Austrian cuisine

The Austrian cuisine is much diversified, compared to other cuisines in the world. No wonder, the epicurean specialties of Austria were developed during the time of the monarchy, when in the capital Vienna the influences of all regional dishes of the once enormous empire were united.

The culinary influences of the Germans, Polish, Czechs, Slovenians, Hungarians, Slovakians, Rumanians and Italians, the Austrians dishes result from this refined mixture. Whoever wishes to try these should loosen their belts: The Viennese starts his day early in the morning with an extensive breakfast with Kipferl (pastries), coffee, butter and home-made jam. Egg, ham and cheese are not allowed to be missing especially on Sundays and holidays. After breakfast, is the Jause (snack), which you can have before noon or before the evening meal.

A classical lunch or dinner has three courses: a soup served with either choux pastry, Frittaten (sliced pancakes), noodles, dumplings, croutons and many other variations, then a meat dish, preferably beef, pork, veal or lamb. The terms to describe the meats are according to a well thought through “special butchers vocabulary", which contains over 40 different terms: Beried (roastbeef), Beuschel (mixed innards), Faschiertes (minced meat), Fleischvoegerl (roulade), Geselchtes (smoked), Grammeln (let down fat), Indian (turkey), Kaiserfleisch (pork breast), Krustelspitz (prime rib), Nierenbraten (kidney roast), Schlepp (ox tail), Schopfbraten (pork loin), stelze (pork knuckle) or Teilsames (smoked pork) are only a few of the most remarkable Austrian meat dishes. You should really try Viennese classics such as Tafelspitz (boiled beef) gulasch, Rostbraten (braised beef) or Beinfleisch (leg),and of course the Wiener Schnitzel (veal escalope). Tasty accompaniments are dumplings, which may in a more delicate form appear on the dessert menu, for example made from apricots or plums. World famous are the cakes and pastries: Dobostorte, Indianer with cream, Malakofftorte, Topfen-Golatschen, Germknödel oder Linzertorte. The queen of the cakes is without doubt the Sachertorte, which was first created for the Prince of Metternich. Both of the Viennese traditional establishments, Sacher und Demel claim the original recipe as their own. Which one tastes the best? Best to find out for yourself on your holiday in Vienna !

Local guide
www.falter.at/wwei
www.lokalfuehrer.at