19 July 2015. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, does it count if it’s in your strudel? In the Alto Adige/Südtirol, strudel is as prevalent as Starbucks in Seattle. We have eaten many portions and many types over the course of several trips. This time I documented our not-quite-daily habit. Thank God we were hiking!
It never ceases to amaze me that no matter where we go, we get coffee in a ceramic cup and our food on plates with real flatware, served by nice people who do not expect a tip. Even at the ruins of a castle, in a tiny little village high above the valley, where the cafe was the size of a closet, the lady served our espresso in tiny ceramic cups with stainless spoons that we carried out to a picnic table. And we could have had grappa if we had wanted! Compare that to the typical U.S. coffee-house or what passes for a restaurant in a national park: Styrofoam cups, paper plates, forks that break when you try to use them, self-service, and the expectation of a 20% gratuity.
- July 8: Rainy day strudel in Selva. Our first strudel of the trip, while taking shelter in the town. Fabulous apple-pie flavor and a light, crust.
- July 8: God help us, a two-strudel day! Anna, our landlady, invited us over in the afternoon for strudel hausgemacht. How could we say no?
- July 9: High-Mountain strudel at Passo Sella. We had a long hike, punctuated by a stop for healthy yogurt, so we indulged in a cinnamon-flavored, raisin-packed variety with a more cake-like crust.
- July 10: Today, yogurt with fresh berries replaces strudel at Rifugio Emilio Comici, 2153 meters above sea level. Berries tasted fresh-picked.
- July 11: Rifugio Rasciesa is always a favorite stop for a snack or for lunch. Big fruit, light crust. Asked for panna but they forgot. 😦
- July 14: Rifugio Malga Brogules sits beneath the Seceda Plateau, at 2045 meters above sea level. And still they serve home-baked strudel, of a more cake-like variety.
- July 16: Best-in-Trip Award goes to the strudel at Hotel Saltria in the Alpe di Siusi. A mountainous piece served with lots of panna, flaky crust, heaps of fruit, raisins and pine nuts. Although we hiked 2 hours to get here, it ruined the possibility of lunch for the day.
- July 18: Last strudel of the trip, eaten overlooking the same scene we cast our eyes on Christmas Day, Hotel Icaro in the Alpe di Siusi. Surrounded by a cake batter, the fruit was flavorful and the strudel loaded with pine nuts as well. Panna of course!
- Looking across the Alpe di Siusi from the terrace at Hotel Icaro. A bit of a change from our Christmas Day scene, below.