Gailtaler Speckfest 2025: A festival of tradition and culinary delights!

Gailtaler Speckfest 2025: A festival of tradition and culinary delights!

Hermagor, Österreich - On June 8, 2025, the 31st Gailtaler Speckfest took place in Hermagor, which is a large number of visitors and is considered a culinary and social highlight of the region. [Click Carinthia] (https://www.klick-kaernten.at/1321642025/kulinarisches-aushaenschild-der- Region/) reports that State Councilor Sara Schaar wanted to thank the farmers for their tireless efforts during the event. She emphasized how important her work is for the unmistakability and quality of the Gailtaler bacon and that you make a valuable contribution to environmental and climate protection and to strengthen the circular economy.

State Councilor Sebastian Schuschnig also emphasized the importance of the bacon festival and found that it represented tradition, food trade and authentic Carinthian cuisine. Behind the event is the Gailtaler Speck - Natural Arena Carinthia, whose chairman Johannes Smole praised the many volunteers and bacon farmers who contributed to the success of the festival.

The tradition of the Gailtaler bacon

The Gailtaler Speck g. G. A. is a popular pleasure product that has been produced in the region for centuries. As reported [Gailtaler Speck] (https://gailtalerspeck.at/gailtaler-speck-g-g-a-e-e-e-e-e-e-e--e-a--a--a--a--a-dradition-zum-geniessen, its characteristic features are the red meat color and the snow-white fat as well as the taste of juniper, garlic and pepper. In the late Middle Ages, Gailtaler Speck was an essential part of the diet because it delivered meat and fat all year round and served to make meat durable.

Today, the Gailtaler Speck is considered a traditional court in the Gailtal region. The production takes place according to traditional processes: the meat is not pressed or injected, but rubbed by hand with salt, pepper, garlic and juniper, whereby the maturation gives the bacon a special, spicy note. There are five varieties of the Gailtaler bacon:

• Gailtaler side bacon
• Gailtaler ham bacon
• Gailtaler Karreespeck
• gailtaler shoulders bacon
• gailtaler abdominal bacon

gailtaler bacon is used in many ways, be it for snacks or in various recipes. It is available via direct sale, the farmers' market in Hermagor and on the Internet. In addition, a bacon market takes place every year on October 8th in Hermagor, where visitors have the opportunity to try and buy the bacon.

protection and origin

The Gailtaler Speck is one of five Austrian products with a protected geographical indication (G.G.A.), which means that the production is only carried out in the region according to specified traditional processes. According to bmluk, the Ordinance (EU) 2024/1143 includes the protection of origins and geographical information for agricultural products. This regulation replaces the former regulation (EU) No. 1151/2012 and contains 17 currently protected Austrian names.

The entry and control of these protected geographical names is the responsibility of the Austrian Patent Office and the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Nursing and Consumer Protection. Protected names guarantee that products come from a certain area and produce according to specified manufacturing processes.

The Gailtaler Speckfest is not only a festival for gourmets, but also an important event that celebrates the tradition and culture of the region and celebrates the close connection between quality, origin and hospitality.