South Tyrol desserts: apple strudel and Italian classics

Par Gabriel Goldberg 27 October 2026 12 min read

A little lightness today. After speck, cheese and the big flavours of mountain cooking, I wanted to look at South Tyrol through its sweetest side. My desserts from the past two days make a small collection of pleasures: strudel, cut figs, tiramisù glasses, a shiny green dome, tartlets and cakes that look like little gifts. Some journeys are told with a map. This one begins with a spoon. Which desserts should you discover in South Tyrol? Apple strudel, buckwheat cake, Krapfen, Strauben, Marillenknödel and Kaiserschmarrn introduce local and shared Alpine traditions. Tiramisù, panna cotta, cannoli and gelato belong to Italy’s broader sweet repertoire. My ten photographs show this meeting alongside contemporary creations and international desserts: not every pastry served in South Tyrol originated there. A plate, two days and a good reason to slow down My South Tyrol dessert plate: strudel topped with cream, halved fresh figs and a small dark pastry. The first photograph already says a lot: strudel with a pale cream topping, figs cut in half and a small dark pastry beside them. I like the contrast between recognisable fruit and a transformed dessert. You can see apple in the cut, seeds in the figs and the movement of the sauce. This is not simply a sweet rectangle; it has texture and character. I will not pretend I climbed a mountain to earn that plate. You do not need an achievement to appreciate something good. Enjoying food can be a form of attention: looking at pastry,…