Tirol is a foodie’s paradise, with plenty of fresh locally sourced food and a variety of dining experiences to be had. Indulging in local food and drink is a must-do for many Tirol travellers. Crossing socioeconomic groups, ages and genders, culinary experiences rank very high when it comes to holiday decision making.
Tirol has the right conditions and expertise when it comes to creating exceptional food and drink. Mouth-watering farm-to-fork experiences are available year round—and if gastronomy is high on your clients’ agenda, Tirol won’t disappoint.
Visitors to Tirol will savour every moment as they explore the country’s mouth-watering culinary culture at rustic Alpine pasture huts and on-mountain eateries. Some of the country’s quintessential foods are served at restaurants brandishing the “Tiroler Wirtshaus” (“Tirolean Inn”) logo, indicating locally grown produce on their menus. Moreover, Tirol has its share of award-winning epicurean eateries: Tirol’s best Fine Dining Restaurants have received more than 110 chef’s toques in the Gault&Millau Austria Restaurant Guide, one of the most influential and leading independent international restaurant guides in the world.
The best way to connect with the places most revered among Tirol food experiences is to visit the ten designated “Regions of Culinary Excellence”. Across Tirol, farmers, dairymen, ranchers and distillers are cultivating a bounty of agricultural riches at these areas: Alpbachtal Hay-Fed Raw Milk Cheese, North Tirol Vegetables, Tirol Grey Alpine Steer, Oberinntal Potatoes, Oberland Apples, East Tirol Mountain Lamb, East Tirol Potatoes, Paznaun Alpine Cheese, Stanz Plums and Wildschönau Krautinger Beet.
Your clients can also experience where Tirol’s quality agricultural products begin by visiting farms and food producers on specially designated “Taste of Place Tours”. Regularly held Farmers’ Markets throughout the country offer bustling kiosks and stands that feature a cornucopia of Tirolese delicacies.
Tirol is on the bucket list of schnapps lovers near and far, and for good reason. Each year, some 5 million kilograms of fruit are used to produce handcrafted schnapps, eaux de vie, spirits and liqueurs that boast farm-fresh ingredients and crisp snowmelt water. Along the “Tirol Schnapps Route”, clients will find a remarkable collection of 41 artisan distilleries. Great places to get the inside scoop from the distillers themselves and savour the fruit of their work, literally!
The authentic taste of Tirol is best experienced at restaurants that serve farm-fresh menus: Local chefs are teaming up with regional farmers to take the farm-to-table movement to a new level with the “Bewusst Tirol” (“Tirol Conscious”) Initiative. Seasonal farm to table dishes are highlighted on every menu at these restaurants, such as decadent cheeses that are exquisitely crafted from the finest quality Tirol milk.