Lyla Lindsey
Strudel is a type of layered pastry with a usually sweet filling, although savoury fillings are also common. It is most associated with Austrian cuisine, but it is also a traditional pastry in the area formerly belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The oldest known strudel recipe dates back to 1697 and survives today in a handwritten cookbook in the Vienna Town Hall Library. The pastry is believed to have originated in Austria, but it is now an integral part of Hungarian cuisine and is considered to be one of the most beloved traditional pastries among Hungarians. The key difference between the two is that the Hungarian version uses thin pastry and lots of filling, while the Austrian version uses thick pastry and less filling.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Austria |
| Other countries | Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, and other countries in the Austro-Hungarian Empire |
| Type of pastry | Layered |
| Type of filling | Usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common |
| Most common fillings | Apples, raisins, walnuts, cabbage, quark cheese, milk and cream |
| How it's made | The dough is worked vigorously, rested, and then rolled out and stretched by hand very thinly with the help of a clean linen tea towel or kitchen paper. The filling is spread on the thin dough, and the dough is then carefully rolled up with the tea towel and baked in the oven. |
| Thickness of pastry | Hungarian strudel uses thin pastry with lots of filling, while Austrian strudel uses thicker pastry with less filling |
| Dough ingredients | Flour, oil, and salt |
| Drink pairing | Tea, coffee, or champagne |
| Occasions | Hungarian Jews serve strudel during Simchat Torah and Purim, and Hungarians eat it during Farsang or New Year |
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What You'll Learn
- Hungarian strudel is made with a thin pastry and lots of filling, while Austrian strudel is made with thin layers of pastry and a swirl pattern
- Hungarian strudel is made with dough that contains only flour, oil, and salt
- Austrian strudel is considered to be more authentic
- Hungarian strudel is consumed at Farsang or New Year as it is believed to bring good luck and a long life
- Austrian strudel is considered to be the national dish of Austria
Hungarian strudel is made with a thin pastry and lots of filling, while Austrian strudel is made with thin layers of pastry and a swirl pattern
Strudel is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common. It is associated with Austrian cuisine but is also a traditional pastry in the area that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In these countries, apple strudel is the most widely known kind of strudel.
Hungarian strudel is made with a thin pastry and lots of filling. The dough is worked vigorously, rested, and then rolled out and stretched by hand very thinly with the help of a clean linen tea towel or kitchen paper. There are numerous techniques for manually pulling strudel dough. One method is to roll the dough thin before laying it over the back of the hands and drawing it thin by pulling the hands apart from one another. Purists say that it should be so thin that you can read a newspaper through it.
Austrian strudel, on the other hand, is made with thin layers of pastry and a swirl pattern. The chosen filling is spread intermittently between layers of the finest unleavened dough, making for the characteristic swirling pattern of pastry and filling when cut. In traditional Viennese strudel, the filling is spread over three-quarters of the dough, and then the strudel is rolled, incorporating the dough through the filling. The best-known Austrian strudels are apple strudel (Apfelstrudel in German), Topfenstrudel (with sweet soft quark cheese), and Millirahmstrudel (milk-cream strudel).
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Hungarian strudel is made with dough that contains only flour, oil, and salt
While strudel is most associated with Austrian cuisine, it is also a traditional pastry in countries that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The oldest known strudel recipe dates back to 1697 and is housed in a handwritten cookbook in the Vienna Town Hall Library.
Hungarian Jews make the dough with oil and serve it for Simchat Torah and Purim, to match the customary drink imbibed at these celebrations. In Hungary, rétes, a traditional Hungarian strudel, is consumed at Farsang or New Year, as it is believed to bring good luck and a long life.
A filling is then spread on the thin dough, and the dough is carefully rolled up with the help of the tea towel. The strudel is then oven-baked and served warm.
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Austrian strudel is considered to be more authentic
Although strudel is a common pastry in several European countries, it is most associated with Austrian cuisine. It is believed to have originated in Austria and is considered the country's national dish, along with Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz. Austrian strudel is also thought to be more authentic, perhaps due to its labour-intensive preparation and the skill required to make it.
The oldest known strudel recipe dates back to 1696 or 1697 and can be found in a handwritten cookbook in the Wienbibliothek im Rathaus (formerly Wiener Stadtbibliothek) in Vienna. The pastry became popular in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg Empire, which included Hungary. As a result, strudel is now an integral part of Hungarian cuisine and is considered one of the most beloved traditional pastries among Hungarians.
Strudel is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common. The dough is worked vigorously, rested, and then rolled out and stretched by hand very thinly. According to legend, the Austrian Emperor's perfectionist cook decreed that the dough should be so thin that a love letter could be read through it. This thin dough is characteristic of Austrian strudel and is achieved by stretching the dough over the baker's hands and drawing it thin by pulling the hands apart.
