Lyla Lindsey
Austrian cuisine is a melting pot of culinary influences from neighbouring countries such as Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, and Bohemia. The country's food culture is heavy on proteins and carbs, with popular meats including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and goose. Game dishes are also common, as Austrians were traditionally avid hunters. Austrian dishes often use the whole animal, including offal, snout, and trotters. Breaded recipes are popular, and Austrian cuisine is known for its pastries, cakes, and dumplings. Wiener Schnitzel, a breaded and fried cutlet, is considered Austria's national dish.
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What You'll Learn
Austrian food is influenced by neighbouring countries
Austrian food is heavily influenced by its neighbouring countries, particularly those in Central Europe, including Hungary, Bavaria, Bohemia, and Northern Italy. This is due to the country's historical connection to these regions through the Habsburg monarchy, which reigned over the lands of Austria, parts of Hungary, and the Balkans from 1282 until the end of WWI in 1918. As a result, Austrian cuisine has adopted, integrated, adapted, and mixed dishes and preparation methods from its neighbouring countries.
One of the most iconic examples of Austrian food influenced by neighbouring countries is the Wiener Schnitzel, which translates to 'Viennese cutlet' in German. This dish is made by coating thin cutlets of veal or pork in breadcrumbs and deep-frying them in butter or lard until golden brown. It is typically served with a wedge of lemon and a side of potato salad, cucumber salad, or French fries. Wiener Schnitzel is so synonymous with Austria that its name is protected by law and can only be called Wiener Schnitzel when made with veal.
Another example of Austrian food influenced by neighbouring countries is the Wiener Würstchen, a type of sausage that is one of the most common street foods in Austria. Wiener Würstchen is a variation of the traditional German Frankfurter Würstchen (Frankfurter sausage) and is usually made from a mixture of pork and beef encased in sheep's intestine. They are often served as a main dish with fermented cabbage or Sauerkraut, radishes, and Austrian potato salad, or as a snack in a hot bun with mustard, ketchup, and other sauces.
Austrian cuisine also shares similarities with Hungarian cuisine, particularly in the region of Burgenland, which was once part of the Hungarian Empire. Dishes in this region tend to be spicier and often include fish, chicken, or pork. Polenta is also a popular side dish within Burgenland's Croatian minority. In addition, Austrian pastries such as the Kaiserschmarrn and Apple Strudel are well-known and enjoyed throughout the country.
Furthermore, Austrian food has been influenced by its neighbouring country, Switzerland. One example is the national drink of Austria, called Almdudler, which is a soft drink based on mountain herbs. It is often used as a mixer with white wine or water. In addition to its neighbouring countries, Austrian cuisine is also influenced by its own regional traditions and the availability of local ingredients. For example, in Lower Austria, local delicacies such as Waldviertel poppies, Marchfeld asparagus, and Wachau apricots are cultivated and used in dishes such as Marillenknödel, small dumplings filled with apricots and warm butter-fried breadcrumbs.
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Austrian food is heavy on proteins and carbs
Austrian food is heavily based on proteins and carbohydrates. The most popular meats in Austria include beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and goose. Game is also a common feature of Austrian dishes, as Austrians were traditionally avid hunters. Many Austrian recipes use the whole animal, including offal, snouts, and trotters.
Austria's national dish is Wiener Schnitzel, which translates to 'Viennese cutlet' in German. It is so synonymous with the country that its name is protected by law and can only be called Wiener Schnitzel when made with veal. To make it, thin cutlets of meat are lightly coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried in butter or lard until golden brown. It is then served with a wedge of lemon and a side of potato salad, cucumber salad, or French fries.
Another classic Viennese dish is Tafelspitz, which consists of boiled veal in a spicy broth with root vegetables. Tafelspitz is traditionally served with potatoes, carrots, and a creamy apple-horseradish and chive sauce. Austrians typically eat Tafelspitz in separate courses, starting with the broth as an appetizer, followed by the beef and vegetables as the main course.
Austrian cuisine also includes a variety of sausages, such as the Wiener Würstchen, a mixture of pork and beef encased in sheep's intestine. These thin parboiled sausages are often served as a main dish with fermented cabbage or sauerkurst, radishes, and Austrian potato salad. They are also a popular snack, served in a hot bun with mustard, ketchup, and other sauces.
Austrian food also features a range of sweet dishes, including cakes, pastries, and other desserts. Some popular examples include the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake first baked in 1832, and the Linzer Torte, a cake with ground almonds or nuts and redcurrant jam. Austrian pancakes, called Palatschinken, are similar to French crepes and are filled with jam and sprinkled with sugar or other toppings.
