Exploring Local Austrian Delicacies: A Food Lover's Guide

Austrian cuisine is known for its rich flavours, with meat and carb-heavy dishes like pastries and breads. Neighbouring countries like Hungary, Bavaria, Bohemia, and Northern Italy have influenced Austrian food, which consists of many different local and regional cuisines. Here's a taste of some classic Austrian dishes you must try.

Austrian pastries

Austrian cuisine is internationally known for its pastries, including the Kaiserschmarrn, the Apple Strudel, and the Topfenstrudel.

The Kaiserschmarrn is a soft, fluffy pancake ripped into bite-sized pieces and slightly roasted in a pan. It is served with a compote, applesauce, or stewed plums. It is also known as a torn pancake or the emperor's pancake.

The Apple Strudel is a flaky pastry with a spiced apple, cinnamon, and raisin filling. It is one of the most popular traditional Austrian dishes and is beloved as a street food.

The Topfenstrudel is a classic Austrian dessert. It features flaky, paper-thin layers of hand-stretched dough wrapped around a creamy filling of fresh farmer's cheese, flavoured with lemon and vanilla, and finished with sweet raisins.

Other popular Austrian pastries include:

• Palatschinken - pancakes similar to French crêpes, filled with jam and sprinkled with sugar or other toppings. They are also served in savoury versions, such as with spinach and cheese.
• Germknödel - a fluffy yeast dough dumpling filled with plum jam, garnished with melted butter and a mix of poppy seeds and powdered sugar. They are sometimes served with vanilla cream.
• Marillenknödel - a dumpling stuffed with an apricot and covered in streusel and powdered sugar. The dough is made with potatoes or Topfen.
• Buchteln - a delicious baked food with sweet fillings of jam, ground poppy, or sweet curds. They are often served as a dessert topped with vanilla sauce or simply sugared on top.
• Krapfen - Austrian jam-filled doughnuts. They are usually served with apricot jam but can be filled with whatever you like.
• Cremeschnitten - the French know them as mille-feuille, the British as vanilla or custard slices, and in Russia, they are known as Napoleon cakes. They are made of a thick layer of vanilla custard with crumbly pastry and powdered sugar.
• Salzburger Nockerl - a dessert similar to an Austrian fruit cobbler. It has a layer of jam at the bottom, typically berry-flavoured, and a light and airy faux-angel food cake mix on top.
• Linzer Torte - named for the city of Linz, Austria, this is one of the most authentic and traditional recipes. It is nutty, buttery, and loaded with sweet and tart raspberry jam.
• Vanillekipferl - Austrian vanilla crescent cookies. They are an enriched shortbread dough, meaning they contain eggs and ground nuts for a super tender crumb.
• Austrian Buchteln - sweet yeast rolls. They are usually served smothered in creamy vanilla sauce but can also be filled with apricot jam.
• Marillenknödel - Austrian apricot dumplings. The apricots are kept almost whole for these dumplings, so instead of biting into mushy jam, you get a nice bit of texture along with plenty of fruity goodness.

Viennese cuisine

Some sweet Viennese dishes include Apfelstrudel (apple-filled pastry), Millirahmstrudel (milk-cream strudel), Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes served with fruit compotes), Sachertorte (a chocolate cake with apricot jam in the middle), and Topfenstrudel (a quark cheese-filled strudel).

Viennese coffee houses are an important part of the cuisine and culture of Vienna, listed as "Intangible Cultural Heritage" in the Austrian inventory of the "National Agency for the Intangible Cultural Heritage", a part of UNESCO.

Austrian sausages

The Frankfurter, also known as a "wiener sausage", is a workhorse of the Würstelstand. It is typically cooked in water or broth and served with a roll, mustard, and ketchup. It is a common "quick meal" or "snack" option, even appearing on the menus of upmarket restaurants.

The Käsekrainer is another beloved Austrian sausage variety. This sausage is made with pork and beef and is generously filled with creamy Emmenthaler cheese. It is seasoned with pepper, garlic, and onion, resulting in a mild yet amazing taste. When cooked, the cheese melts, creating a gooey interior that has been described as the ultimate cheese dog experience.

Other popular types of Austrian sausages include the Debreziner, originating from Debrecen in Hungary, the Burenwurst, and the Blunzn, made from pig blood. Green sausages (Grüne Würstl) are also unique to the country; these raw sausages are air-dried and consumed boiled.

In addition to these varieties, Austria also has its own take on the Bosna or Bosner, a spiced bratwurst in a hot dog roll that is a common menu item at sausage stands.

Austrian desserts

Austrian cuisine is internationally known for its pastries and cakes, and there is certainly no shortage of delicious Austrian desserts to choose from.

