Alta Badia, A Taste For Skiing When Taste Is A Matter Of Legami
Legàmi in Italian means connections, ties, bonds and harmony between and among people, places, memories, and values but also the drive and desire to share emotions in the absolute freedom that the landscape of the Dolomites offers. This is the basis for the thirteenth edition of A taste for skiing, the gastronomy event that has been making the winter season in Alta Badia a gourmet highlight. With great chefs that will create their dishes based on these concepts and an idea of hospitality that is always new and inspiring, A taste for skiing aims to be an opportunity to meet in the name of taste, beauty and being together.
The concept of this initiative remains the same: each of the eight Michelin-starred chefs will be assigned to a mountain hut on the slopes of Alta Badia, creating a recipe that will be offered to skiers throughout the winter season. The participating chefs are united by their sensitivity for the charity project of 'La miglior vita possibile' and 'Momo' and share a strong love for Alta Badia.
Doing the honours is multi-starred chef Norbert Niederkofler of the St.Hubertus restaurant at Hotel Rosa Alpina (3 Michelin stars, 1 green star), who wants to bring his 'Cook the mountain' philosophy to the next edition of A taste for skiing. Promoter together with Norbert Niederkofler of the charity project, linked to A taste for skiing, is another of Italy's only 11 three-Michelin-starred chefs, Massimiliano Alajmo (Restaurant Le Calandre, Rubano-Padova), who in 2002, at only 28 years, was the youngest chef in the world to be awarded with three Michelin stars. Also part of the initiative is Ciccio Sultano (Duomo Restaurant, Ragusa, 2 Michelin stars) and his cuisine always on the move between land and sea, between memories of home and travel, between high culture and street culture, between past and present. For the first time, A taste for skiing will also host Antonia Klugmann (Restaurant L'Argine in Vencó, Dolegna del Collio-Gorizia, 1 Michelin star) from Trieste, who uses mainly local products in her kitchen, but without renouncing outside influences and a strong sense of respect for sustainability in the kitchen, and Alessandro Dal Degan (Restaurant La Tana Gourmet, Asiago-Vicenza, 1 Michelin star), a cook-herbalist, who knows every sprout, herb or root that grows on the Asiago plateau. Fabrizia Meroi, (Restaurant Laite, Sappada, 1 Michelin star), who finds inspiration for imagining, creating and perfecting her dishes from everyday life, is once again an integral part of the group, as is Simone Cantafio (Restaurant La Stüa de Michil at Hotel La Perla, Corvara), who in his kitchen proposes tradition and innovation, with the aim of introducing Italian products to the world, telling the story of the flavours of the territory. Closing the roundup of chefs is the food director and long-time top chef in Italy for most gastronomic critics, Fulvio Pierangelini.
Participating chefs were asked to create their recipes while reducing waste and paying special attention to the protection of our planet, thus contributing to the sustainable initiatives of Alta Badia, Italy's 4th tourist destination to have obtained the GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) certification.
The dishes can be tasted at the mountain huts: Ütia Lé, Ütia L’Tamá, Club Moritzino, Ütia Las Vegas, Ütia I Tablá, Ütia de Bioch, Ütia Pralongiá and Ütia Jimmy during the whole winter season.
A CHARITY PROJECT TO SUPPORT “LA MIGLIOR VITA POSSIBILE” AND “MOMO” FOR CHILDREN IN NEED OF CARE
A strong and concrete signal of solidarity. This is the objective of the 2022/2023 edition of A taste for skiing, an initiative that this year is aimed at less fortunate children, assisted by the Padua and Veneto Paediatric Hospice and children in South Tyrol suffering from incurable or disabling illnesses. There are two associations to which this edition of the successful event in Alta Badia is linked: the 'La miglior vita possibile' Association and the 'Momo' Association, both actively engaged in the support of paediatric palliative care. So for the whole of the coming winter season, for every A taste for skiing dish served in the huts taking part in the initiative, € 3.00 will be donated to charity in support of the creation of the new Regional Reference Centre for Paediatric Palliative Care and Pain Therapy of the Veneto Region as far as 'La miglior vita possibile' is concerned, and in support of the 'Momo' Association, which wants to create a space where affected families can be welcomed, protect their interests, and set up a network of contacts and support, where sick children and their families can take a breath, feel cared for, helped and welcomed into society. An important action to concretely support the lives of numerous girls and boys.
