[Advertisement]

This is the taste of South Tyrol! – On the trail of craftsmanship – Many wonderful events and hotspots in and around Lana are behind me. And yet, I was most looking forward to the hands-on part. I knew I'd be baking South Tyrolean-style apple strudel with a local farmer; that I'd be allowed into the "inner sanctum" of "Bio Südtirol" and even help with the apple harvest; and I was also really excited about the interview with the beekeeper from Kammerhof, including a tasting. Time to roll up my sleeves and get started…

(Missed part 1? – Read about my first stay in Lana here..
And here are parts 2 and 3 for you to read.)

I'm learning how to make the perfect apple strudel.

Making apple strudel at the Schrentewein farm

One thing I particularly love about South Tyrol is the abundance of homemade products, sourced from the farm itself and/or directly from the region. It's hard to imagine more regionality and transparency regarding ingredients, so I was especially looking forward to visiting the Schrentewein Farm. The farm skillfully combines a country house with guest rooms for tourists with a working farm, a small farm shop, and agricultural operations. The owner, Patrizia Karnutsch Prantl, a certified agricultural consultant, also regularly offers cooking and baking courses that demonstrate the many delicious creations that can be made from South Tyrolean apples – naturally grown in their own orchard. (A brief aside: In South Tyrol, there's an association (SBO) that unites female farmers. Each member specializes in something different and sometimes offers tourists the opportunity to gain personal insights and experience through courses. The respective craft is explained and demonstrated. A fantastic initiative!) More information here – incidentally, also great for holiday planning if you like to experience something out of the ordinary.)

Delicious! The effort was worth it.

So, I headed into the kitchen and got to learn (and try it out myself) how to make the perfect apple strudel – which would also be part of a course if you booked one during your South Tyrol vacation. For example, I learned that the best South Tyrolean apple strudel is made with Grafensteiner apples, and that this variety, combined with a good shortcrust pastry, makes it particularly delicious. Grafensteiner is an old apple variety that's especially well-suited for this and – as I discovered for myself – is incredibly easy to peel and slice. Unlike Viennese apple strudel, the apple strudel dough isn't rolled, but folded. This creates a pastry shell filled with apple filling, not a roll or spiral. In our course, we mixed all the ingredients together to make a perfect shortcrust pastry, sometimes including eggs and flour from Lana, and then flattened it (not formed into balls!) and put it in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, the apples were washed, peeled, chopped, and combined with the prepared ingredients (sultanas, rum, walnuts or pine nuts, vanilla powder, cinnamon, lemon juice, and sugar). Then, accompanied by interesting insights from the farmer, Patrizia, the dough was folded, straightened, filled, folded over, decorated, and placed in the preheated oven as a ready-to-bake strudel. The relaxed atmosphere during baking and, of course, the tasting afterward are particularly delightful. The apple strudel had a slightly crisp shortcrust pastry layer and a juicy apple filling. Powdered sugar is either not used on top or only very lightly – that's probably more of a Viennese custom.

During your visit to Lana, be sure to stop by the Schrentewein farm. As mentioned, you can also stay there in rooms and suites of varying sizes. Add a baking class, a slice of strudel, and your holiday is sure to be wonderful. A true farm holiday experience. (Here You can have a look around.

Delicious honey from Kammernhof

Honey from the Kammerhof adventure farm

The delicious apple strudel was satisfied, and we were ready to continue our journey – to an equally interesting stop at the Kammerhof adventure farm. The farm also offers guest rooms and apartments, and in addition to numerous products (such as farm-made apple juice and chips, syrups, spreads and jams, honey, bread, etc.), it provides plenty of fun for children and families. Part of the Kammerhof is its own apiary and honey production, so you can not only spread the honey on your bread and take it home from the farm shop, but also learn how it is produced and processed. The farm produces between 10 and 80 kilos of honey per year, depending on how much the bees – in approximately 160 bee colonies – are able to produce. The type of honey produced depends on where the bees forage and collect pollen.

