People who follow a vegan diet can now find something to eat almost everywhere in cities. It gets more difficult in huts in the mountains. Dishes such as alpine goulash, meat loaf with fried eggs, cheese spaetzle or Bavarian sausage salad dominate the menu. If vegans want to strengthen themselves after a strenuous hike in the mountain hut, they often have to make a choice: go hungry, be satisfied with fries or order the good old pretzel – if it was baked without butter.
But that is slowly changing. The demand for vegetarian and vegan alternatives is increasing. According to the nutrition report of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, nine percent of Germans ate substitute products every day in 2022. In 2020 it was only five percent. This is also noticeable in the mountain huts. “In addition to a trend towards vegetarian cuisine, our innkeepers are noticing an increased demand for vegan options,” reports the German Alpine Club (DAV).
There are more guests who would be happy about “veggie dishes” than people who miss ham, for example, observes Johannes Heel from the Staufner Haus. Most of the dishes at the Hütte am Hochgrat near Oberstaufen are vegetarian, and some are also vegan. For example the Bolognese, which is cooked vegan with broad beans. People with a focus on vegan nutrition will also find something in the range of cakes and half-board, says Heel. But cheese and meat would also be part of it. The Allgäu is characterized by dairy and livestock farming, which also affects the menu. “In addition to a vegan and vegetarian offer, regionality and organic quality also play an important role for us.”
When asked whether huts could even afford not to expand the vegan or vegetarian range, Heel replies: “I think it’s more pleasant for everyone to create an offer that makes many people happy.” Vegan, vegetarian and also gluten-free options would be part of it these days.
The Schachenhaus in the Wettersteingebirge now offers a vegan breakfast with spreads, maple syrup and oat milk as well as a vegan snack board. There is also oat milk and a vegan dinner at the Prinz-Luitpold-Haus in the Allgäu Alps. The vegan chickpea curry is not only popular with vegans, they say. At the Blaueishütte on the Hochkalter near Ramsau, guests can look forward to a vegan pea or lentil stew. If there is additional capacity in the kitchen, there are also other vegan dishes such as green spelled chili or chickpea curry.
The Herzogstand towers high above the Kochelsee. Upstairs at the Herzogstandhaus, vegans will also find something on the menu.
(Photo: Manfred Neubauer)
Other examples of huts that offer vegan dishes are the Kärlingerhaus am Funtensee and the Berggasthaus am Herzogstand. The Hündeleskopfhütte near Pfronten is the first purely vegetarian hut in the Bavarian Alps. There are also many vegan dishes on the menu such as a homemade pancake soup, a colorful salad bowl or an Alb lentil soup. At the “Laberei” on the Laber in the Ammergau Alps, guests can look forward to oat milk, plant-based chicken nuggets and vegan shepherd’s noodles on the regular menu. For private events, there are also other vegan dishes on request, but only on reservation.
Not all huts can always guarantee to have vegan dishes and products available. The logistics on the mountain are more difficult than in the valley. Groceries are brought up the mountain via steep and mostly gravel roads at best, by cable car or even by helicopter. The conditions in the kitchen as well as the cooling and storage options must also be considered. At the Tutzinger Hütte at the foot of the Benediktenwand, the team does offer oat milk for coffee and muesli, but the purchase of the necessary supplies in the wholesale market is not always guaranteed. So it is better to ask beforehand. By default, however, there is a red lentil soup – “a savior for everyone”. It is vegan, lactose- and gluten-free, but is also popular with meat eaters.
In general, guests should register certain diets, intolerances or allergies in advance. The German Alpine Association recommends this. Even the huts that do not have a vegan dish on offer as standard can plan for such requests and veganize other dishes. If you visit spontaneously, you should also just ask. Some dishes may be vegan or unconsciously cooked vegan anyway. At the same time, it shows the hut owners that there is genuine interest in a vegan offer. This will also increase the range in the future.