UNMISSABLE CULINARY EVENTS
GOURMET SKISAFARI: THE NINTH EDITION IS PLANNED FOR SATURDAY 10TH DECEMBER
The ninth edition of the much-anticipated Gourmet Skisafari will take place on Saturday December 10. The event will take Michelin-starred cuisine to 2,000 m above sea level, into the heart of the Dolomites. Skiers will be able to travel on skis in an itinerant journey from one hut to the next, where they will have the opportunity to taste the gourmet creations of the participating chefs. These chefs will be treating skiers to their delicious dishes, using top-quality products to praise Italian cuisine. In fact, the chefs will be using the best Italian products as inspiration for their dishes. For the creation of the dishes, the chefs were moreover inspired not only by the products but also by their own philosophy in the kitchen, adapted for the occasion to a mountain environment. Real works of art will be on offer, not only for the taste buds but also for the eyes. There will also be the opportunity
to get to know the chefs in person and to learn the story behind their dish. All for a first ski day of the season in the name of taste... and relations.
SUNRISA: SKIING AT DAWN ON FRESH SNOW, BEFORE ENJOYING A HEARTY BREAKFAST AT 2,000M
Skiing on fresh snow, before anyone else, is a truly unique experience. The experience becomes even more magical if you do it in the heart of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Alta Badia's slopes, where the best athletes will be going head-to-head at the Alpine Ski World Cup during the same period, all topped off with an excellent breakfast at 2,000 m a.s.l.
On Monday 19th December, the ski slopes on the plateau of Alta Badia will be opening at dawn, giving ski enthusiasts the chance to see the sun rise at 2,000 m a.s.l. and ski down the slopes that have been perfectly prepared the night before by the many snowcats that work in the area. What’s more, there is the chance to enjoy a hearty breakfast, based on genuine and healthy products, at the Club Moritzino, Ütia I Tablá, Ütia de Bioch, Ütia Piz Arlara and Ütia Las Vegas mountain huts. Each hut will be paired with a specific breakfast item, such as milk, cereal, eggs or fruits. The various dishes on offer have been created with the support of the nutritionist Elena Casiraghi and they contain the essential ingredients for a perfect breakfast, guaranteeing the right number of calories and nutrition for each leg of the breakfast route from one mountain hut to another.
SOMMELIER ON THE SLOPES
The chance to taste some of South Tyrol's finest wines in two different mountain huts whilst admiring the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: only in Alta Badia.
Following the success of the last editions, Sommelier on the slopes will be returning to Alta Badia for the 2022/23 winter season. The aim of this initiative is to enhance the winning combination of skiing and excellent local products. There are six dates planned, scheduled between December and April (13th December, 17th January, 7th and 14th February, 7th March and 4th April), each involving wonderful skiing on Alta Badia's slopes, combined with the chance to taste South Tyrol's finest wines.
Participants will be accompanied by a ski instructor as well as a professional sommelier. The price of the wine tasting session, including the ski guide, is €40.00 per person. These are the mountain huts where the events will take place: Ütia de Bioch, Club Moritzino, Ütia I Tablá, Ütia Las Vegas Lodge, Ütia Lé, Ütia Tamá and Ütia Pic Pré.
In addition to these events, there are two special editions scheduled for January 24 (Club Moritzino and Ütia de Bioch) and March 21 (I Tablá and Ütia de Bioch). During these events, four South Tyrolean wines will be tasted in combination with four dishes.
Each event is organised together with the South Tyrol Wine Consortium and South Tyrol’s Sommelier Association.
WINE SKISAFARI: A WINE TASTING 2,000 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL
On Sunday 26th March 2023, Alta Badia will be bringing South Tyrol’s finest wines to the mountains for an exclusive tasting session, set to take place from 10am until 4pm in the Piz Arlara, Ütia de Bioch, I Tablá and Pralongiá mountain huts. The aim of the initiative is to round off the winter season in style, dedicated to excellent food and wine. The tickets that include the tasting of all the wines can be purchased at the participant mountain huts. The event is organised by Alta Badia Brand, together with IDM (Innovation Development Marketing), and with the support of the South Tyrol Wine
Consortium.
OTHER FOOD AND WINE EVENTS
Roda dles Saus is the name of the event dedicated to the traditional Ladin food on the slopes of the La Crusc ski resort in Alta Badia and it’s held during the week from March 12-19. What's more, throughout the entire winter season, there’ll also be the chance to take part in the “Breakfast with powder snow” initiative, held at the Las Vegas Lodge. An excellent opportunity to be the first on the slopes in the morning, as well as enjoying a hearty breakfast with all of South Tyrol's best products.
