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Discover the First Slow Food Market in Austria With Us

Discover the First Slow Food Market in Austria With Us

Join us in Austria’s beautiful Burgenland!

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Melina Jana Lattuf

Melina Jana Lattuf

Food Editor at Kitchen Stories

We hope you’ve been following our video series “To Market, We Go” in collaboration with kitchen experts next125. United by our passion for making every cooking experience a unique one, we’re visiting Europe’s very best markets to show you how to find, cook, and enjoy the very best produce back in your own kitchen.

Picture this: Vineyards as far as the eye can see, countless butterflies greeting each other in the blooming meadows, the warm summer sun behind you, birds chirping all around you… That's how our journey began this time around with our “To Market, We Go” series. After spending the last two episodes of our market mission in big cities like Berlin and London, we are now once again turning to the countryside (catch our first very episode in rural Provence).

Our partner next125 has been with us every step of the way, and we were excited to visit a beautiful weekly market in Austria’s Burgenland this time around. Join us as we explore the market, meet the regional producers, and discover with us the products that make this region so special!

Watch Episode IV of "To Market, We Go": Austria's first Slow Food-Market

To Market, We Go: Discover the First Slow Food Market in Austria With Us!

To Market, We Go: Discover the First Slow Food Market in Austria With Us!

  • 13:12 min.
  • 102.9k views

Where are we right now?

The region of Burgenland is located in the east of Austria. It stretches along the border to Hungary and also partially borders Slovakia to the north and Slovenia to the south. We are visiting the northern part of the region almost exclusively, the area near Lake Neusiedl. Often this region is called the "Sea of the Viennese" because of its proximity to the Austrian capital, Vienna.

Lake Neusiedl is surrounded by dense reeds and, as a nature preserve, provides a safe refuge for rare bird species. Thriving crop fields and seemingly endless vineyards also stretch around Lake Neusiedl, making it an ideal location for exploring what characterizes this region.


The natural conditions, especially the warm-dry climate, make the Burgenland region one of the most famous and best wine regions in Austria. However, the treasures of the area go far beyond good wine. Situated a bit north of Lake Neusiedl is Parndorf, a relatively small town where we visit the main destination of our trip, the Markt der Erde or Market of the Earth.

What can you expect to see in this episode?

In this episode, we will share exclusive impressions of the region–including our visit at the Markt der Erde itself and a number of the market’s producers. We’ll meet Monika Liehl, the founder of this first Slow Food market in Austria, and learn why she not only dedicates her job but also her life to the philosophy of Slow Food.

We’ll stop by the production facility of Rankel, a producer of regional walnut delicacies, and taste a selection of his specialties made from hand harvested walnuts from his trees along the Hungarian border.


We’ll also explore vast soy fields where organic farmer Ludwig and former environmental consultant and climate protection expert Ulla have been growing wonderful organic soy plants for the Austria tofu manufacturer Manufaba for years.

Slow Food—writ large!

The first glimpse of Markt der Erde showcases colorful, richly laden stalls that sit primly on the lawn in front of the former goat barn, now converted into the market hall. Once you step inside the old barn, you’ll discover an in-house canteen, regional fishermen selling their freshly caught products, and butchers and milk producers with a diverse range of regional products.


What allows the Markt der Erde to call itself a Slow Food market are the strict quality regulations all of their producers adhere to. These include the fact that the exhibiting producers do not produce on large farms for example. Another example? The delivery within a radius of about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the market location is also a criterion for all producers.


In addition to those regulations, the products must also be handcrafted and produced according to traditional methods of the region and must comply in all respects with the specifications "good, clean, and fair.” This means that, above all, they are of the highest quality and taste while being produced in an ecologically responsible manner. It must be guaranteed that all products can be offered to producers and end consumers at fair conditions and prices without intermediaries. All these criteria are met by every stand and every producer we met.

Meet Melanie: Our guide to the region

This time our companion at the market is the Austrian blogger, Melanie Zechmeister. Also known as Das Mundwerk, Melanie blogs about her life as a young mother, her personal philosophy regarding food handling and the environment, and last but not least, the region where she lives. The main topics that Melanie emphasizes and repeatedly addresses on her various platforms are sustainability, conscientious interaction with nature, and finding one's way back to a minimalist, down-to-earth lifestyle.


Here in Burgenland, Melanie shows us not only her home and farm, where she herself often hosts various food workshops and wine tastings, but also where we can find the freshest regional foods in the area. Melanie confirms what we found out in our research in advance: the "Market of the Earth" attracts visitors from near and far as it was the first Slow Food market in Austria. She herself has enjoyed traveling to the neighboring village with her entire family to secure the best seasonal foods in the region for years.

Arriving at the market, Melanie welcomes many of the producers personally and introduces us to her favorite products. We quickly notice that the Slow Food philosophy is truly lived here by each producer and is also shaped from individual to individual. People come here not only to shop, but also to talk about the latest news. There is a lot of laughter and above all: continuous tasting, tasting, tasting. It often seems that we are not getting to know someone new, but are already chatting with old acquaintances. Meanwhile, the high quality of the products and the craftsmanship behind each producer’s stand are always in focus.


Something we also learned in previous episodes of To Market, We Go again became apparent: It’s the people behind the products that truly make a market special. Here, at the Markt der Erde, you can just feel that everyone not only supports but lives the Slow Food movement, which centers around fairly traded, regional food. The respectful and conscientious treatment of nature is taken into account by the people that come here to shop or to sell, and it’s clear when browsing through the stands that nature really gives that appreciation back to the people.

Sunshine, in full

Together with our guide Melanie, we tasted a wide variety of products that we gathered at the market during a leisurely picnic in the midst of the rolling vineyards. We had the homemade goat cheese of the market founder Monika Liehl, fresh fruit and vegetables from the organic farm Pölzer, and crispy pastries from the whole grain, organic baker Waldherr.


As the sun slowly disappeared behind the vineyards, Melanie and Christian looked at their loaded shopping bag filled with all kinds of fresh food from the market. They are looking forward to using it to prepare an inspiring Burgenland-inspired recipe back in Berlin. The fresh potatoes, smoky tofu, and juicy pickled walnuts will be turned into a crispy cabbage strudel that combines the traditional with a modern twist.


You can look forward to the next episode in our "To Market, We Go" video series in which Melanie will join us in one of our next125 kitchens in our Berlin office to prepare a recipe inspired by our visit to the beautiful Austrian Burgenland and Markt der Erde. The recipe will reflect the region, but also our unique experiences at the market and in the vineyards—and hopefully transport a few of the feelings we’ve felt into your home!

Published on October 8, 2021

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