Liquid gold from busy bees in South Tyrol.

I learned a lot about bees, their behavior in dealing with the queen, nest cleaning, and much more. Incredibly interesting, and I highly recommend a visit. The friendly Hillebrand family will certainly take the time to explain how to produce perfect honey and what's important in honey production. Stop by the farm shop and start with a small honey tasting of alpine rose honey (a grainy, light yellow honey) or blossom honey (creamy, golden honey made from fruit blossoms and dandelions) and stock up on fine South Tyrolean products. (On the Website (You can learn more about the Kammerhof adventure farm.) By the way…during my first stay in Lana, I this delicious „Secco wine Swing”“Tasted it. You can also buy it in the Kammerhof farm shop.”.

Organic apple tasting. Here you see a "Story Inored" apple from South Tyrol.

Organic South Tyrol – everything about organic apples

At Bio Südtirol – recognizable by the red apple in its logo – everything revolves around organic apples. As you can see, apples hold a special place in South Tyrol. The story of organic apples in this region began in late summer 1900. That's when the idea of cultivating purely organic apples was born, and all the organically grown and subsequently harvested apples were marked with the Bio Südtirol brand. Today, 200 farmers produce 1001,130 organic apples in South Tyrol. A lot has changed. The apples are now so sought after and so popular that they are in demand far beyond the borders of South Tyrol. Bio Südtirol also answers all the questions you might have about (organic) apples. For example, I learned that organic apples are often sold pre-packaged to avoid confusion with "conventional" apples sprayed with different pesticides in supermarkets, as these are often sold side by side. I also learned that growing organic apples isn't easy and that, due to the fact that 1001 TB of land is already dedicated to apple cultivation in South Tyrol, increasing the proportion of organic apples in the region is only possible through restructuring by individual farmers. This means that farmers currently growing conventional apples receive support from Bio Südtirol to convert to organic farming and consequently grow organic apples. Because of the spraying and harvesting methods, this conversion is only possible three years after switching from conventional to organic farming, ensuring that every single apple is truly organic.

Fresh from the apple tree and purely organic!

I also learned quite a bit about the 36 different apple varieties and had the opportunity to taste some "rarities" from the organic sector. Anyone who delves a little deeper into apples and the differences between conventional and organic varieties (spraying techniques, cultivation and harvesting methods, etc.) will better understand why an apple is such a special fruit and what factors determine the price of an (organic) apple when shopping at the supermarket. Besides the "rarities," there are also "classics" and so-called "club varieties" among apples. Bio Südtirol (Organic South Tyrol) is happy to explain what these are, what specific aspects are considered in organic farming, and why apple cultivation truly requires work 12 months a year. It's a fascinating topic, and I'll certainly bite into my next organic apple with a bit more care. You can find out more about this and about organic farming in South Tyrol here..

I'll be back!

My conclusion after my second Lana tour

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Lana again. This time, on my second visit overall, I had a much better feel for the region, its people, and their unique way of life. I loved traveling from place to place, constantly meeting new people, and discovering so many different aspects of life. South Tyrol is a wonderful place with incredibly friendly and open-minded people. Once you have a car, it's easy to explore everything I've described in my previous articles on your own. The cuisine is just as impressive as the region itself, with its fantastic weather. Numerous beautiful hotels in various price categories, plenty of shops, events, and hotspots await you on a holiday in Lana. It's the perfect place for families with children, couples, or even solo travelers. I'll definitely be back. South Tyrol and Lana are only about a three-hour drive apart, and it's always worth the trip.

+++ This article was created in cooperation with the Lana and Surrounding Area Tourism Association. Thank you! +++

Contact for inquiries

Lana, South Tyrol | Lana holiday region |
„"Visit Lana" Tourism Association
Website

Become a Facebook fan and don't miss a thing!

Pictures: