sell g'machts Allgäu Organic Herb Pesto. Spicy and intense herb pesto made from arugula, basil, and garlic – the all-rounder from Weiler in the Allgäu, cold-stirred, vegan.

sell g'machts Allgäu Organic Herb Pesto is a green herb pesto made from 23 percent arugula, 13 percent basil, sunflower seeds, olive oil, and white wine vinegar, seasoned with lemon balm, rock salt, garlic, and spices. Katja Will and her team stir it by hand and cold in Weiler in the Allgäu; 110 g per jar. No cheese, no nuts, no heat treatment – a vegan pesto that the manufacturer itself calls the all-rounder.

Allgäu Organic Herb Pesto by sell g'machts is the variety for everyone who wants a pesto that goes with everything. Pesto comes from the Italian "pestare," meaning to crush, and refers to an uncooked herb sauce. In Weiler in the Allgäu, this concept gets its own unique blend. Arugula leads with its peppery sharpness, basil provides the familiar aroma, and lemon balm adds a little freshness. Garlic delivers the spice that a herb pesto needs if it is to accompany pasta, grilled vegetables, and bread equally well. The manufacturer calls it the all-rounder among their pestos, and that hits the role it plays in the kitchen quite accurately.

Peppery arugula, basil, a hint of garlic

Upon opening, the pesto smells of fresh arugula and garlic—green and spicy. On the palate, the arugula is at the forefront with its slightly peppery, nutty sharpness that distinguishes this variety from the other pestos from Weiler. The basil rounds it off and makes the taste more familiar, while the lemon balm brightens it up. The garlic is clearly present but remains behind the herbs. Rock salt, pepper, and spices provide the accents.

The sunflower seeds provide a soft, creamy base, the olive oil makes the pesto spreadable, and the white wine vinegar keeps it fresh. The manufacturer describes it as spicy and intense, and that is exactly how it tastes. Stronger than the Basil-Lemon Balm Organic Pesto, but milder than the Organic Wild Garlic Pesto with its dominant garlic note. Those expecting a pesto completely without garlic should choose the basil variety. This one is the middle-ground of the assortment and therefore the jar that makes getting started the easiest.

With pasta, for grilling, on an Allgäuer Seele

Pasta first. Cook spaghetti, penne, or tagliatelle, drain, fold in two tablespoons of pesto per serving, and add a splash of pasta water so that the oil and herbs bind together. The pesto is only added once the pot is off the stove so that the arugula and basil stay green. The same works with gnocchi, rice, boiled potatoes, and steamed vegetables.

The manufacturer expressly recommends this herb pesto for grilling: vegetables, meat, or fish get a spoonful of pesto after the grill—it replaces herb butter. Zucchini and bell peppers from the grill with pesto, plus bread, and the evening is complete. Mixed with cream cheese, it becomes a dip for veggie sticks and bread. A teaspoon in scrambled eggs, a spoonful on a buttered sandwich for a snack, or spread thinly on a pancake, rolled up, and sliced for a salad: all suggestions from Weiler.

Once opened, the jar belongs in the refrigerator and, according to the manufacturer, should be consumed within 14 days. Use a clean spoon, smooth out the surface, add a little olive oil on top, and the color will last.

Our tip: The manufacturer's special tip is the "Allgäuer Seele," an elongated white bread similar to a baguette, usually topped with caraway seeds and coarse salt. Slice it lengthwise, spread with herb pesto, top with mountain cheese, and bake in the oven. If you can't find a "Seele," use a baguette.

Arugula and basil from three neighboring farms

The arugula and basil for this pesto grow at three partner farms in the region: the Wetzel vegetable farm in Muthen near Wangen, the Bayrhof near Kempten, and the Hofgut Hechelfurt in Meckenbeuren. sell g'machts has been working with all three for years; the farms plant and harvest basil, parsley, tomatoes, and Asian greens for the kitchen in Weiler throughout the year. Processing usually happens the day after the harvest, often the very same day. The manufacturer calls this a privilege: having the raw materials so close by.

sell g'macht means "self-made" in the Allgäu dialect. In the sell g'machts kitchen in Weiler in the Allgäu, Katja Will's team stirs the pestos by hand and without heat treatment so that the herbs taste as if they were fresh from the field. The extra virgin organic olive oil and white wine vinegar come from Byodo, the sunflower seeds from Rapunzel in Legau in the Allgäu, the rock salt from Bickelbacher, and the organic spices from Pikantum. The workshop leaves out additives and preservatives; the taste comes solely from the ingredients. The organic control number DE-ÖKO-006 is on every jar.

Since December 2022, there has been a factory shop right next to the kitchen where all varieties are available for tasting. Furthermore, you can find the pestos in farm shops, dairies, and organic stores in the Allgäu and in Austria. Groups can book a tour of the workshop with a presentation and tasting to see how the jars are made.

For barbecue evenings, for the pantry, and as the first jar from Weiler

The Allgäu Organic Herb Pesto is the jar that sits in the pantry and finds a purpose every evening. Pasta on Tuesday, grilled vegetables on Friday, a snack on Sunday. For families, it is the variety everyone can agree on because the arugula and basil taste familiar and the garlic remains in check. If you are just getting to know sell g'machts, it is best to start here and add the wild garlic pesto or the spruce tip pesto as a second jar.

All the manufacturer's jars can be found on our sell-g'machts page, and other pestos from different manufacturers are in the Pesto category. According to the manufacturer, the list of ingredients is free from cheese, nuts, and other mandatory allergens; the seeds are sunflower seeds, and the pesto is vegan. The jar is not suitable for those who avoid garlic—for that, there is the basil-lemon balm variety.

Arugula, basil, and garlic from the Allgäu, cold-stirred and vegan—the herb pesto for pasta, the grill, and toasted "Seele."