Alpine Cuisine

Malga Schgaguler Schwaige: Farm Fresh Feasting in the Dolomites

How does a South Tyrolean restaurant boasting one of the most spectacular mountain vistas in the world win your heart? One bite at a time.

NO ONE WOULD fault Malga Schgaguler Schwaige if it rested on its laurels and let its jaw-dropping views do all the wowing. After all, the spellbinding sight of the Sassolungo Group storming over the billowy hills of Europe’s largest Alpine pasture — Alpe di Siusi — is enough to make any hiker forget their hunger.

But sitting back allowing the mountains to do most of the work is not in Walter and Martina Demetz’s character. A husband and wife team operating Malga Schgaguler Schwaige since 2016, they delight guests with sumptuous culinary creations and friendly down-to-earth service that makes you feel right at home.

We first experienced the charm of Malga Schgaguler Schwaige a few years ago on a spring hike across Alpe di Siusi. The dishes we enjoyed that day introduced us to the delectable wonders of homemade Alpine cuisine.

This past fall we had the pleasure of visiting Malga Schgaguler Schwaige again. We sat down with Walter to discover the story behind his cuisine and what it takes to run a remarkable restaurant in the Dolomites.

Where Rural Roots Run Deep

The late Anthony Bourdain once said, “food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable”. That sentiment could not ring more true than it does at Malga Schgaguler Schwaige.

Founded by Walter’s father and mother in 1991, Malga Schgaguler Schwaige offers traditional South Tyrolean dishes and specialties fresh from the family farm. Nearly all the restaurant’s ingredients — from milk and butter to eggs and cheese to speck and beef — are homegrown.

Malga Schgagular Schwaige instills its dishes with an authentic spirit we find increasingly rare in the world today.

Sixty-four acres of pastureland surround Malga Schgaguler Schwaige where 15-20 cows enjoy the famous Alpine hay and herbs of Alpe di Siusi. The cows share their leafy bounty with a motley crew of other farm animals including horses, llamas, donkeys, pigs, chickens, peacocks, ducks, rabbits, sheep and a chill gang of goats that will bring a wide grin to your face when you meet them.

Malga Schgaguler Schwaige Farm — Other hikers are not the only souls you’ll encounter on a visit to Malga Schgaguler Schwaige.

Many of these extended members of Walter and Martina’s family roam freely on the grounds beneath the restaurant entertaining guests with their antics, chirps and chatter. In fact, children can dart around with them in a play area that includes a wooden tractor, playground set, sandbox, foosball table and a tempting trampoline.

By 7 a.m. Walter brings the cows down to the pastureland where they graze the day away until he corrals them back in the early evening.

Walking the farm with Walter, it is immediately evident that his passion for serving delicious dishes begins with a passion for his land and the farm animals he raises. He ensures the animals enjoy a free-range environment where they can thrive as stress-free as possible.

The result? Food that fully reveals robust and fresh flavors as nature intended. By following true farm-to-table tenets and not the latest culinary craze, Malga Schgagular Schwaige instills its dishes with an authentic spirit we find increasingly rare in the world today.

From Farm to Family

Walter Demetz and family — Walter and Martina’s little helpers — Lea and Anna.

Walter, Martina and their three children, Lea, Anna and Max, live on the farm in a home adjoining the restaurant. All support the business albeit the youngsters can only serve up ample amounts of good cheer for now.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Martina and Walter’s mother, Christine, conjures culinary magic in the kitchen while Walter and a staff member, Romina, tackle serving the guests. However, the hard work to make Malga Schgaguler Schwaige operate smoothly day after day begins much earlier.

As Walter shared with us, running a restaurant is much like orchestrating a concert: a mountain of work takes place prior to the show and backstage that the audience never sees. A typical day begins at the crack of dawn with farm work.

Schgugaler Schwaige Kitchen — Family rules the mountain kitchen. Martina, Christine, Walter and the family’s newest addition, Max, welcome guests with infectious smiles.

By 7 a.m. Walter brings the cows down to the pastureland where they graze the day away until he corrals them back in the early evening. The rest of the morning is dedicated to tending to the other farm animals, maintaining their property and prepping the day’s mouthwatering ingredients. In the summer, during hay cutting season, the days begin even earlier usually around 5:30 a.m. with non-stop work until 9:30 p.m.

