Slow Food in South Tyrol

The Vinschger Ur-Paarl, a bread made from dark rye flour that has been around since the Middle Ages. The original recipe comes from Benedictine monks and was mainly baked for weddings back then: The two round-shaped loaves represent a united couple.

The Villnöss spectacled sheep is South Tyrol oldest breed of sheep. Their recognisable feature is the black pigmentation around the eyes, which also gives the breed its name. They have been part of people’s lives here since the 18th century where they are reared in the steep meadows of the Dolomites. This attitude shapes their character. The lamb meat is fine-fibred, mild and low in fat. At the same time, the sheep provides a particularly soft wool that has been used to make warm clothing for generations. Today, the Villnöss sheep is protected by Slow Food. This international support project preserves rare breeds and secures their future.

The Altreier Lupine turns the fields around the mountain village of Altrei/Anterivo a vibrant blue. However, the farmers’ focus is on its seeds, which have been used for generations to make “Altreier coffee”: harvested by hand, sun-dried, roasted and finally ground into powder. Today, lupin seed powder is also used in the kitchen to flavour meat dishes and to make schnapps, beer, chocolate, ice cream and other desserts. 

The Schnalser transhumance sheep symbolises an old form of alpine farming in the Schnalstal/Val Senales Valley. For 600 years, the transhumance has prevailed here; an alpine migration in which the animals move across the Alps to the Ötztal. As a Slow Food Presidio, this project helps to preserve tradition and strengthen the local economy in the valley.

Grey cattle have characterised the South Tyrol mountain landscape for generations. On your hikes, you will mainly encounter them on steep slopes, where they are sure-footed and hardy. It is precisely these characteristics that make the animals ideal for mountain farming. As an indigenous breed of mountain cattle, the grey cattle feed on lush grass and aromatic mountain herbs. This gives their meat a particularly high quality and the flavour of the mountains.