While both Austrian and Hungarian strudels share similarities, there are some key differences. The Hungarian variety typically uses thin pastry with a generous amount of filling, while the Austrian version uses thicker pastry with less filling. The Hungarian dough is typically made with only a handful of ingredients, including flour, oil, and salt, and is often served during traditional celebrations like Simchat Torah and Purim. In contrast, Austrian strudel is more commonly associated with Viennese cafes, where it is served with tea, coffee, or even champagne.
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Hungarian strudel is consumed at Farsang or New Year as it is believed to bring good luck and a long life
Strudel is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet but can also be savoury. It is part of Austrian and German cuisine but is also common in other Central European cuisines. The oldest strudel recipes date back to 1696 or 1697 and were discovered in a handwritten cookbook in Vienna. The pastry is likely descended from similar pastries such as baklava. The word "strudel" is a German loanword that means "whirlpool" or "eddy", referring to the spiral form of the pastry when cut.
In Hungary, rétes, a traditional Hungarian strudel, is consumed at Farsang or New Year as it is believed to bring good luck and a long life. Farsang is Hungary's equivalent to Carnival season and is a combination of Christian traditions and pagan rituals. It is a time for merrymaking and festivities, including folk traditions related to making winter go away and spring come sooner. The celebrations last over a month, beginning shortly after the New Year, and are filled with music, costumes, and feasts.
Hungarian strudel is typically made with dough that includes oil and is filled with raisin-cottage cheese (túrós rétes), sour cherries (meggyes rétes), apples (almás rétes), poppy seeds (mákos rétes), or walnuts (diós rétes). The dough is worked vigorously, rested, and then rolled out and stretched very thinly by hand with the help of a clean linen tea towel. The chosen filling is spread in a line on a small section of the dough, and then the dough is folded over and carefully rolled up with the filling inside. The strudel is then baked in the oven and served warm.
The consumption of Hungarian strudel at Farsang or New Year is a beloved tradition that brings people together to celebrate and enjoy delicious pastries while also hoping for good fortune and longevity.
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Austrian strudel is considered to be the national dish of Austria
Strudel, a type of layered pastry with a usually sweet filling, is considered a part of Austrian cuisine. It is believed to have originated in Austria and gained popularity in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg Empire, of which Hungary was a part. The oldest known strudel recipe dates back to 1696 or 1697 and can be found in a handwritten cookbook in the Vienna Town Hall Library.
Apple strudel, made with an oblong strudel pastry jacket and an apple filling, is considered the national dish of Austria, along with Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz. It is traditionally served in slices, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and often accompanied by tea, coffee, or even champagne. It is one of the most common treats at Viennese cafes and is also popular in other countries in Europe that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The process of making Austrian strudel involves vigorously working the dough, letting it rest, and then rolling it out and stretching it very thinly with a clean linen tea towel or kitchen paper. The filling is spread on the thin dough, which is then carefully rolled up with the help of the tea towel and baked in the oven. According to legend, the Austrian Emperor's perfectionist cook decreed that the dough should be so thin that a love letter could be read through it.
While apple strudel is the most well-known variety, other types of Austrian strudel include Topfenstrudel (with sweet soft quark cheese) and Millirahmstrudel (milk-cream strudel). In addition, walnut strudel is a traditional German variety that is commonly made during the holiday season.
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Frequently asked questions
Hungarian strudel is lighter and less sweet than Austrian strudel, which tends to be heavier and sweeter. Hungarian strudel is made with oil and is traditionally served at Farsang or New Year. Austrian strudel is often made with puff pastry and is usually served warm with powdered sugar and a variety of toppings such as vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, custard, or vanilla sauce.
Common fillings for Hungarian strudels include raisin-cottage cheese (túrós rétes), sour cherries (meggyes rétes), apples (almás rétes), poppy seeds (mákos rétes), and walnuts (diós rétes). Sour cream and tejberizs (sweet rice porridge) were also traditionally used as fillings. For Austrian strudel, the most popular variety is apple strudel, followed by Topfenstrudel (sweet soft quark cheese) and Millirahmstrudel (milk-cream strudel). Other Austrian strudel fillings include sour cherry, sweet cherry, nuts, apricot, plum, poppy seed, rhubarb, and raisin.
The oldest known strudel recipe dates back to 1696 or 1697 and can be found in a handwritten cookbook in the Wienbibliothek im Rathaus (formerly Wiener Stadtbibliothek) in Vienna. However, it is believed that strudel originated in the Byzantine Empire or the Middle East. Strudel became popular in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. While strudel is most often associated with Austrian cuisine, it is also a traditional pastry in countries that were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
