Raich Speck

In the industrial area of Partschins/Parcines, you will see a small, green house: This is where the Raich family produce their speck, along with other meat and sausage products. It all began in 1989 in Schenna/Scena, above Meran/Merano, where the family decided to open a small shop.

Small in size and with a marked family atmosphere, the company centre their attentions on quality rather than quantity. For now, the export market is not a prospect which concerns Raich Speck overly much, and their main focus remains very much at a local level. In addition to two butcher’s shops in Schenna and Algund/Lagundo, which have brought the family a large, steady customer base, Raich Speck also attend numerous local markets, one being the Friday market in Meran.

In every other way, the company stays true to the family tradition. “Wherever possible, we try to avoid using machinery. We do practically everything by hand here: From seasoning, right through to the finished speck.” Machines are only required for packaging. The family source their meat primarily from select slaughterhouses in Austria and Bavaria. Occasionally, they opt for local animals.

Since 2015, the company has been one of the 29 producers of speck in South Tyrol to produce Speck Alto Adige PGI. This speck receives the PGI seal guaranteeing its protected geographical region of origin only after it has undergone stringent independent controls regarding the meat, the blend of seasoning and the curing process. The precise formula for their mixture of herbs and spices is a secret family recipe. During the smoking phase, Raich Speck also set great store by their own family traditions, which give the finished product its characteristic taste. The curing period is also of vital importance: “Each piece of speck needs its own curing time which, naturally, we take into account,” says Nadine Raich, “But in any case, we cure our speck for a minimum of six months.”