In the wood-clad menus dotting the tables, you will discover a rich assortment of classic South Tyrolean cuisine to reward tired legs.

Of course, all that tiring work does not come without its rewards. When asked about his favorite season on Alpe di Siusi. Walter responded “every day!”. He noted a day does not go by without taking a moment to admire the breathtaking beauty of the mountains — especially in the early morning and at dusk when he has much of the pastureland to himself.

Taming Hooves & Steel

While free time is luxury when operating a farmhouse restaurant, Walter does find time to train for and race his horse, Buddy, in a traditional South Tyrolean event called the Oswald von Wolkenstein Ride. This annual tournament involves a series of horse rides and challenges that take place at four nearby castles.

In addition to horse riding and chasing his children around, Walter enjoys hitting the slopes and restoring old cars and motorcycles. When riding a horse isn’t possible, he also likes to gallop his Harley Davidson across the Alp.

The mountain hut itself has undergone many renovations since his grandfather built it in 1967. Walter envisions continuing to expand the farm and restaurant.

In the not-to-distant future, he would like to elevate the Malga Schgaguler Schwaige experience further by adding another stable. His hope is to make it a place where guests can also educate themselves about sustainable farming practices on the Alpe di Siusi.

Dining at Malga Schgaguler Schwaige

Once you take a seat on the flower-drenched terrace of Malga Schgaguler Schwaige, the enticing aromas swirling out of the kitchen eventually peel your eyes away from the mountain scenery. In the wood-clad menus dotting the tables, you will discover a rich assortment of classic South Tyrolean cuisine to reward tired legs.

We suggest beginning with a bowl of Speckknödelsuppe or a cheese and speck platter. Both are divine. These traditional South Tyrolean specialties have been passed down from one generation to the next for centuries.

Diving in you discover the warm chocolate filling of each dumpling.

If you are craving something less hearty you can also opt for a generous plate of Pasta Bolognese. After devouring your starter, consider the Frankfurter Sausage with Polenta or Beef Goulash with Cheese Knödel. Regardless, you will relish the mountain’s heart and soul in every tender bite.

Malga Schgaguler Schwaige serves up homemade hearty goodness every mountain and food lover should try.

If you have room for dessert (you absolutely should leave room for dessert), lavish your sweet tooth with Homemade Cream Cheese Dumplings. This sinful treat is like a present. Diving in you discover the warm chocolate filling of each dumpling. It will dazzle your eyes and mouth.

Another after-dinner delight to try is Kaiserschmarrn mit Preiselbeermarmelade. This pancake dessert topped with cranberry jam is a personal favorite of Walter’s. But if you’re aching for Apple Strudel, no worries. You can get that as well with a decadent vanilla sauce.

The restaurant also offers indoor seating in a cozy setting that allows for an intimate meal and drink among friends and family. Even if you can’t see the Sassolungo Group from inside, the charming Alpine decor throughout will leave no doubt you’re feasting amid the Dolomites.

How to Visit Malga Schgaguler Schwaige

The easiest way to visit Malga Schgaguler Schwaige is by taking the Mont Sëuc Cable Car to Alpe di Siusi from Ortisei. From the cable car station, it is a 10-minute hike to the restaurant.

If you choose to hike across Alpe di Siusi from Compatsch instead, follow trail no. 30 and then hop on trail no. 9. You will spot Malga Schgaguler Schwaige perched on a hillside above the Sporthotel Sonne.

Drinking Beer at Malga Schgaguler Schwaige — Good food is always accompanied by good cheer.

Like all mountain huts in South Tyrol, Malga Schgaguler Schwaige operates on a seasonal basis. For the summer season, the restaurant typically resumes operation at the end of May after shutting down when the ski season is over in mid-April.

Malga Schgaguler Schwaige remains open through the summer and fall until the first week of November. The restaurant then closes until early December when it reopens for an Italian holiday. After Christmas and New Years, Malga Schgaguler Schwaige continues serving snow lovers through the winter months and the first part of spring.

Little Max steals the scene in this shot!

While we have only enjoyed lunches at Malga Schgaguler Schwaige, the restaurant opens at 9 a.m. allowing you to savor a delicious breakfast of freshly plucked farm eggs. Could there be any better way to start a day?

