Meet the Zillertal Locals

The Zillertal is renowned for its cuisine and especially its haymilk products, thanks to the Zillertal Tuxer cattle. We speak to two local haymilk workers to find out about life in this beautiful region.

Johann Dengg Haymilk Farmer

Being a haymilk farmer is hard  work and the alarm goes off at 5am as the cows are already waiting to be milked. We are often exposed to harsh weather conditions as the cattle graze in the high mountain pastures. During the winter, there is snow and cold  weather which can make my job harder but during the summer, it is lovely and warm up in the mountain meadows. The meadows here in the Zillertal Valley have many herbs, like veronica, heath milkwort, lady's mantle and yarrow, and they play an important role in creating high-quality milk  (haymilk) which yields tasty butter and cheese. As soon as the cattle are milked, the fresh milk is then immediately processed into butter and cheese. My role is important as milk is a precious commodity and people appreciate locally-sourced quality produce.

Julia Schneeberger Pioneer, Haymilk Hotels

In all haymilk partner hotels, we pride ourselves on using only local produce and ingredients. Many of the farmers here in the Zillertal are returning to their roots - haymilk sounds new and innovative but years ago it was normal practice: farmers were feeding their cattle with grass and hay and from the milk they produced cheese and yoghurt. The products made from haymilk are of the highest quality, are extremely healthy and above all, taste delicious. The produce here is honest and real and that is why we use it. The same is true of the beef from the Tux- Zillertaler cattle, a very special kind of breed - the red coloured Zillertaler and the black Tuxer were both on the verge of extinction and were brought together in the course of the Gene Protection Programme and now described as Tux-Zillertaler. Why would we use any other meat when we have the highest quality just outside our door?