After fifteen years of journeying among indigenous people and shamans, Norbert Niederkofler quickly settled at “Rosa Alpina”. Within just under three decades there, he climbed the ladder of excellence, touching the zenith of gastronomy. He is credited with introducing the "Cook the Mountain" philosophy and a new, committed direction that he will continue in new locations while waiting for the reopening of the famous "St. Hubertus."
Norbert Niederkofler was born in 1961 in Lutago, in the Aurina Valley. He grew up with his four sisters in their parents' hotel, where he began to develop a casual interest in gastronomy. This prompted him to enroll and graduate from hotel school. But as soon as he reached adulthood, he left South Tyrol for the United States. There, he worked in the kitchen for six months to fund his travels for the rest of the year. In Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, he spent time among Native American communities, searching for self-awareness.
For fifteen years, Niederkofler stayed abroad, working in Germany, the US, Switzerland, and Austria. When he returned to South Tyrol in the early 1990s, by 1994 he was quickly employed at the "Rosa Alpina" Hotel in San Cassiano, where he became head of the restaurants. In 1996, "St. Hubertus" arrived, a small venue with only eleven tables, named after the patron saint of hunters. And here, over nearly thirty years and at an altitude of 1400 meters, his ascent in high-end cuisine began. He earned his first MICHELIN Star in 2001, the second in 2006, and in 2011, Gault & Millau assigned a score of 19/20. But the crowning achievement came in 2017 with the third MICHELIN Star.
Niederkofler let the places he visited permeate him and develop a unique style, resonating with the alpine skyline. "The mountain, besides being a paradise, is a philosophy of life. It teaches respect for nature: it shows that man must step back. We must adapt to nature, not the other way around: I learned this from my shaman friends, with whom I lived for a long time. That's why my recipes strictly follow the rhythms of the seasons." This naturalism, applied to an unparalleled habitat, becomes the hallmark of his creations, deeply rooted in time and place, bound by the alpine supply chain.
From this, a repertoire of significant dishes emerged, even more poignant since, in 2013, he decided to formalize and follow the "Cook the Mountain" philosophy—a significant project promoting mountain gastronomy. Niederkofler abstains from all ingredients foreign to the alpine habitat, such as sea fish, caviar, and foie gras. He also avoids trendy foods like extra virgin olive oil and citrus, which are geographically and culturally distant. Instead, he embraces grape seed oil and vinegars. He also founded Care's, the first congress questioning the ethical horizons of the industry. "We needed a platform for chefs and others in this world to discuss food sustainability, environmental respect, and ethics—ever so crucial in our work."
Sourcing locally also means supporting local communities. Niederkofler champions preserving the cultural heritage from which he originated as a vision for the future. Another pillar of his cuisine is zero waste, using ingredients in their entirety and making preserves in the summer to meet needs during the colder months. Meanwhile, he mentors young talents who have already shown their prowess, like his deputy Michele Lazzarini, pastry chef Andrea Tortora, and chefs Eugenio Boer and Matteo Metullio.
At the height of success, the unexpected news arrived in March 2022: "Rosa Alpina" and thus "St. Hubertus" would close for renovations, with plans to reopen for the 2024-25 winter season, resuming operations with new offerings. But the celebrated chef didn't sit idle. He continued his work at the "AlpINN Food Space and Restaurant" in Plan De Corones and taught at the three-year Mountain Gastronomy Sciences course at the Free University of Bolzano. He also partnered with the Horto restaurant in Milan and initiated various CARE's projects regionally, nationally, and globally. Moreover, there's a new restaurant in Brunico at the Atelier Moessmer, housed in the former residence of textile manufacturers within a historic park. It stands as a genuine embodiment of the "Cook the Mountain" philosophy. And so, the climb begins anew.
