The necessities of a self-sufficient life in the fruitful but at the same time harsh environment of the high mountains has led to a special way of baking bread – one concerned with finding a product with a long shelf-life.

The mountain farmers used mainly rye, and created different types of bread from it, such as the travelling bread, the “monastery bread” (Ur-Paarl nach Klosterart), the “Pair-Bread” (Paarl) and the well-preserved dry and crispy “Shüttelbrot”. Monastery bread was first created in the renowned Benedictine monastery of Marienberg. The various rye-bread types are extremely tasty, as they contain caraway and fennel seeds and sometimes also fenugreek. As a result, they maintain their distinctive taste and remain fresh for a long time. In Merano and its environs, you will also find excellent pastries, sweet bread and fruitcakes, especially around the Easter and Christmas holidays.

Tip:

The South Tyrolean rye bread types are best consumed with traditional cold cuts, or as breakfast bread served with homemade jam and butter from the local mountain pastures.

The crispy crunchy Shaken bread

The distinctive Shaken Bread from South Tyrol was originally made to obtain a table staple that would remain preservable for months without losing its taste. This type of rye bread, made with cumin or fennel seeds (and nowadays also with anise), is indeed crispy enough to crackle with every bite. The name Shaken Bread derives from its traditional manner of preparation: in order to shape the dough it must first be shaken on a baking tray or pan.
Shaken Bread is not only an ideal snack, but also a typical side order consumed with the rustic "Marende", as the locals call a traditional light meal consisting of bread (or Shaken Bread), cheese, smoked bacon and cold cuts.

Tip:
The Shaken bread is not only an ideal snack, but also a tipical sideorder to the rustic "Marende", as the locals call the traditional light meal consisting of bread or „Shaken bread“, cheese, cured ham and cold cuts.