Traditional Alpine and Austrian meal in Rankweil with a local family

Meet Birgit

Birgit studied at an agricultural college where she learned about soil culture, crop production and processing her own produce - preparing jams, vinegar, pickles, sauerkraut, honey, bread, cheese and sausages. This was followed by many years of working in restaurants and professional kitchens. Currently, Birgit works at the agricultural college as an economic manager, and loves to cook for her friends and family. She lives in a rural region with her two lovely boys, it is in west of Austria bordered by Switzerland and Lichtenstein. Her home is surrounded by mountains and is in the lap of nature. Birgit even has her own garden, where she grows vegetables, herbs and fruits - apple, plum, walnut, hazelnut, fig trees, red and white currants. She also has some chickens for eggs and bees for her honey production. Birgit and her family are very traditional and so excited to share their unique food, culture and customs with travelers.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal (1 - 4 guests) Birgit and her boys (when they are home) will welcome you to their friendly, sunny, yellow house in Rankweil, with the warmest smiles. She will introduce you to traditional, Alpine cuisine, that is cooked using all organic, regional and seasonal ingredients. She grows her own vegetables, has a herb garden, and even has her own chicken and bees – so all the fruits, vegetables, herbs, eggs and honey used in your meal come from Birgit’s home. A few Alpine and Austrian dishes that you might try at Birgit’s home are fritattensuppe (a homemade beef broth topped with rolled up and then thinly sliced strips of pancake) or grießnockerlsuppe (semolina dumpling soup) and Vienna schnitzel or tyrolean dumplings with smoked ham and sauerkraut. End your meal with a dessert such as apfelstrudel (Viennese apple strudel) or sacher cake (chocolate cake). In the summer months, when the weather is good, you can even opt for a barbeque meal in Birgit’s beautiful garden, where you will grill vegetables and meat on a special grill and even fry funken küchle (choux pastry) in the outdoors.

Cooking experience (1 - 4 guests) Before you begin your cooking class in Austria, you will tour Birgit’s garden (in the Summer months) to see her how she grows her own fruits, vegetables and herbs. In your 1 hour hands-on cooking class, you will learn to to cook a traditional alpine meal. You will learn to make a main dish and an appetizer or dessert. Such as Vienna schnitzel and grießnockerlsuppe (semolina dumpling soup) or apfelstrudel (Viennese apple strudel). After your Austrian cooking class, join Birgit at the dinning table to share the meal you helped prepare.

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