Inner Values Belong on the Plate
Raising livestock as meat suppliers aligns with a holistic nutrition concept – as long as food waste is avoided and the whole animal is used.
Every autumn, culinary enthusiasts share tips on where to find the best Metzgete. For those unfamiliar with the term: Metzgete is the Swiss version of a harvest festival, during which a pig was traditionally slaughtered on farms. These animals had spent the whole summer outdoors and would now be classified as meadow or alpine pigs. Especially in the Alps, where farmers summered their livestock, pigs were fed whey, which is the leftover liquid after cheese is made from milk. However, there wasn’t enough space for these animals on the farms during winter, so some were slaughtered.
Nose to Tail, But for Real
The slaughtering of pigs on farms was not for the faint-hearted, as it was crucial to fully utilize these valuable animals. Blood flowed, steaming in the cool autumn air. Everything that couldn’t be preserved with salt and smoke for winter was eaten during the slaughter feast. On the Schlachtplatte, as still served in some rural restaurants today, one finds not only sausages made from the pig’s blood and liver, but also ears, tails, and "schnörrli" (snouts). Cooking the whole animal, a practice now popularized as “Nose to Tail,” was taken for granted back then. Admittedly, it didn’t go as far as in China, where even the pig’s trachea is eaten after long cooking, and where parts of the animal are considered delicacies that might make us shudder.
Offal is Valuable
This isn’t to suggest we should be eating pig ears every day. But for those interested in holistic nutrition, it's essential to recognize that animals can make significant contributions to sustainable food production. Particularly in regenerative agriculture, chickens, cattle, and of course, pigs, play a crucial role in soil management, helping to build new humus and enabling valuable crops to be grown on previously overworked land. That’s why most regenerative farms also raise animals, which are eventually slaughtered. It’s only ethically correct that nothing from these animals is simply turned into feed or, worse, thrown away.
A Shift in Perception is Happening
Offal, however, is often considered inferior by many meat consumers, and this perception should change. Its composition is of the highest nutritional value for humans. The FoodLab by Soil to Soul, held for the first time in autumn 2024, aims to reconnect urban dwellers with the concept of Metzgete and reduce any reservations they might have. Those who love to cook and can find liver, kidneys, or tongue at the farmers' market should definitely search online for suitable recipes – all these parts were highly sought-after delicacies just a few decades ago and taste excellent.
Even gourmet cuisine is increasingly recognizing the value of offal, with efforts underway to incorporate more of it into tasting menus. Also part of the FoodLab in autumn 2024 was a workshop by Zurich chef Carlos Navarro on various preparations of tongue. And the menu at Alchemist in the global gastronomic hub of Copenhagen even features raw and lightly grilled beef tongue, prepared in the Tataki style. As revealed during the service, this is only possible with tongues from female animals, whose meat has a significantly higher fat content; normally, this muscle requires around two hours of cooking. While this may seem extreme, it proves that offal is becoming more important in gastronomy. And as long as meat remains part of our culture – a topic we should continually reflect on – this can only be a positive development.
Pictures: Mauro Pinterowitsch, at the FoodLab 2024
Offal-Tavolatas at the FoodLab
Do you want to enjoy creative creations made from offal? Then you can do just that at FoodLab 2024!
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Fish butchery
Dinner I - 17.10.24
The fish butcher's feast is all about the rare and exclusive innards of our fish.
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Alpine pork butchery I
Dinner II - 18.10.24
Take the opportunity to enjoy the first Alpine pork butchers' feast that is being organised in Zurich.
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Alpine pork butchery II
Dinner III - 19.10.24
On the second evening, you will also get to enjoy a special Alpenschwein butchery feast.