Cuisine of Austria

The Cuisine of Austria, which is often incorrectly equated with Viennese cuisine, is derived from the cuisine of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In addition to native regional traditions it has been influenced above all by Hungarian, Czech, Italian, and Bavarian cuisines, from which both dishes and methods of food preparation have often been borrowed. The Austrian Cuisine is therefore one of, if not the most, multi- and transcultural one in Europe. Goulash is one example of this. Austrian cuisine is known primarily in the rest of the world for its pastries and sweets. In recent times a new regional cuisine has also developed which is centered on regional produce and employs modern and easy methods of preparation.

Desserts

Austrians eat many desserts. One typical dessert, generally served around Christmas season, is vanillekipferl, which are crescent-shaped cookies coated in confectioner's sugar. The dough is made with vanilla bean and almonds. Austrians also make many Tortes (cakes) and chocolates. Some examples are:
* The Sachertorte (named after its inventor, Eduard Sacher) a torte made with chocolate and, in some areas, an apricot jam glaze
* The Panama torte, another chocolate torte made in celebration of the opening of the Panama canal.
* The Zwetschkenfleck, an upside-down style cake topped with plums and often sprinkled with cinnamon.

Other sweet things:

* Marzipan, which is sweet almond paste sometimes dipped in chocolate
* Heiße Schokolade (hot chocolate), which is served with homemade schlag (whipped cream)
* Various chocolate confections obtained from the cities where professional chocolatiers make creations.

Drinks

Coffee

Coffee is served in a variety of styles, particularly in the cafés of Vienna. An Austrian "Mokka" or "kleiner Schwarzer" is similar to espresso, but is extracted more slowly. Other styles are prepared from the "Mokka":

*"großer Schwarzer" - a double "Mokka"
*"kleiner Brauner or großer Brauner" - single or double "Mokka" plus milk
*"Verlängerter" - "lengthened" (i.e. diluted) "Mokka" with more water plus milk
*"Melange" - half "Mokka", half heated milk, often topped with foamed milk
*"Franziskaner" - "Melange" topped with whipped cream not foamed milk
*"Kapuziner" - "kleiner Schwarzer" plus whipped cream
*"Einspänner" - "großer Schwarzer" topped with whipped cream

Hot Chocolate

Viennese hot chocolate is very rich, containing heavy cream in addition to chocolate, and sometimes thickened further with egg yolk.

Soft Drinks

Almdudler, Red Bull

Beer

Beer is generally sold in the following sizes: 0.2 litre (a "Pfiff"), 0.3 litre (a "Seidel", "kleines Bier" or "Glas Bier") and 0.5 litre (a "Krügerl", "Halbe" or "großes Bier"). At festivals one litre "Maß" and two litre "Doppler" in the Bavarian style are also dispensed. The most popular types of beer are pale lager (known as "Märzen" in Austria), naturally cloudy "Zwicklbier", and wheat beer. At holidays like Christmas and Easter bock beer is also available.

Wine

Wine is principally cultivated in the east of Austria. The most important wine-producing areas are in Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria, and Vienna. Young wine (i.e. wine produced from grapes of the most recent harvest) is called "Heuriger" and gives its name to inns in Vienna and its surroundings which serve "Heuriger" wine and food. In Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland the "heuriger" inns are known as "Buschenschanken". The Grüner Veltliner grape provides some of Austria's most notable white wines and Zweigelt is the most widely planted red wine grape.

Other alcoholic drinks

In Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Styria and Carinthia, "Most", a type of cider or perry is widely produced, whilst "Sturm", a semi-fermented grape-juice, is drunk after the grape harvest.

At the close of a meal, schnapps or fruit brandy is drunk, which in Austria is made from a variety of fruits (for example apricots), as well as rowanberries, gentian roots, or various herbs. The produce of small private schnapps distilleries, of which there are around 20,000 in Austria, is known as "Selberbrennter" or "Hausbrand".

Snack food

For food consumed in between meals there are open sandwiches, different kinds of sausage with mustard and bread, as well as sliced sausage, "Leberkäse" rolls or "Schnitzelsemmeln" (rolls filled with schnitzel).

There are also other common delicacies, which may not be cordon bleu, but which are typical of Austrian food, for example the "Bosna" or Bosner (a spiced bratwurst in a hot dog roll) which is an integral part of the menu at Austria's typical fast-food joint, the sausage stand (Würstelstand).

