Did you know that dishes in Italian-speaking Switzerland are often flavored with Parmesan cheese and that in Somalia, all dishes include a banana? But it’s not just the cuisines of different countries that have their own particularities and favorite ingredients – chefs do, too! We asked several sustainable restaurants what the chef’s favorite ingredient is, and picked up a few tips for our own cooking nights at home.
Sustainable ingredients straight from the hotel garden
As Booking.com found in a survey of 27,000 travelers in 33 countries, 81% of travelers consider sampling local cuisine part of a vacation. 61% are also interested in the origin of the food.
That’s a big plus for the sustainable Green PearlsⓇ partners, because their menus feature local cuisine, and many of them even have their own farms or vegetable and herb gardens. Not only does this mean that the food is absolutely fresh, but it also leaves the smallest ecological footprint possible, as there are no long transportation routes or packaging waste.
“Thanks to our own farm, we can harvest the products when they are really ripe – this gives them a very intense flavor that is unfortunately lost nowadays. – My Arbor
My Arbor chef’s favorite ingredient: fresh porcini mushrooms and chanterelles
The Hotel My Arbor is located in South Tyrol, about 15 minutes by car from Brixen, and overlooks the alpine landscape in the middle of nature. Among the favorite ingredients, not only in the kitchen but also among the guests, are the self-picked chanterelles and porcini mushrooms.
The mushroom season in South Tyrol begins in summer (June/July) with the chanterelles and lasts until around October. They thrive in warm, humid conditions in the forests of the Plose. Both the nutty porcini and the orange chanterelle are delicious in risotto, polenta, pasta, soups or with meat and game dishes.
Immune-boosting spices and meat from symbiotic animal husbandry
Gut Sonnenhausen, south of Munich, has its own large vegetable garden and meat from its sister farm, Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten. Here, pastured pigs and farmyard chickens are kept together in a symbiotic animal husbandry system. Cardamom, ginger, horseradish and turmeric provide the right spice. “What they all have in common is that they are immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory,” says the chef at Gut Sonnenhausen, explaining the reasons for these favorite ingredients.
Chefs’ favorite ingredients: from every day to exotic
The people who run our partners’ kitchens are as diverse as the favorite ingredients they share with us. But one thing was consistently emphasized: The most important thing to them is that the products are sourced or produced fairly.
Natural flavor enhancer parmesan
“Parmesan always works” – this was the opinion of our au pair from the Italian part of Switzerland. In mashed potatoes, sauces, vegetables and of course pasta dishes – a little of the Italian hard cheese was mixed in everywhere.
The chefs at SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA share this approach to taste. They are convinced Parmesan “opens the taste buds” and “makes the dish taste more intense”. So why not give it a try!
Good to know: Parmesan cheese is neither vegetarian nor vegan. This is because the cheese gets its firmness from animal rennet (an enzyme from the stomachs of ruminant animals). It causes the milk to coagulate.
Tonka beans and kofu
Interesting vegan favorites can be found at the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu. The owners, the Traubel family, report that meat-free dishes are becoming increasingly popular. Two wonderful products you can try at the holistic wellness hotel in Balderschwang are tonka beans and kofu.
Kofu is tofu made from chickpeas. It is vegan too, but does not contain soy. Kofu can be diced, stir-fried, and tastes great with vegetables, in salads, and in soups. No wonder the kitchen loves it!!
Tonka beans come from the tonka tree, which grows up to 30 meters tall in South America and the tropical regions of Africa. The black seeds of the fruit are the tonka beans and have a beguiling scent. Think vanilla, bitter almond, and woodruff! The HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio buys them in organic quality and fair production.
In addition, the sustainable hotel uses (and sells) its own spice blends, blended according to Ayurvedic principles.
Vegan recipes by Chef Luca Sordi
If you are looking for more interesting vegan food options, you should try the cuisine at LA VIMEA in South Tyrol! LA VIMEA is an adults-only hotel and the first completely vegan hotel in Italy. Here in Naturno, you can relax during your morning yoga session right next to the natural swimming pond and enjoy a cuisine completely free of animal ingredients. By the way, the restaurant is also open to external guests 😉
Chef Luca Sordi has given us two recipes that you can read/cook here. They are:
Vegan dumplings and
Culinary experience with a twist
Favorite Ingredient: Organic! That sums up the philosophy of the STURM kitchen. The hotel, located in the Biosphere Reserve Rhön, serves only regional and seasonal organic products. Resulting in creations you have never tasted before! A few examples:
- Loin of Rhön pork | White pepper sauce | Cous Cous | Vanilla | Sauerkraut | Vegetable chips
- Lamb stew from the organic farm Werner Gut | Apricots | Cashew | Steamed eggplant | Fried Bread | Feta crumble
- Home made Maultaschen | Cream cheese | Herbs | Chard | Sage butter
And for dessert:
- Mousse of goat cheese | Strawberry sauce | Chocolate sand
- Sweet bread casserole | Fruits
Meat and dairy products are therefore an option, but only meat from species-appropriate animal husbandry, sourced directly from German farms. By the way, the Rhön pigs are also known as “potato pigs” because they are fed with steamed potatoes (that grow on the same farm).
After all the delicious inspiration, we immediately wanted to incorporate some of the ingredients into our own kitchens? What’s it like for you? Do you use any of the products yourself? And what is your all-time favorite ingredient?
Save this article for your next holiday-inspired cooking session!
