The first time I visited Trieste was by car in the 1980s. As I wanted to avoid having to drive within the city and because I was worried about parking there, I stopped on a village near Trieste. My idea was to leave the car there, and enter the city by local bus.

I parked close to a restaurant. As soon as I opened the car door, the odour of sauerkraut, a foodstuff that I adore, assailed my nose. Immediately, I entered the trattoria, and ordered a dish with sauerkraut – a food preparation I had not expected to find in Italy.

Well, I should not have been surprised. The part of Italy containing Trieste is not only close to sauerkraut eating areas such as Austria and the former Yugoslavia, but was also once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Today, 21 September 2026, I was back in Trieste. At lunch, I ordered a “Triestino”. It was a plate with cooked ham, potatoes fried with onions, raw horseradish, mustard, and … SAUERKRAUT! Needless to say, it was delicious.