One of the most famous Austrian desserts is the Apfelstrudel (apple strudel), a flaky pastry filled with sweet, spiced apples, cinnamon, and raisins. Another well-known dessert is the Sachertorte, a rich chocolate cake with a cult following. It was first made for the Austrian State Chancellor by a 16-year-old pastry chef apprentice and is traditionally served with whipped cream. The cake has a layer of apricot jam and is coated in a smooth chocolate glaze.

Other popular Austrian desserts include Palatschinken (Austrian crêpes), which can be served with a variety of toppings, from jam to caramel; Kaiserschmarrn, a soft, fluffy pancake ripped into bite-sized pieces and served with fruit compote; and Germknödel, a fluffy yeast dough dumpling filled with plum jam and garnished with melted butter, poppy seeds, and powdered sugar.

For those with a sweet tooth, there is also the Salzburger Nockerl, a meringue-like dessert with a layer of jam, usually berry-flavoured, and a light and airy faux-angel food cake mix. Buchteln, a type of sweet yeast roll, is another delightful Austrian dessert, often served with creamy vanilla sauce and topped with powdered sugar.

Austrian drinks

Austria might not be as well-known for its drinking culture as it is for its heart-warming cuisine, but there is much to discover when it comes to drinking in the alpine country. From hot drinks to alcoholic beverages, here is an overview of some popular Austrian drinks.

Coffee

Given Austria's bitterly cold winters and its stature as a world-class ski destination, it is no surprise that coffee is an integral part of Austrian culture. In fact, café culture has been a part of Austrian life since the 17th century, particularly in Vienna, which is home to some of the oldest and most decadent coffeehouses (Kaffeehäuser) in Europe. These grand cafés hold such cultural value that UNESCO has even granted them intangible cultural heritage status.

Some popular specialty coffees you will likely come across in Austria include:

• Viennese Einspänner: espresso topped with a hefty dollop of whipped cream
• Melange: an espresso served with half steamed milk in a large glass with milk froth on top
• Verlängerter (Café Americano): a small cup of espresso served with hot water on the side, typically served with milk
• Kaffee Verkehrt (Latte Macchiato): which means 'upside-down' because it has more milk than coffee and comes in a high glass
• Mozart Café: a double espresso with a cap of whipped cream served with sherry brandy on the side
• Fiaker: which includes a shot of Austrian rum and whipped cream

Tea

Although tea is not as widely consumed as coffee in Austria, it still holds a special place in the country's heart. Introduced to the Austrian aristocracy a century after coffee, tea soon became a regular fixture at breakfast tables in Lower Austria and the subject of exclusive tea parties in Vienna. Nowadays, a third of Austrians enjoy a cup of tea per day, amounting to a total of 3,000 tons per year. Popular varieties include herbal and fruit infusions, as well as black and green tea.

Hot Chocolate

Austria has a long-standing love affair with chocolate, which can be seen in the many handmade chocolate shops throughout the country, particularly in Vienna. It is, therefore, no surprise that hot chocolate is a beloved winter warmer in this sweet-toothed nation. This heart-warming drink can be found at many coffeehouses in the capital, and it often includes a real bar of locally made chocolate to create a rich and creamy flavour.

Soft Drinks

Austria produces several of its own soft drinks, including:

• Almdudler: one of Austria's most popular soft drinks, Almdudler is a carbonated soda drink made with elderberry extract. It can be drunk sweetened, light, uncarbonated, or mixed with soda water to create a spritz. It can also be mixed with Austrian beer to make an Almradler, or with wine to make a spritz.
• Lattella: a popular drink that contains whey and therefore has all the essential nutrients of milk, including valuable vitamins, proteins, and minerals. It is almost fat-free and is available in several different flavours.
• Frucade: an orange-flavoured lemonade
• Pago: available in 39 different flavours
• Kracherl: a lemon or raspberry-flavoured soda

Alcoholic Drinks

Beer and wine are the most popular alcoholic drinks in Austria, but each region has its own preference. Lower Austria, for instance, is home to the country's biggest wine territory, while Upper Austria is internationally renowned for its excellent beers. Aside from wine and beer, Austria is also home to some other tantalising alcoholic drinks, including:

• Schnaps: distilled spirits normally made from a variety of fruits such as apricots, pears, or cherries. Despite its high alcohol content, which is usually above 30%, Schnaps is surprisingly smooth and easy to drink.
• Glühwein: a spicy hot beverage made by cooking heavy red wine with herbs, spices, fruit, sugar, and sometimes other liqueurs.
• Jägertee: black tea mixed with popular STROH Inländer Rum and festive condiments like cinnamon and cloves.
• Hugo Cocktail: prosecco mixed with elderflower syrup and a few mint leaves and ice.
• Aperol Spritz: a Spritzer mixed with Aperol and served with a slice of orange.

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