Walter and his team close each day at 5 p.m. Undoubtedly, you may find it hard to pull yourself away from the spectacular views and food. But as the song Closing Time goes, “you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”

Follow Malga Schgaguler Schwaige on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the Demetzs!

We would like to give Walter and his family a special thanks for spending time and sharing their story with us. We can’t wait to return!

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Malga Schgaguler Schwaige in South Tyrol, Italy

Authentic Alpine Recipes: The Cookbook Every Mountain Lover Should Own

By Kate & Vin 28 Comments

If you are craving Alpine cuisine that embodies the hearty goodness of the Alps, we may have found your perfect cookbook.

EVERY WANDERLUSTING SOUL needs a go-to cookbook. Not for the times when out roaming the world, but for when life calls one home.

Cracking open a cookbook filled with culinary treasures from lands explored is a satisfying remedy for restless adventurers bound to their own kitchen. In fact, nothing enlivens cherished memories quite like cooking up delicious dishes from travels abroad.

For us, the cookbook we cannot live without is Alpine Flavours: Authentic recipes from the Dolomites, the heart of the Alps. When pining for the immensity of mountains and wild-hearted treks, we pull out this cultural gem of traditional Alpine recipes and bring mountain-born traditions to life in our home.

Centuries of Culinary Experience at Your Fingertips

At first glance, Alpine cuisine may seem simple, but unlocking the secrets to its rich flavors requires astutely following recipes that have stood the test of time. This becomes immediately apparent if you have ever tried to create a popular dish from the Alps, such as Schlutzkrapfen, without expert direction.

Alpine Cookbook — Crafting Alpine food dishes are made even more enjoyable when the cookbook transports you to the Alps through vivid imagery.

No matter what you make off the cuff, it will come out either bland, too salty or just plain bad. At least that has been our experience.

That’s why we were so thankful to stumble upon the Alpine Flavours cookbook. It took us by the hand leading us on a culinary journey that never disappoints.

From mountain favorites such as Speckknödel (bacon dumplings) to Schweinshaxe (pork shank) to Hirschgulasch (venison goulash), as well as an assortment of pastries and apple-centered dishes, the cookbook shows step-by-step how to recreate the authentic flavors and down-home spirit honed over centuries deep within the Dolomites.

Based on our time cooking with this book as a companion, we think it’s one every mountain lover should own. The Alps of South Tyrol are after all the world’s most tantalizing mountains; it’s no surprise its hearty cuisine offers equal enchantment.

Savoring the Mountains

The Alpine dessert, Strauben, is a traditional funnel cake as sweetly delicious as a mountain view.

Alpine Flavours not only helps you relish Alpine cuisine, but also whisks you away on a cultural odyssey. The cookbook is filled with captivating images of mountain food and life. From front to back, it is crafted like a perfectly plated dish. Alpine Flavours could just as easily adorn your coffee table as your countertop.

Each delicious dish is paired with an exquisite South Tyrolean wine such as the rich reds of Schiava and Lagrein to the complex whites of Gewürztraminer and beyond. South Tyrol is Italy’s smallest wine-producing area, yet it still surprises with the indisputable quality of its wines, which rank among the most awarded at the national level. Every 12th award-winning Italian wine comes from South Tyrol — an impressive feat for a region that represents just 0.7% of national production.

While you can certainly browse directly to whatever dish tempts you at the moment, the book is best devoured one page at a time. If food provides a window into a region’s history, values and soul, Alpine Flavours gives you a sweeping view of the Italian Alps.

Alpine Food — “Knödel” is a classic Alpine food dish of South Tyrol. This dumpling dish has medieval roots — coming in a variety of types, including spinach, porcini, cheese, speck and much more.

You’ll come away with a historical foundation of South Tyrol’s cuisine. Not to mention a deep appreciation for how its rural heartiness has evolved into mountain recipes now revered.

Irresistible Alpine Recipes from the Alps

Even if your talents are less than average in the kitchen, you will have no problem finding dishes to easily tackle. The book designates recipes by their level of difficulty — easy, medium and high. And at nearly 300 pages, you will not run out of Alpine recipes to attempt.

