Discover Austria : Gastronomy

Products and local produce

Surrounded by many neighbours, Austria has developed its own regional specificities. The Vienna region, as well as Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) and Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), offer a typically Viennese cuisine, generally more refined than that of the other Länder

, borrowing ingredients from Hungary as well as Italy and Bohemia, with cult dishes such as Viennese schnitzel, poached potato dumplings and a host of delicate pastries.

Styria (Steiermark) and Carinthia (Kärnten) form the green heart of Austria with its vast fertile plains, pastures and orchards. Farmhouse dishes based on pulses and pork are common here. Styria is famous for its pumpkin seed oil. Carinthia is famous for its lakes and rivers, where freshwater fish abound. Slovenian and Italian influences are noticeable and polenta (cornmeal) is popular. Burgenland is the only border state

with Hungary and has a large Croatian community. Ingredients of Hungarian origin such as paprika are common. Tyrol and Vorarlberg lie in the heart of the Alps, between Bavaria, Italy and Switzerland. The mountain cuisine of these two Länder features potatoes, smoked bacon (speck) and cheeses such as the strong Tiroler Graukäse or the cow's milk Vorarlberger Alpkäse. The Salzburg region is divided between the Tyrolean Alps in the south and the lowlands in the north. The cuisine is therefore very varied, ranging from mountain specialities to more sophisticated recipes, especially around the regional capital.

Classics of Austrian cuisine

In Austria a meal is often started with a broth, garnished with dumplings (Knödel), based on potato, bread, liver (Leberknödel). In Tyrol, the Speckknödelsuppe, a broth with carrots and leeks, enriched with bread dumplings and speck, is appreciated. Another speciality of this region is Schlipfkrapfen or Schlutzkrapfen, which are similar to Italian mezzelune. These half-moon-shaped ravioli are filled with potato, meat, fresh cheese or spinach and served with fried onion and bacon. Kaerntner Kaesnudel

are potato and cream cheese ravioli from Carinthia. As an appetizer, Spargel or asparagus, topped with hollandaise sauce, is popular. The Brettljause is a board of cold meats with bread, hard-boiled eggs and spreads, while the Belegte Brote is a spread of cold meats, cheese and all sorts of toppings such as Verhackert, a bacon compote spread like pâté, or Liptauer, a mixture of fresh cheese, paprika and chopped onion. Leberkäse - a kind of meatloaf made of finely chopped meat - is particularly popular, sliced thinly.

In addition to the classic Wiener Schnitzel, there is also the Tafelspitz, a boiled beef stew, and the Käsekrainer, a long sausage filled with melted cheese nuggets. This speciality is served either in slices or as a hot dog with bread, mayonnaise, sweet mustard or horseradish. They are sold in the Würstelstand, sausage stands open day and night. Stelze

is a pork shank that is roasted for a long time until the skin becomes crispy. Many meat dishes are served with a potato-sauerkraut duo.

Tiroler Gröstl is a Tyrolean dish that is popular throughout the country. This pan-fried dish of potatoes, minced beef and bacon, with lots of butter and onion, is topped with a fried egg. Kasnocken or Käsespätzle is a dish of egg noodles covered with melted cheese and topped with fried onions. Goulash, although originally from Hungary, is also very popular here. For example,Erdäpfelgulasch or potato goulash, or the hearty Fiakergulasch, made from meat simmered with paprika, served with grilled sausage and a fried egg. Or the classic Rindsgulasch made with beef. Reserved for St. Martin's Day, November 11, Martinigans is a recipe for goose stuffed with chestnuts and prunes.

Viennese sweets and exceptional coffee

In a capital city that inspired the word "Viennese pastry", you can expect some great discoveries, such as theApfelstrudel, the apple, raisin and cinnamon pastry, of which there are also variants with cherries (kirschen), cream cheese (topfen) or poppy seeds (mohn). The crescent appeared at the end of the 17th century to taunt the Turks after their defeat at the siege of Vienna, the crescent being the symbol of the Ottoman Empire. Popularized by Austrian pastry cooks in Paris in the 19th century, it was a resounding success. The ancestors of croissants, the Kipferl, are still popular in Central Europe. The Topfentascherl is a turnover filled with vanilla cream cheese, while Buchteln are small buns filled with jam. The Reindling

is a rolled brioche crown filled with raisins, nuts and cinnamon.

