwegwirt.at
• "Schwaigerlehen-Berngarten", Stuhlfelden. Nestled in the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park, this over 500-year-old estate boasts a traditional smokehouse kitchen. It features authentic, natural cuisine, homemade sausages, bacon, and alpine butter. schwaigerlehen.at
• "Forsthaus Wartenfels," Thalgau. For over 100 years, this picturesque wooden house on the edge of the forest has been welcoming guests; Wiener Schnitzel is served with wild cranberries and lemon marmalade. forsthaus-wartenfels.at
• Bertahof, Bad Hofgastein: Local classics and fish from their own pond in the heart of the Gastein Valley. bertahof.at

5 excursion destinations in the Salzburg region

• Hallein Salt Mine: The Salzburg region doesn't bear its name by chance – in fact, "white gold" was already being mined here in Celtic times. In the "Salt Worlds" in Bad Dürrnberg near Hallein, you can visit the oldest show mine in the world and, deep inside the mountain, trace the geological formation of the deposits and the history of mining; above ground, in the salt manufactory, you can learn all about modern salt production. salzwelten.at
• Confiserie Berger: The scent of chocolate, roasted nuts, and caramel fills the air as soon as you open the door to Confiserie Berger in the picturesque Saalachtal valley of Pinzgau. This small family business in Lofer focuses on pralines and handmade chocolates made with regional ingredients – from local fruit and hay milk to alpine herbs. Branches in Saalfelden, St. Johann, and Salzburg. confiserie-berger.at
• Fuschlsee Castle's char, trout, and whitefish are smoked daily in the castle's fishery in Hof am Fuschlsee, right on the shore, using beechwood in their own wood-fired oven. Fresh from the lake, they enhance the fish soup. fuschlsee.salzkammergut.at
• Tauern Lamb: In the Hohe Tauern National Park, mountain farmers let their sheep and lambs graze on alpine pastures all summer long, where they get plenty of exercise, eat aromatic grasses and wild herbs, and drink spring water. The Zehentner family sells their meat under the "Tauern Lamb" label: in butcher shops in Taxenbach and Rauris, at weekly markets in Salzburg and Zell am See, and through their own online shop: tauernlamm.at
• At Trausner's, the gentian used to make the cult lemonade "Enzo," with its subtle bitter note, grows in a private garden at an altitude of 1,500 meters in Mauterndorf. Walter Trausner, chef and pastry chef, also makes jams from heritage fruit varieties, flavoring them with rare herbs such as red elderberry or green mountain mint. trausners.at