‘Food plays a key role. After all, it appeals to our reward system. And this is particularly apparent when you have just scaled a difficult summit,’ as he knows all too well from experience. The most creative ideas for new dishes come to him on the way back down, while hypoglycaemic and completely exhausted. Delayed gratification can be an amazing source of inspiration.
And this is how Sämmer playfully alternates between minimalist base camp facilities and professional kitchens in high-class eating establishments. That is his trademark. ‘For me, cooking is craftsmanship, intuition and inspiration,’ he explains. When asked about his ‘ideal’ kitchen, however, nobody is left in any doubt. There has to be a large hob, ideally gas-fired. In addition, there should be a strong extractor hood, preferably directly above the hobs, a large dishwasher, a good oven and a first-class vacuum sealer for preparing his beloved sous vide cuisine. ‘With fresh ingredients, sous vide is perfect for intensifying the taste and preserving the bite of vegetables,’ he says. The way in which he embraces the Alpine region, his love of sports in nature and his trips to places like Morocco, Norway or South America have changed his cuisine in recent years – Sämmer works even more consistently with ingredients that spring from the ground regionally and grow locally. Instead of the grand cooking adventure with exotic fruits and exclusive fish or meat variations, he prefers the culinary ‘micro adventure’ – a festival for the taste buds from the treasure trove of food available on his doorstep. ‘My cooking has become more “earthy”. There are Mediterranean influences, but Moorish cuisine has equally inspired me.’