Due to the large geographical size, the climatic differences and the sparse infrastructure, Alpine cuisine has always been strongly influenced by the local cuisine of the respective countries. For example, sweet chestnuts, which are widely used in French and Italian Alpine cuisine, play only a minor role in the cuisine of the Bavarian and Austrian Alps, while, conversely, Sauerkraut, which is popular in Bavarian cuisine, is not widely used in southern Alpine regions such as Tyrol and South Tyrol.