Pork Shank Recipe — Rural heartiness at its best. South Tyrolean Schweinshaxe (Pork Shank)

Meals in South Tyrol are broken into courses and by and large, the book follows suit. It is organized into the following sections:

Specialties & Typical Products – An in-depth introduction to the dairy products, meats, fish, fruit and vegetables comprising South Tyrol’s Alpine cuisine
Rye Bread – Provides instructions on the various ways to prepare this much-loved bread
First Courses – Includes 23 recipes covering everything from pasta to spaetzle to soup
Gnocchi & Canederli (Knödel) – Offers six different dumpling recipes from cheese to spinach and more
Speck – An introduction to this widely-celebrated aged meat that makes an excellent appetizer, snack or ingredient for main dishes
Second Courses – Includes 19 savory meat and roast recipes spanning beef, pork, lamb and venison
Side Dishes – Presents eight traditional side recipes including regional favorites such as polenta and potato dishes
Tyrolean Desserts – Offers 22 tempting Alpine dessert recipes from buchteln to krapfen to strudel and more
Grappas, Juices & Jams – Teaches how to make mountain gems such as elderflower syrup, pine schnapps and jams

Beyond the recipes, Alpine Flavours features ample information on the different South Tyrolean wines recommended, as well as an overview of Törggelen, a beloved autumn tradition that is South Tyrol’s largest annual culinary event.

Venison goulash recipe — Several of the book’s Alpine recipes and dishes such as Hirschgulasch (Venison Goulash) exude flavors born from ancient traditions

In South Tyrol, like much of Europe, mealtime is both an experience and an art form to appreciate and savor. If you long to harken back to a simpler time, Alpine Flavours can be your guide.

After creating a few of the dishes from the cookbook, we think it will become quite clear why South Tyrol is the culinary star of Italy — boasting more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other region of the country.

The rural roots of South Tyroleans make them exceptionally masterful at harnessing the flavors of the land from pasture to forest. Despite a population of a mere 500,000, South Tyrol is revered worldwide for the quality of the region’s ingredients as well as to the refinement of their preparation.

Enjoying Alpine Food in Your Home

Alpine Recipes — Beyond hearty Alpine dishes, you’ll also learn how to make lighter traditional fare such as Mezzelune pasta.

Not every ingredient mentioned in the book may be readily available unless you’re near the Alps or wish to have the regional specialties shipped to your home. Do not let that be a deterrent to enjoying any of Alpine dishes within. By being a bit resourceful and a little creative you can find worthy ingredient substitutes as needed.

Depending on how much you like to cook, Alpine Flavours is a cookbook you can turn to every day. Many dishes do not require overly lengthy preparation time. But those who embrace slow travel and slow food will find it the most more rewarding.

Bauerngröstel is a delicious beef and potato Alpine dish we fry up again and again. During weekend brunches, we add a fried egg on top.

For us, we simply pick one recipe per week to make. Still, even with this frequency, we have found so many favorites calling us back we’re still working our way through the book over a year later. Don’t be surprised if the same happens to you. Like mountain scenery, Alpine food tends to capture your heart and not let go.

As raving fans of South Tyrol, we cannot recommend enough embarking on an adventure in this mountainous jewel crowning northern Italy. Nothing will match the experience of savoring a mountain-to-table meal like sitting on the mountain where it was born.

Yet for those that cannot make a trip to South Tyrol, the cookbook makes the act of preparing a meal a joyful adventure all on its own. Every nature lover and foodie will find mountain recipes to delight in again and again. It’s an ideal gift for those drawn to rich, rugged heartiness.

South Tyrolean Apple Strudel — South Tyrol is the heart of the apple in Europe. Apple Strudel makes for a mouth-watering dessert after a meal or grueling trek

The meat dishes we created from the book’s recipes have been just as savory as the main courses we’ve enjoyed at restaurants throughout South Tyrol. We were even able to replicate a knödel entree that was nearly as delicious as the treasure we devoured at one of Italy’s top mountain resorts.

Transforming your kitchen into a rifugio (mountain hut) on a whim has never been easier. Alpine Flavours takes you on a journey to new culinary heights all without setting foot on a mountain. Make no mistake though. If the mountain calls, go. Not even your appetite should get in the way of a breathtaking hike.