Lee McIntyre, our guest author, shares her love for the foods of South Tyrol, which she discovered while living in Bozen/Bolzano, Italy. She also invites us to experience the Törggellen festival, a delightful autumn celebration.

Bozen/Bolzano is a charming medieval town at the base of the Dolomite mountains, blending Italian style with Tyrolean tradition. Visitors often use the town as a base to explore South Tyrol’s natural wonders and enjoy its unique Tyrolean food specialties.

One of the best ways to sample these foods is by attending a traditional Tyrolean Törggellen feast in the autumn. Unlike Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on a specific day, Törggellen meals are offered throughout the autumn months in various restaurants.

A Törggellen meal typically starts with a starchy first course. You might begin with Schlutzkrapfen, small pasta squares resembling thin ravioli, filled with spinach, onion, herbs, pumpkin, or squash, and topped with melted butter and Parmesan cheese. Alternatively, you could choose Knödel, large bread-based dumplings mixed with cheese, Tyrolean cured bacon (Speck), or spinach, served in melted butter sauce or soup.

The feast then focuses on pork, with a variety of pork products like ham, roast pork, and sausages, often accompanied by a bowl of delicious horseradish. One unique offering is the dark red Blutwurst sausage, or blood sausage, which has a distinctive, spicy flavor and a softer texture.

Vegetable side dishes are rare, except for hot sauerkraut mixed with pork pieces, which is constantly replenished. The meal concludes with roasted chestnuts and glasses of “new wine,” a slightly sweet and fizzy drink, perfect for peeling and enjoying the warm chestnuts.

While the chestnuts and new wine are autumn-specific, other Törggellen specialties are available year-round in South Tyrol’s restaurants, making it a great destination to enjoy these flavors anytime.