Merano/Meran’s gastronomic culture embodies its special characteristics and history, with Alpine and Mediterranean cuisine represented more or less equally in the menus of local restaurants. Based on local/regional ingredients used either in traditional recipes or innovatively, the main pillars of Merano's cuisine are the different kinds of flour used in various types of bakery products, and processed pork used in hams and the signature Tyrolean Speck bacon.
Various cheeses (mostly fresh, some matured), potatoes and an array of aromatic herbs (including chervil, thyme, and chives) serve to further exalt the sumptuous local fare.
Fresh trout from the Passer river is another local mainstay.
When it comes to desserts, there’s no mistaking the Austrian influence, such as classic apple strudel and the “Kaiserschmarrn”. Traditional Tyrolean cuisine in Merano has been significantly shaped by Mediterranean influences and on the menus of many Merano restaurants it’s hardly unusual to find Parma ham listed alongside Speck platters. When it comes to warm starters, Italian minestrone is just as popular as Tyrolean barley soup. Menus also feature a wide range of classic Italian platters including pastas and risottos, polenta as well as “ossobuco alla Milanese” not to mention the ubiquitous pizzas.