Hello friends,

Something funny happened during one of my Zoom sessions this week.

As I was happily talking along, someone raised their hand and said, “Marion… what exactly is Styria?” A perfectly fair question — and a great opportunity for today’s update.

Let’s clear up the mystery.

Austria — or Österreich in German — is made up of nine states. One of those states is called Steiermark in German and Styria in English.

So, whenever I talk about Styrian cuisine, Styrian traditions, or Styrian lifestyle, I’m talking about the region where I grew up — the place that shaped my humor, my cooking, my love for chestnuts, and probably my accent.

To make it easier to visualize: 

• Styria is roughly the size of Hawaii  (the red outlined state)

• Austria as a whole is about the size of South Carolina  (the chicken drum stick - as I call it) 

Small, but mighty.

💚 Styria — The Green Heart of Austria

Styria proudly calls itself “The Green Heart of Austria.” And it earns that name — forests, vineyards, rolling hills, and more shades of green than a paint store could ever stock.

Its coat of arms is just as unique: A green shield featuring a silver, fire‑breathing heraldic panther with red horns and claws, topped with a traditional ducal hat. It looks like a panther who went to drama school — and graduated with honors.

Once you know this symbol, you’ll start spotting it everywhere. Shops. Buildings. Souvenirs. Even manhole covers.

I could send you on a scavenger hunt, and you’d be amazed where that panther pops up.

Marion - your tour guide with 💞💚