The couch at the hotel lounge of the Roomz Graz Hotel is a huge variance of the native Styrian “Käferbohne” bean. At the most famous farmers market in Graz, on Kaiser-Fraz-Josef square, we find them for sale in large quantities. Ferdinand Hladik, chef & entertainer, showers us in tasteful Styrian meals such as the Sulmtaler chicken, Styrian trout fish or wonderful pumpkin seed oil with its typical nutty flavour during a cooking lesson at his “Kitchen12”.
Actually, we gather, the gourmet capital city Graz has us do nothing but eat. On one of the town’s culinary walks, the first course is not being “served” as information or buildings, but rather offered as (another) tasting experience at the Romantik Parkhotel. “But I just had ‘two courses’ for breakfast?!”, Monique calls out in “sheer despair” over all the Styrian delights being served to us.
Graz really is unforgiving. Cooking lessons, culinary city walks as well as the “Lange Tafel der Genusshauptstadt” annual gourmet event: The epicentre of Austria’s, or Styria’s culinary world definitely runs out from the city of Graz. Of course, all of us travel writers being delighted by great food and wine had to come here. And rightly so, meeting only people with a love of wine & good food. You really can’t go wrong on this. Check it out. 😀
Cooking Lesson at Kitchen12: “Happy Blogger, Happy Cooking” !
What a lovely welcome. Ferdinand Hladik and his charming assistant Gisi (“I cook with a smile” is what her T-Shirt reads) take us in as friends at their creative cooking studio called Kitchen12 at the Kaiser-Franz-Josef square in Graz. One day before heading out to the “Lange Tafel der Genusshauptstadt” gourmet tasting event, we are here for a “culinary warm-up” session: A cooking lesson in four courses. Quickly, teams are decided between preparing finger food, starters, main course & dessert: Austrian spring rolls, Asian summer vegetables tossed in a spicy sauce, Styrian Sulmtaler chicken & chocolate pancakes topped with seasonal summer fruit. Martin who writes for the Tripwolf travel blog team and I are happy to do the Austrian spring rolls as finger food starters, filling rice paper leaves with pieces of cucumber, avocado, spices and Styrian trout. Delightful!
Monika Fuchs, publishing on TravelWorldOnline and I during our cooking lesson at Kitchen12: We like 😀
Kiss The Cook: Is that your message, Ferdinand Hladik? 🙂
Our finger food starters do look tempting, what do you think?
For dessert, it is all feast for the eyes & palate: A cooking lesson like this is an ideal activity among friends and family wishing to know more about local Austrian cuisine through a hands-on cooking experience.
(Culinary) Walk through Graz: Tracing the Gourmet Capital City Award
Everybody arriving in Graz should either go on a city walk with charming & delightful Sigrid Alber, who is a real “GrazGuide” licensed tour guide hence full of great storytelling, or do a culinary walk including wine & meal tastings at almost every corner of the old town. Actually, I recommend you do both. 😉 Cooking lesson on a Friday, city walk on Saturday and the culinary walk on Sunday, having the top gourmet event of the “Lange Tafel” thrown in for Saturday night … oh dear, what a life. This Monday morning after, I went for a run immediately. However, seeing my own weekend pictures I keep getting hungry again. What a vicious (yet beautiful) cycle !! That is how travelling ought to be: Eating, enjoying & meeting awesome people who share the same passion as you do. Wouldn’t you agree?
😀
Checking out the oldest farmers market in Graz: Every day except Sunday, local specialities from in & around Graz are offered here.
The so-called “Käferbohnen” beans are a local speciality that go well with every salad. I really like their tasty, nutty flavour!
This rather charming old lady does know a story or two, told of course in perfect Styrian accent! Delightful to listen to her.
Sigrid Alber (left) and her colleague who are both “GrazGuides” licensed tour guides: Here, you really are in good hands exploring UNESCO World Heritage & City of Design Graz.
From the rooftop terrace of the local shopping mall “Kastner & Öhler”, founded more than 100 years ago, we enjoy spectacular views over the famous Graz clock tower and the city’s protected rooftops.
Of course, good food is never amiss: “Frankowitsch” sell their tasty bread varieties up to 4.000 times a day .. !! They are really very good.
During a culinary walk through the Austrian gourmet capital city Graz, the first stop is of course for food. What else 😀
Graz is also a beautiful city just to relax and enjoy the summer sunshine …
… and eat, of course. Here we are visiting the Stainzerhof restaurant including the oldest wine cellar of the town and tasting their famous “Schilpagner” (Schilcher champagne made from local endemic grapes in Styria).
“Eating my way through Graz”: The stone of the city which refers to the very centre of town (“Stadtkern” in German being a play on words). I really like the creative gourmet vibes around here!
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Graz Tourismus in order to travel to the “Lange Tafel der Genusshauptstadt” gourmet event in Graz. All opinions are my own.