Name: Hotel Riederalm
Address: Rain 100, Leogang, 5771, AT
Telephone: +43-6583-7342
Price range: €€

Our duck garum embodies true regional character and a great deal of handcrafted work. It is made from roasted duck carcasses of the Gerstbodner free-range ducks raised by the Thomas Eder family (Trenkerbauer, Leogang), fermented with our homemade spelt-barley koji. Over the course of twelve months, this process creates an intensely aromatic seasoning sauce rich in umami. Thanks to a special aging process, the garum gains even more depth and tastes as if it had been aged for many years.

How our duck garum is made

Let’s start with the origin: The basis of our duck garum is roasted duck carcasses from the Gerstbodner free-range ducks raised by the Thomas Eder family, farmers from Leogang. Roasting brings out intense, warm aromatic notes that form the foundation for the subsequent fermentation.

For fermentation, we combine barley (Sinnesberger) and spelt (Zieferbauer). This mixture is then used to create koji with Aspergillus soyae. The roasted duck carcasses are mixed in a one-to-one ratio with this spelt-barley koji.

The mixture is supplemented with natural salt and pure Leogang spring water. This combination creates the ideal environment for controlled, slow fermentation.

Over the course of twelve months, this mixture ferments, developing complex umami notes, remarkable depth, and a delicate, rounded saltiness.

After this maturation period, the duck garum is cold-filtered and bottled in special jars.

Smiling bearded man wearing a blue T-shirt with 'Führungskraft' printed on it

Group of young white ducks standing closely together on green grass

Man holding a duck on a farm while smiling with another man outdoors

Man in white shirt holding two bottles of fermented Garum sauces against dark background

Chef adding liquid seasoning to a saucepan in a professional kitchen

Four glass bottles of organic Hendl Garum and Saiblings Garum sauces on dark background

Group of white ducks standing on green grass in a farm setting

Aging process

To further intensify the aroma and achieve a level of flavor maturity that would otherwise take several years, the duck garum was treated in an autoclave at the University of Wieselburg under controlled pressure and temperature. This process accelerates the aging process and, in terms of flavor, corresponds to about five years of aging.
The result: greater depth, more roundness, and exceptional harmony, without having to wait for long aging periods.
Special thanks go to Eduard Hauss of the University of Wieselburg, who implemented and oversaw this process together with us. The batches were subsequently subjected to microbiological analysis and testing at the Hygienikum Graz.