More rustic, the Kaiserschmarren is an airy pancake, cut into pieces and served with apple or plum compote. The Salzburger Nockerl looks like a vanilla soufflé on a bed of fruit puree from the town of the same name. The Krapfen is the common name for the filled doughnut. However, the Punschkrapfen is closer to small cake cubes filled with apricot jam, nougat and rum, topped with a pink glaze. In Austria, ravioli filled with fruit such as apricots (Marillenknödel) or plums (Powidltascherl

) are poached and sprinkled with chopped nuts and sugar.

Cakes and pies include the Linzertorte with its cocoa crust and raspberry jam filling and the classic Biedermeiertorte, a multi-layered cake with nougat cream and red fruit. And don't forget the Topfentorte, a vanilla sponge cake with a cheesecake filling. The simple Tirolerkuchen with hazelnuts is ideal for coffee, as is the Mohnkuchen, a soft cake with poppy seeds. The Prügeltorte or spit cake is made by pouring dough onto a hot cylinder over coals. Finally, chocolate lovers will fall under the spell of the most prestigious of Austrian desserts: the sachertorte

. If you are particularly fond of chocolate with a delicate touch of apricot, then a trip to

theHotel Sacher

is a must, where this cake was created in 1832, because the Austrians, and especially the Viennese, have a boundless passion for coffee houses. At the end of the 19th century, many new ideas emerged on the benches of these illustrious places. The café was a haven for thinkers and artists of the time, and every café had a regular clientele. The Wiener Kaffeehauskultur (Viennese café culture) was included in the national inventory of Austrian intangible cultural heritage in 2011. Several of the capital's cafés have retained their splendid original Belle Époque decor, such as the Central, the Schwarzenberg, the Hawelka, the Sacher and the Demel. But outside Vienna there are other establishments - perhaps less opulent but just as charming - such as Café Tomaselli or Café Bazar in Salzburg and Café Traxlmayr in Linz.

Here you can enjoy an eiskaffee (an iced coffee with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream), an einspänner (the same but without ice, our Viennese coffee), a fiaker (rum mocha with whipped cream), a Franziskaner (coffee with milk, franziskaner (coffee with milk, whipped cream and chocolate shavings), Kapuziner (coffee with cream), Maria Theresia (coffee with orange liqueur and whipped cream), a simple mocha (a very dark coffee) or a Türkischer (Turkish coffee). Of course, those who don't like coffee can enjoy delicious hot chocolate (kakao) with whipped cream (mit schlagsahne).

Between wines and beers

Austria has a long history of winegrowing and has some 55,000 hectares of vineyards, mainly in the east, in Styria, Lower Austria and Burgenland. Among the Austrian vintages that are worth a visit are Grüner Veltiner, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Weißer Burgunder and Welschriesling. For the reds, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Blauer Portugieser, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Gemischter Satz

are very popular.

Even in Vienna, the vineyards are only a few tram stops away and the whole city meets in the Heuriger, a sort of inn-restaurant that produces and sells hundreds of hectolitres of excellent wines every year in a simple and friendly atmosphere. In Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland, the Heuriger are known as Buschenschanken. Also worth trying isEiswein

or ice wine, a sweet spirit produced by fermenting grapes after the first frost. Beer is of course very popular and is served as Pfiff (20 cl), Seidel/kleines Bier (33 cl) or Krügerl/großes Bier (50 cl). Among the most popular areEggenberger Urbock, Fohrenburger, Gösser Märzen and Kaiser . In Austria the cider (apple or pear) is called most while the mixed one is called radler. There is alsoalmdudler, a herbal lemonade from the Tyrolean Alps. The term gespritzt is used to describe a mixture of sparkling water and fruit juice or wine, such asApfelsaft gespritzt (with apple juice) or Weiss gespritzt (with white wine). Very refreshing. For the record, the Red Bull® drink was invented in Austria in 1987. The more experienced can try the local schnapps (brandy) made from the fruit or root of the gentian plant.