An old customs building with a new lease of life; the altes Zollhaus

Quite the opposite; if you have tried the Emmer and Einkorn rice made by the Krizmanich family, you will certainly understand why these grains are currently making a comeback. I have to admit, I don’t have much experience with them myself, but since my visit to the old customs building, I can’t live without them. A few years ago, Ivan and Karin decided to reintroduce these old grain types to their fields, much to the delight of many of their guests. Emmer and Einkorn are somewhat more laborious to process than other well-known sorts of grains, as it must first be removed from its protective husk. Emmer flour is somewhat stickier than conventional wheat flour, darker in colour, but has an unmistakeable spicy aroma. Einkorn has a slightly nutty flavour and contains a particularly high proportion of amino acids. So it’s a grain with hidden powers.

Early in the morning, when I arrive at the altes Zollhaus, Karin is already hard at work in the kitchen. The dough for Karin’s amazing Emmer-Weckerl is currently rising, so meanwhile she is cleaning the freshly-picked dandelion roots for her famous dandelion coffee. Karin ground the flour for her Emmer-Weckerl herself in her wooden mill, and processed it straight away. I arrive just in time to slice the ham, which will then be mixed into the dough as well. The ham is also made here on the farm by the Krizmanich family themselves. To do this, Ivan built a smoking room a few years ago, and since then, customers from all over have been making the pilgrimage to the altes Zollhaus to get their hands on the Turopolje and Duroc hams. However, the ham is also perfect in the Emmer-Weckerln and give them a finishing touch. Together, we form little loaves and pop them in the oven. Minutes later, we are already enjoying the fresh, warm Emmer-Weckerl with a glass of quince juice.