The English title of this book would be: “The culinary heritage of the Alps”. “Would” only, because the book hasn’t been translated in English yet… This heavy volume tells the story of food in the Alps with gorgeous photos by the Swiss photographer Sylvan Müller to accompany the prose of Dominik Flammer. An absolute delight for all your senses!
Have you ever heard about whey caramel from the Bregenz Forest, freshwater sardines from Lake Como, trouts from the Slovenian Soca valley or camelina oil from Lower Bavaria` How to season food using wood and resin? Where do “Sulmtaler” chickens come from, and who breeds the “capra grigia”? And why did the Romans kill to get livers of freshwater fish from the Alpine foothills lakes? This book answers it all! A true work of art – this superb volume is filled with detailed explanations and gorgeous photographs that show a selection of traditional products and their producers.
Sponsored by Slow Food International, this one of a kind reportage delves into the culinary heritage of the Alps of the variety of food made there. It details the influences of migratory shepherds and the global trade of modern times to the changes in the food culture imposed by the rough alpine environment, to traditional products, production techniques and their producers.
Sadly, this beautiful book is only available in German at the time of writing. But happily, as a picture is worth a thousand words and the booked is filled with amazing shots, you can still get it from Amazon, or directly from the editor AT Verlag.
At the end of the book you will find an extensive directory of Alpine delicatessen rarities and a list of all producers featured in the book with their coordinates.
In December 2012, a twelve-part television series started with the same title and will be released in fall 2013 and documents the pleasures of traditional products and delicacies of Alpine terroir, very much at the heart of nature. Have a look at the trailer below to get an feel for what’s in it.
Available in september 2013, you will be able to also buy the DVD of the series and also the corresponding cook book.
Highly recommended not only as a perfect gift or coffee table book, but also as an excuse to brush up your German skills!