The 5 most famous Austrian dishes

by Bernhard Baumgartner

What makes a dish famous? What makes an Austrian dish famous? And, are there any other countries in the world which can come up with five famous dishes?

A dish is a famous dish if the majority of passionate foodies from anywhere in the world have at least heard of it! Do you agree with that?

An Austrian dish is a famous Austrian dish if the majority of ethnic cuisine passionate foodies from anywhere in the world have at least had it once in their lives. Do you also agree with that? Well then, here are the five most famous Austrian dishes.

Wiener Schnitzel

This must be the most famous of Austrian dishes. Wien (Vienna) is the capital of Austria. A Schnitzel is a cutlet. A Wiener Schnitzel is a breaded, deepfried cutlet. The thin cutlet, originally it's got to be veal, is being put into flour, then it goes into slightly beaten eggs and is finally coated with breadcrumbs. The frying process occurs in fat deep enough so that the Schnitzel swims during cooking. Originally a Wiener Schnitzel is deepfried in lard but nowadays clarified butter is being used.

Sachertorte

Sacher today is a hotel in Vienna Austria. Actually "The Hotel." Located just besides the Vienna Opera it is a house with an old hospitality history. A Torte is a cake or gateau. Sacher Torte is a chocolate cake with thin apricot layer and chocolate icing. The cake and the hotel got their names by Eduard Sacher, a pastry chef in the times of monarchy.

Apple Strudel

As typical in the Austrian Cuisine this is a dish which grew into the country's cookbooks by adapting foods and recipes from neighbouring countries during the times when Austria was a monarchy. Slovenia and Croatia appear to be the orgin of this dish. No Austrian Cafe's menu lacks Apple Strudel, this monument of the Austrian Cuisine. In fact it is also the most often baked sweet dish in Austrian homes.

Vienna Gulasch

Goulash is traditionally prepared as a soup - in Hungary. A Vienna Goulash is a paprika beef stew. Austrians also cook a Goulashsoup but Vienna Goulash is the famed beef paprika stew which you find in any home's kitchen and on every pub's menu here in Austria.

Tafelspitz

Tafelspitz is boiled beef. A specific meat cut from the beef's hinder leg is used to make Tafelspitz. The meat cut, yes Austrian butchers found names for more than 30 specific parts of a beef, the meat cut to cook Tafelspitz has the same name, Tafelspitz. Most often served with sauteed potatoes and creamed spinach.

About the Author
Bernhard is an Austrian chef - he lives and works in Vienna Austria. Visit his website www.bernhards.at for more about Austrian habits, and things you should know if you come to visit Austria.