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Schnitzel is the national dish of Austria
The designation Wiener Schnitzel first appeared in the 19th century, with the first known mention in a cookbook from 1831. In the popular southern German cookbook by Katharina Prato, it was mentioned as eingebröselte Kalbsschnitzchen (breaded veal cutlets). According to a tale, Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz brought the recipe from Italy to Vienna in 1857. However, linguist Heinz-Dieter Pohl proved that this story was likely invented. According to Pohl, there had been other dishes in Austrian cuisine, before the Schnitzel, that were breaded and deep-fried, such as the popular Backhendl, which was first mentioned in a cookbook from 1719. The Schnitzel was then mentioned in the 19th century as Wiener Schnitzel analogically to the Wiener Backhendl.
Austrian law requires that Wiener Schnitzel be made of veal. A schnitzel made of pork can be called Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein (Wiener schnitzel from pork) or Schnitzel Wiener Art (Viennese-style schnitzel). Schnitzel is also popular in Israel, where it was introduced by European Jews in the mid-20th century. To avoid the high cost of meat and veal, and due to kashrut laws that forbid eating pork, the Israeli version was made with chicken breast.
In addition to Wiener Schnitzel, Austrian cuisine includes a variety of other dishes such as sausages, cured meats, and pastries. Austrian food culture is heavy on proteins and carbs, with popular meats including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and goose. Many Austrian dishes use the entirety of the animal, including offal, snout, and trotters. Game dishes are also common.
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Austrian cuisine features many sweet dishes
Austrian cuisine is heavily influenced by its neighbouring countries, including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, and Bohemia. As a result, Austrian food is a diverse melting pot of dishes, with many sweet treats to discover.
Austria is well-known for its sweet dishes, including cakes, pastries, and other desserts. The Sachertorte, a chocolate cake first baked in 1832, is one of the country's most famous desserts. Another iconic sweet dish is the Linzer Torte, a cake that includes ground almonds or nuts and redcurrant jam. It is said to be the world's first cake recipe to be written down, and it originates from Linz, the capital of Upper Austria.
Austrian cuisine also features a variety of pastries, such as the Kaiserschmarrn, a shredded pancake, and the Apple Strudel. The Palatschinken, a thin pancake similar to a French crêpe, is often filled with jam and sprinkled with sugar or other toppings. These sweet pancakes are also common in other parts of Central Europe, including Hungary and Bohemia.
Fruit-based desserts are also popular in Austria, with the Marillenknödel being a notable example. These small dumplings are filled with apricots and topped with warm butter-fried breadcrumbs. This dessert combines influences from China (the apricot), Southeast Asia (sugar), and Bohemia (the dumpling), showcasing how Austrian cuisine embraces intercultural dialogue.
In addition to these sweet dishes, Austrians also enjoy various biscuits, with the most famous being the Vanillekipferl. These biscuits are often served with coffee and tea, reflecting the country's refined coffee shop culture.
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Austrian food is regionally varied
Austrian food is heavily influenced by its neighbouring countries, including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Bohemia, and the Balkans. As such, Austrian cuisine varies across its different regions, with each state boasting its own distinct culinary traditions.
Viennese cuisine, for example, is largely based on the cooking traditions of the Habsburg Empire. Wiener Schnitzel, a breaded and fried cutlet of veal, is one of Austria's most important national dishes and is synonymous with the country. In fact, the dish is legally protected and can only be called Wiener Schnitzel when made with veal. Tafelspitz, a boiled veal dish served with a spicy broth and root vegetables, is another classic Viennese meal.
Upper Austrian cuisine includes various types of dumplings, as well as freshwater fish, particularly trout. A popular dessert from the city of Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, is the Linzer Torte, a cake made with ground almonds or nuts and redcurrant jam.
In Lower Austria, local delicacies include Waldviertel poppies, Marchfeld asparagus, and Wachau apricots. Small dumplings filled with apricots and warm butter-fried breadcrumbs, known as Marillenknödel, are a famous dish from this region. Game dishes are also very common in Lower Austria.
Tyrolean cuisine is simple and often includes milk, cheese, flour, and lard. Tyrolean bacon is a staple, and dumplings are an important part of the local cuisine, including Speckknödel (dumplings with bacon) and Spinatknödel (made with spinach).
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Frequently asked questions
Austrian food is heavily influenced by the country's neighbouring nations, including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Bohemia, and the Balkans. Austrian cuisine is known for its pastries, cakes, and other sweet dishes, as well as its hearty meat meals.
Some popular Austrian dishes include Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz, Kaiserschmarrn, Apple Strudel, and various types of dumplings. Wiener Schnitzel is considered the national dish of Austria and is made by coating thin cutlets of veal in breadcrumbs and deep-frying them in butter or lard. Tafelspitz is another classic Viennese dish made by boiling veal in a spicy broth with root vegetables.
Austrians often drink schnapps, a fruit brandy made from apricots, rowanberries, gentiana roots, herbs, and even flowers. The produce of small private schnapps distilleries is known as Selberbrennter or Hausbrand. Austria's signature grape variety, Grüner Veltliner, is also a popular choice to complement the wide diversity of traditional Austrian recipes.
A typical Austrian breakfast is of the "continental" type, consisting of bread rolls with jam, cold meats, or cheese, accompanied by coffee, tea, or juice.