Regional cuisine

Vienna

Typically Viennese dishes include:

* Apfelstrudel (a kind of apple dessert)
* "Beuschel" (a ragout containing calf lungs and heart)
* Gulasch (a hotpot similar to Hungarian "pörkölt" - "gulyás" is a soup in Hungary)
* Liptauer cheese
* Powidl
* "Rindsuppe" (beef soup)
* "Selchfleisch" (smoked meat) with Sauerkraut und dumplings.
* Tafelspitz (boiled beef, often served with apple and horseradish sauce)
* Topfenstrudel (a cream cheese strudel)

The Danish pastry is said to originate from Vienna and in Denmark is called "wienerbrød" (Viennese bread). But that is probably because it uses a certain kind of dough consisting of butter and flour in the classic cuisine referred to as "Viennese Dough".

Lower Austria

In Lower Austria, local delicacies such as Waldviertel poppies, Marchfeld asparagus and Wachau apricots are cultivated. Their influence can be felt in the local cuisine, for example in poppy noodles. Game dishes are very common. Lower Austria is striking for the differences within its regional cuisine due to its size and the variety of its landscape.

Burgenland

Burgenland's cuisine has been influenced by Hungarian cuisine owing to its former position within the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Dishes consist mainly of fish, chicken or goose, for example goose livers. Polenta is a popular side-dish. On St Martin's Day (November 11) a "Martinigans" (St Martin's goose) is often prepared, whilst carp is a typical Christmas dish.

Styria

In Styrian [http://www.buschenschank.at "Buschenschanken"] (inns), "Verhackertes" (a spread made from finely chopped bacon) is served. Schilcher, a very dry rosé, is the regional style of wine in West Styria. A typically Styrian delicacy is pumpkin seed oil, which lends itself particularly to salads on account of its nutty taste. Many varieties of pumpkin dish are also very popular. "Heidensterz", a pancake made from buckwheat flour, is a local dish enjoyed in cold weather.

Carinthia

Carinthia's many lakes mean that fish is a popular main course. Grain, dairy produce and meat are important ingredients in Carinthian cuisine. Carinthian "Kasnudeln" (noodle dough pockets filled with quark and mint) and smaller "Schlickkrapfen" (mainly with a meat filling) are well-known local delicacies. "Klachlsuppe" (pig's trotter soup) and "Reindling" (a type of cinnamon raisin bread fruit loaf) are also produced locally.

Upper Austria

Various types of dumpling are an important part of Upper Austrian cuisine, as they are in neighbouring Bavaria and Bohemia. The "Linzer Torte", a cake which includes ground nuts and marmalade, is a popular dessert from the region.

Salzburg

"Kasnocken" (cheese dumplings) are a popular meal, as are freshwater fish, particularly trout, served in various ways. "Salzburger Nockerln" (a meringue-like dish) is a well-known local dessert.

Tyrol

Tyrolean bacon and all sorts of dumplings including "Speckknödel" (dumplings with pieces of bacon) and "Spinatknödel" (made of spinach) are an important part of the local cuisine.

Vorarlberg

The cuisine of Vorarlberg has been influenced by the alemannic cuisine of neighbouring Switzerland and Swabia. Cheese and cheese products play a major role in the cuisine, with "Käsknöpfle" and "Kässpätzle" (egg noodles prepared with cheese) being popular dishes. Other delicacies include "Krutspätzle" (sauerkraut noodles), "Käsdönnala" (similar to a quiche), "Schupfnudla" (made from a dough mixing potato and flour), "Flädlesuppe" (pancake soup), "Öpfelküachle" (apple cake) and "Funkaküachle" (cake traditionally eaten on the first Sunday of Lent). Many also eat "Germknödel", which is a hill of dough with poppy seeds. Mostly eaten with vanilla cream.

ee also

*Culture of Austria
*Austria

References

Much of the content of this article comes from [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96sterreichische_K%C3%BCche the equivalent German-language Wikipedia article] retrieved April 2, 2005.

External links

* Find English recipes for Austrian dishes on [http://thepassionatecook.typepad.com/thepassionatecook/traditional_austrian_food/index.html www.thepassionatecook.com]
* http://www.sheries-kitchen.com/recipes/austrian/austrian1.htm
* [http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.encyclop.o/o713286.htm;internal&action=_setlanguage.action?LANGUAGE=en Österreichische Küche - AEIOU]
* [http://www.cuisineeurope.com/cms/en/recipes-austria-en European and world cuisine. Austrian cuisine.]
* [http://www.bernhards.at Austrian Food Cooking - website with recipes and photos]