Alpine shrimps – a sustainable solution
(Erasmus+ Projekt „From Root to Table“)
On the 5th of July 2022, we went on a trip to the company “Alpengarnelen” (alpine shrimps) in a former military building in Hall in Tirol (Straubkaserne).
You would be surprised how simple it seems to find an environmentally friendly way to produce those tropical shrimps. At the same time a high quality is guaranteed. Consumers will be left satisfied and broke 😉. Fair enough, quality and sustainability have its price.
At our visit, co-boss Daniel Flock showed us how to recognize good quality and animal-friendly treatment immediately. While it is a habit in some countries to remove one eye of the shrimps, which causes the production of stress hormones and increases egg production by a third - from 150.000 to 200.000 eggs per individuum - this is not the case at the ‘Alpengarnelen’. Furthermore, the water tanks do not include chemicals or other harmful substances – only the very clear fresh water of the Alps plus 2% of marine salt is used. Because of that, the amount of water inside the shrimps’ bodies is very low. So, the shrimps do not shrink during the cooking process. Moreover, the head might turn darker, which is a sign for non-chemical production.
You might wonder why the colour of the shrimps is not reddish, as one might have imagined. That is because the colour does not change until the shrimps get in touch with a temperature of over 60°C because the protein coagulates at this temperature.
The farm in Hall in Tirol is actually the first indoor aquafarm in Austria with water tanks containing 600.000 litres of water, run by the solar energy power plantation on the roof.
Interested consumers can always buy the freshest shrimps, as they get fished every day.
Started as a hobby or even experiment, the shrimp farm is now an important supplier for restaurants, supermarkets and private customers.
If your curiosity has not been satisfied so far, check out their website at www.alpengarnelen.at.
The excursion to the shrimp farm was part of the Erasmus+ project ‘Sustainability – From Root to Table’ in co-operation with the school of Gastronomy and Tourism in Ljubljana.
Text: Johannes, Matteo G., Benni, Ludwig, Sonja, Flora, class 7A
Photos: Dr. Ilka Prowatke
