Zillertal products

In Zillertal, Speck is still made in the traditional way, involving a great deal of manual work and using only choice pork. First, the meat is dry-salted by hand using a process known as dry curing. It is then manually rearranged several times. Next, the meat is seasoned using nothing more than rough-grained salt and a variety of natural spices before being placed in the smoking chamber, which is fired with wood from local saw mills. Smoked with a secret blend and air-dried in the fragrant air of the Zillertal, the Speck takes on its unique taste.

It’s with good reason that hay milk is said to be the purest form of milk: it’s produced using the oldest milk production technique. Consistent grass-based dairy farming guarantees milk from cows that are fed solely on fresh alpine grass, herbs and flowers in summer and on hay and crushed grain in winter. Grass-based dairy farming positively affects the environment as the mowing and grazing fosters the rich biodiversity of on average 30-50 different grasses and herbs – and that’s something that not only our cows can taste. The hay milk is the raw material used to produce the unique Zillertal hay milk products, which have been proven to have a higher content of Omega-3 fatty acids than standard, conventional dairy products. As these help to promote a healthy cardiovascular system, hay milk products should be part of everyone’s diet. Businesses that display the “hay milk” stamp undertake to use local products, strengthen the regional economy and avoid a negative energy footprint from the transportation of their goods.

The amber nectar has been brewed in Zell am Ziller since right back in 1500, initially by imperial order. Today, over 500 years later, the Zillertal brewery enjoys an excellent reputation and produces the highest quality products. Enjoyment of the various different speciality beers is at the heart of the Zillertal beer culture. As such, freshly tapped Zillertal beer is only available in Zillertal and selected locations within Tirol. The flavours of different types of beer go perfectly with various dishes and can even hold their own against wine.

The journey from the fruit to the finished product requires a great deal of traditional expertise and high levels of professionalism. In Austria, “fine brandy” means spirits produced from fermented fruit containing sugar. The fruits’ taste is preserved during distillation. What customers commonly refer to as "schnapps", the distiller sells as "...brand". Schnapps is part of everyday culture in Zillertal and visitors are often given a shot of this as a friendly gesture. There’s sweet, fruity pear, earthy gentian, fruity Obstler and nutty rowanberry schapps, but the most famous version in Zillertal is known as “Meisterwurz”. This has a subtly fruity flavour with hints of fennel, aniseed, caraway and citrus and has long-since been known for its anti-inflammatory, appetite-boosting and digestive properties.

Masterwort, the queen of all medicinal herbs, is strong, aromatic and native to Zillertal. This plant from the natural pharmacy is an effective remedy for all manner of ailments. It heals, it nourishes. Since the beginning of time, Mother Nature has taken care of our well-being... up here, in the mountains of Zillertal, at an altitude somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000m, there blossoms one of the most famous – and most effective – herbs in the natural world: masterwort.