Bacon has a long tradition in Austria and you will find different types with unique recipes in each region. To prepare 'speck', the pork is marinated in salt in a wooden barrel for several weeks. Herbs are mixed into the salt to give the speck a unique flavour depending on their combination. After thoroughly resting in the salt mixture, the hams are smoked and dried in the smokehouse. Well-smoked bacon will keep fresh for several months. Speck is a traditional dish for the people of Austria and was an important food in the past because it contains iron, selenium and many other nutrients important for replenishing energy.

When visiting Austria and the area around Bad Gastein, be sure to try the following types of speck:

Speck by Herbert Lankmaier

On your way to Bad Gastein or Salzburg, stop off in the Almtal valley, which lies between Salzburg and Linz. Here you can buy excellent bacon at Herbert Lankmaier's small butcher shop in the small town of Grünau. The chopped pork belly he sells here is juicy and tender and has a pleasantly mild spiciness. Moreover, the pigs slaughtered here come principally from the local region and the fat is made from the highest quality meat.

Tyrolean Speck

In Bad Gastein you will also find excellent Tyrolean speck. In the Tyrolean region, two methods are combined in the preparation of speck. The northern method of smoking the meat is complemented by the Mediterranean method of drying the meat. The traditional recipe includes less salt and smoke. It is replaced by drying in the open air. The fat is matured for several weeks. In East Tyrol, a special type of 'Henkele' is produced according to the type of spices selected. Speck is made from several types of meat including pork, beef, lamb, deer and many others.

Carinthian Speck

If you go further south, try the Carinthian speck. The climate in Carinthia is favourable for smoking and air-drying. The most famous Gurktal speck from the Gurktal valley is exclusively air-dried. The combination of Carinthian salts and spices gives it a unique taste.
Other delicacies to try in Austria include the uncooked Vulcano ham, which is dried with the bone for up to 15 months, and Turmschinken ham from south-eastern Styria.

Want to try Austrian bacon and other local delicacies? Book your room at the Residence AlpenHeart and enjoy your holiday in the Austrian paradise of Bad Gastein to the full.