"Flirscher Kaskiachl"

Recipe series

Tyrol has around 18,500 female farmers. They are represented by 279 elected localfarmers, who actively shape local life in rural villages, towns and local farming communities by offering educational and cultural programmes and festivals. One of them is Bianca Zangerl. The young woman has been a member of the Flirscher Bäuerinnen association of female farmers since 2008, and in October 2020 she was elected as the community’s local farmer representative.

Two ladies in traditional Tyrolean costume sit at the dining table with the ingredients for the Flirscher Kaskiachla on the ‘corner bench’ in front of them

Did her cookery skills play a role in this? 

 
Bianca laughs: “Traditionally, we make our Kaskiachla (= fried cheese in batter) at the Flirsch Advent market, and it goes really well with our countrywomen’s punch.” The local countrywomen also provide coffee and cake at the municipality’s senior citizens’ party held in December or the spring. “Twice a year, we also organise classes on herbs, cooking and arts and crafts through the Rural Further Education Institute (Ländliches Fortbildungsinstitut – LFI)”, adds Bianca, who can be seen wearing the traditional Stanzertal dress when she attends church events, pilgrimages or excursions.

A recipe handed down through the generations

 

“I can't say exactly where the recipe originates”, Bianca explains, “but it is definitely very old and has been handed down from onelocal countrywoman to another.” The batter is still prepared exactly according to the original recipe to this day. The countrywomen’s tricks and tips are usually a well-kept secret but Bianca has made an exception for us. If you would like to try the original before you get down to business, we recommend a visit to the Flirsch Advent market. “It's always lovely to see people flocking to our stand after the Advent market”, says Bianca happily, revealing that even the Krampuses [devilish half-goat, half-demon monster companions of St. Nicholas that punish naughty children in around Christmas] from Vorarlberg come to Flirsch and say: “That’s where you get the good Kaskiachla in batter.”

The ingredients of the dough are mixed together in an old traditional kitchen
Preparation of the Kaskiachln in a steel pan on a traditional tiled stove

Recipe

  
Ingredients for 80 portions
1 kg flour
1/2 l milk
1 bottle of beer
10 eggs
1 pinch of salt
1 loaf of cheese (approx. 80 slices)
Oil for frying
  
Method

Mix all the ingredients together by hand. The cheese slices are then dipped in the batter and deep-fried in the hot oil. The “Kaskiacheln” taste best served hot from the pan.

  

 

"The cheese should not be high in fat or it will run when it is being fried. The best options are those with a of 35 per cent fat content. The slices also need to be neither too thick nor too  thin – I recommend around four millimetres.”
- Bianca Zangerl, Flirsch local farmer representative

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