Speckmarende

The Marend in Alto Adige is the equivalent to the English afternoon tea. It is a hearty snack and includes bread, wine, smoked bacon and sometimes also smoked sausages, cheese and other typical local products.

The Marend has an important social function. People of all walks of life invite each other for an afternoon snack and enjoy chatting or playing cards over a glass of wine and a few slices of Speck. The Marend is the snack of choice for the hard work on the fields, to bring on a pilgrimage or on the long hikes to the Alpine pastures, for mountain climbing, hunting, fishing or on long journeys. 

The most important part of the Marend and the host’s pride is always a delicious Speck, no matter whether it is smoked streaky speck or smoked ham. It must be aromatic, yet mild, carefully smoked and well matured, the meet must have a rich red colour and the fat must be firm, not rubber like. Good Speck is never too salty, nor too soft or too dry. It must not have a rancid taste or greyish colour.

People in Alto Adige are very fuzzy about their Speck and for many there is only one choice, the Ortlerspeck.