Culinary delights from the Zillertal:

Tyrolean Speckknödel – a piece of heartfelt warmth from the mountains

In the deeply snow-covered valleys of the Zillertal, nestled between the mighty peaks around Hintertux – Tux, lies the origin of many culinary traditions that are still passed down from generation to generation today. One of them is the Tyrolean Speckknödel: hearty, down-to-earth and full of Heimatgefühl (feeling of home).

Even if we don’t serve this dish in our Gletscher Aktiv Hotel in Hintertux, we would like to highly recommend it to you – as a culinary highlight that you can discover during a winter walk through Tyrol in one of the cozy alpine huts or simply cook at home. Because sometimes it is precisely these simple recipes that bring back the taste of childhood, security and mountain air.

Zillertal Tradition & Alpine Hut Magic:

In many families here in the Zillertal, Speckknödel are an integral part of home cooking – often after a day of skiing or a winter hike. And even today, the recipe is lovingly passed on from mother to daughter, from grandma to grandchild. Everyone makes it a little differently – and yet it always tastes like home.

With us in the Zillertal:

Here in the Zillertal, you will find Speckknödel on many alpine pastures and mountain huts. After a day of skiing on the Hintertux Glacier, a tobogganing party in the Hintertux – Tux region or a hike along the snow-covered winter hiking trails, they taste particularly good. They are simply part of the Zillertal’s way of life. And those who make themselves comfortable with us in the Gletscher Aktiv Hotel Kössler feel exactly this warmth and cordiality as part of our half-board. A piece of Tyrol on a plate – honest, filling and cooked with a lot of love.

Are you ready for a skiing adventure?

Find your favorite room.

Our traditional recipe for Tyrolean Speckknödel:

(slightly refined and with small tricks from the Kössler kitchen)

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 250 g Knödelbrot (dumpling bread) (alternatively: stale white bread, cut into small cubes)
• 150 g of spicy Tyrolean bacon, finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 eggs (size M)
• 150 ml milk
• 2 tbsp smooth parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp marjoram (dried or fresh, optional)
• Salt, pepper, nutmeg
• Butter or clarified butter for roasting

Preparation:

• Roast onions & bacon
  First, sauté the onion in some butter or clarified butter until golden yellow. Then add the bacon and sauté briefly until everything smells wonderful. Set aside and let cool slightly.
• Prepare the dough
  Warm the milk until lukewarm and whisk with the eggs. Place the dumpling bread in a large bowl and pour the egg-milk mixture over it. Then add the onion-bacon mixture, parsley and marjoram. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg.
• Let the dumpling mixture rest
  Mix the mixture well and let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. The bread should absorb the liquid well.
• Shape dumplings
  With damp hands, form 6–8 medium-sized dumplings. If the mixture is too soft, add some breadcrumbs. If it is too dry, add a small dash of milk.
• Cooking
  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce the heat (the water must not boil vigorously!) and let the dumplings simmer gently for about 15 minutes until they rise to the surface.

Our tip:

For an even heartier flavor, you can replace some of the bacon with smoked pork belly. For a vegetarian option, replace the bacon and onions with roasted mushrooms or diced cheese.

Serving suggestion:

The dumplings taste best in a hearty beef broth with fresh chives – or classically with sauerkraut. A cold Zillertal beer rounds it all off perfectly.

A piece of Tyrol for your home

If you are a guest at our Hotel Kössler in Hintertux, you will not only discover winter in its most beautiful form – but also the taste of real Tyrolean cuisine. Our Speckknödel recipe brings exactly this feeling into your own kitchen.

And when the dumplings are steaming away in your pot and the wonderful scent of bacon and butter wafts through your kitchen, then perhaps a little bit of the magic that is often in the air in the Tuxertal will waft over to you.

A little secret for the return journey

So that you can take a piece of Tyrol back home with you, we will reveal one of our favorite insider tips:
On your way home from Hotel Kössler in Hintertux, make a little detour to the traditional Gasser butcher’s shop in Mayrhofen. There you will get a home-smoked bacon, which is not only very popular with us locals, but has also won many awards. Top quality craftsmanship has been a top priority here for four generations.

Imagine: You pack this delicious piece of Tyrol, conjure up your own Tyrolean Speckknödel at home with our recipe – and then take a delicious bite, then it’s as if the Zillertal Alps are greeting you again very warmly.