Food & Beer Culture

What do you eat with beer in Styria? First, Backhendl: chicken pieces breaded in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, crispy and light. A Märzen with mild malt complements the breading without overwhelming it, and the carbonation refreshes the palate.

The signature of the cuisine is Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil PGI, a dark green, nutty-smelling oil made from roasted pumpkin seeds. The seeds come from designated areas in Styria, Lower Austria, and Burgenland, with nearly all pressing done in Styria.

The most famous dish is Käferbohnensalat, dark scarlet runner beans with onions, vinegar, and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil. It pairs just as well with a Märzen as with a Pils, since the Pils's bitterness stands up to the acidity.

The Brettljause, a board of bacon, sausage, cheese, and bread, comes with Verhackert—a spread of finely chopped bacon, boldly seasoned, served on dark bread. A bitter Pils suits such fat and salt well, since it clears the palate again.

In Carinthia, Kasnudeln and sweet Reindling, a yeast cake with raisins, grace the table. Both taste best in a tavern that also pours its own beer. The dark Hirter Morchl pairs with nuts and chocolate better than a Helles would.

And if you want to understand the brands, visit the brewery itself. Hirt offers tours, Murau was declared a Beer City in 2010, and Gösser Stiftsbräu's very name recalls the women's abbey of Göss.