Keeping Delicious Traditions Alive, Without The Cliche

As busy as we are making our own, homemade versions of authentic Central European food products and wine, we all need to get away – which is why for the past two decades, we’ve headed to the Trapp Family Lodge, near Stowe, Vermont.

Besides its stunning, mountainous surroundings, there’s another reason why the Trapp Family Lodge has become our home away from home – it allows us to scratch our Austrian “itch” easily.

A true Austrian destination, here in the States

This 1,500 acre mountainside resort was established by the Von Trapp family when they emigrated from Austria in 1938, fleeing the Nazis when they annexed Austria. The huge family built the original lodge themselves, and as the kids grew up and moved out, it was expanded even more and open bedrooms were made available to guests.

With a spot-on tagline of “a little bit of Austria, and a lot of Vermont,” the Trapp Family Lodge also has three Austrian dining options – a main dining room with a formal Austrian menu; the Kaffeehaus with desserts, coffee, wine and beer in a countrified Viennese café setting; and Bierhall, which offers the family’s on-promise beers and casual Austrian dishes.

Read more: Liptauer’s Mysterious History

As a modern yet true Austrian-themed destination, however, we were shocked to realize on our recent trip there that neither the Kaffeehaus or Bierhall had Liptauer on their menus – a spreadable cheese very popular in households, restaurants and wine bars throughout Central Europe, where most families have their own recipe. Here at Mount Salem Kitchen, it’s our flagship product and has a dedicated following.

Authenticity, never banality

At first, we were downright shocked, scanning our menus to see if we had missed it since it was on the menu in the past. But, knowing the Trapp Family Lodge as such a true Austrian-themed destination, we got to thinking.

Maybe, as popular as Liptauer is in Austrian culture, we must be careful not to make it a cliché, and instead, work to keep it special – which, quite possibly, is what the Von Trapps are doing – by keeping just a few tricks up their sleeves.

Read more: How Liptauer Became the Foundation of Mount Salem Kitchen

Here in the United States, American businesses which reflect other cultures – no matter how authentic – work to create a balance of genuineness while staying away from banality. For example, as Mozart played in Von Trapps’s Kaffeehaus, American blues and country played in the Bierhall.

For all of us, it’s a balancing act of creation without losing meaning, which is what we do here at Mount Salem Kitchen, too. Let’s all do our best to keep these delicious traditions alive – in a way that does justice to their storied histories.

Purchase our Liptauer by visiting us at 54 Mount Salem Road, Pittstown or shop online here.