Glass discovers the art of forest bathing and dining in South Tyrol

Glass dips into the art of forest bathing before enjoying a dinner by Egon Heiss

LAST week we were invited to a private dinner hosted by the region of South Tyrol. One of the area’s foremost chefs, Egon Heiss, who cut his teeth at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants and has himself earned a Michelin Star for his work at Bad Schörgau, provided the evening’s refined and thoroughly contemporary meal. We started with canapes – all reflective of the singular region in the north of Italy.

A view of beautiful South Tyrol

A creamy elderberry and pine morsel, frozen in front of me with liquid nitrogen, spoke of the area’s snowy mountains and dense pine forests. A quail egg, deep fried and delightfully soft in the centre, suggested the warmth of ski cabins, while a frothy, cold cappuccino of forest herbs alluded to the abundant greenery that surrounds locals and visitors to South Tyrol alike.

A view of South Tyrol

Shortly we were seated for dinner and another of the area’s specialities was presented to us. This time, in the form of an actual piece of forest pine. We were asked to close our eyes and feel, smell and, finally, taste the pine. The idea was to offer us a small dose of one of South Tyrol’s increasingly popular activities – forest bathing. As the area is so richly populated by pine forests, it’s the perfect place to partake in this particular form of meditation. A growing number of people are finding peace and calm in the activity.

Cheese from South Tyrol

Suitability pacified, we were served a three-course feast, courtesy of Heisse, who had brought ingredients fresh from the region to include. The lamb main course was particularly special with beautiful seasonal vegetables providing a fresh and colourful complement to the seared meat.

Meditation in South Tyrol

It’s easy to deduce, from such an evening, the veritable feast for all senses that awaits visitors to the South Tyrol region – an area rich with natural resource but somehow relatively untouched. Get there before the masses.

by Becky Zanker

Bad Schörgau, I-39058 Sarentino, South Tyrol, Italy,
Email: info@bad-schoergau.com
Tel: +39 0471 623048,