Recipe Eggs and Asparagus

The Chestnut: sweet, healthy and low in calories. The Valle Isarco/Eisacktal Valley innkeepers show us the taste of the chestnut during the “Valle Isarco Chestnut Speciality Weeks” from the middle of October to the beginning of November when everything revolves around the fruit of the bread-fruit tree. Numerous inns all along the route of the Keschtnweg, in the traditional chestnut growing area of the Valle Isarco offer all sorts of tasty treats during this time, which are all prepared using the noble chestnut.

Once the size of the Austrian poppy harvest was capable of influencing even the English stock market! That’s exactly what happened in the 1930s, when the Waldviertel Graumohn poppy was being traded on the London Commodities Market. Even though those are bygone days, poppy-growing in Austria is still booming, and along with it the cakes cooked with poppy seeds with the Mohngugelhupf being one of the most special delicacies the country has to offer.

Heads of chicory rolled into slices of ham and served with cheese sauce and mashed potatoes.

Speculoos is a type of shortcrust biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on or just before St Nicholas’ feast (December 6th) in the Belgium, the Netherlands and Northern France. In recent decades it has become available all year round. Speculoos are thin, very crunchy, slightly browned and, most significantly, have some image or figure (often from the traditional stories about St. Nicholas) stamped on the front side before baking; the back is flat. The Lotus brand is one of the most popular. You can also find them covered in chocolate…a real Belgian treat!