From May 1 to 8, 2016, a group of students in the second year of the three-year undergraduate program in Gastronomic Sciences will for the first time be visiting the Alpine foothills of Germany’s Upper Bavaria district for an educational study trip.
The experience will begin on Monday May 2 with a visit to the Salesian monastery of Benediktbeuern, followed by a meeting with BioTop Oberland, an example of community-supported agriculture founded in 2015, and a visit to Châteaux Wagyu, to find out why the farm is rearing a non-native cattle breed (Japanese Wagyu) in an area of strong traditions. Finally the group will stop at the brewpub Gasthaus Bad Tölz, that will host a visit to the production area.
The following day, Tuesday May 3, will begin at Tölzer Kasladen, a cheese shop which opened in 1972 and sells high-quality cheeses, many of which are aged in its own cellars. The students will then continue on to the AlpenBioMarkt, a shop specializing in high-quality products from the Bavarian Alps, and then to Beindlhof Bauernhofeis, where they will meet with the young owner of the artisanal ice cream company that uses its own milk and cream and sells its products for a suggested donation, creating a relationship of trust with its customers.
On Wednesday May 4, the program will include a visit to Salus, a producer of teas, herbal teas and herbs; the Hofbäckerei Steingraber, a bakery founded in 1876 which uses Demeter-certified biodynamic flours; and finally Dinzler, a coffee roaster pioneering a new motorway service station concept.
On Thursday May 5 the day will start with a visit to Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten, a farm that includes a butcher’s shop, a dairy, a bakery and a brewery along with other agricultural activities. This will be followed by trips to Slyrs, a Bavarian single malt whisky distillery, and to Boarhof, a farm with a shop and café that is aiming for productive self-sufficiency.
The Naturkäserei Tegernsee, a dairy cooperative in the Tegernsee Valley founded to stop local milk having to be exported, is the first destination on Friday May 6. The group will then move on to the Lantenhammer Destillerie, a distillery of fruit and walnut liqueurs. The last visit of the day will be to the fish farm Herzogliche Fischzucht Wildbad Kreuth, where the fish are smoked and prepared using traditional methods.
The last day in Upper Bavaria, Saturday May 7, will start with a meeting with EM Chiemgau, a company that produces agricultural products based on effective microorganisms and promotes environmental education activities. The group is then expected at Wochinger Bräu, a brewery where the students will get to know all about the traditional Biergarten. The day will conclude with a visit to Mondino Amaro/Brennerei Schnitzer, a producer of organic bitters made with Alpine herbs and spices.
The study trip has been made possible thanks to the support of BioTop Oberland, Gasthaus Bad Tölz, Tölzer Kasladen, AlpenBioMarkt, Salus, Dinzler, Slyrs, Naturkäserei Tegernsee, Lantenhammer Destillerie ed EM Chiemgau, and the collaboration of UNISG alumnus Franziska Kunze.