Today – at over 80 years of age – Filomena enjoys playing cards with her friends over the internet, skyping with her family and simply enjoying life at home in Collepieta, surrounded by the peaks of the Dolomites. Everyone in the village knows her – and her Krapfen. “Youngsters these days don’t make them anymore, including my own children. Instead they come to my place to eat them,” she laughs. The tradition of making Krapfen dates back many hundreds of years. Filomena learnt it from her mother, who learnt it from her mother, who learnt it from her mother. Recipes and secrets are passed down through the generations – though you won’t find any written instructions or lists of ingredients. Filomena, like her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother before her, knows instinctively how much is needed of each product. Over the years she has learned to trust her eyes and her hands – after all, she explains, kneading the dough properly is one of the secrets to making good Krapfen. The temperature also plays a key role: the kitchen should be warm, while the oil in the pan should be “devilishly hot”. And, last but not least, you need the right timing. After leaving the dough to rest for one or two hours, the Krapfen must be shaped quickly and placed straight into the pan. Even today the people of Collepietra are known jokingly as “Kloatznstingl”, a term which comes from the dialect word “Kloatzn” meaning dried pears. The reason? Traditional Krapfen are filled with a mixture made from dried pears – a delicacy often served on special occasions such as celebrations and religious holidays. In the past Filomena has made hundreds of Krapfen for the annual Steinegg Live festival of music and culture held in Collepietra. She likes being involved in village life and is pleased that Collepietra has managed to retain its strong sense of community. 

These days Krapfen can be found throughout the province of South Tyrol, filled with all manner of weird and wonderful things: spinach, poppy seeds and jam, to name but a few. But if you want to try the real deal then you have to come to Collepietra – and pay a visit to Filomena Resch.