The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Austrian Foods. If you manage to be in an Austrian restaurant or you are visiting Austria, I recommend the following:
1. Tafelspitz
Tafelspitz is another classic Viennese dish made from veal. The cut used is the one at the back of the veal, near the tail, one covered with fatty tissue called in German: tafelspitz. The whole meat is cooked in a broth of beef bones and vegetables such as onion, turnip, celery, carrot, bay leaves, juniper berries, salt and pepper. When cooked, the meat is cut into slices and served with a little of its own broth. It can be served with boiled potatoes, French fries, spinach and a green onion sauce.
2. Wiener Schnitzel
Wiener schnitzel is one of the best-known dishes in Austrian cuisine. It is prepared with a thin fillet of veal that is tenderised with a kitchen mallet and coated in batter before frying. One of the secrets of the recipe is to use a fillet of white or suckling veal from a calf weighing between 120 and 165 kg, which has been fed only on milk.
3. The Sachertorte
Sachertorte consists of two thick slabs of chocolate and butter sponge cake separated by a thin layer of apricot jam and covered with a dark chocolate glaze on the top and sides. The chocolate covering the cake allows it to keep for long periods of time. Traditionally, it is usually accompanied by whipped cream, popularly known as whipped cream. Sachertorte is a real Austrian delicacy.
4. Wiener Würstel
Viennese sausages are an iconic Austrian dish. This symbol of the Austrian capital is made from beef and pork and is smoked at low temperatures. There is a 100 % beef version for people who do not eat pork. They are eaten on their own, with hot rolls or as a component of various recipes.
5. Apfelstrudel
Apfelstrudel is a flaky pastry filled with apple and classified as an Austrian vegetarian food. The filling itself is flavoured with cinnamon, sugar and added with sultanas. The smell of Apfelstrudel fresh from the oven can make any foodie go weak in the knees! You can also commonly find it as it is a much-loved Austrian street food and is available to eat at any time.
6. Austrian Goulash
Goulash is a beef-based dish popular in the cuisine of several European countries, mainly Hungary, Austria and others in Central Europe and the Balkans. The preferred meats are those containing cartilage because of their tendency to thicken or gel. The word ‘goulash’ comes from the Hungarian word ‘gulyás’, which means ‘cattle herder’. It contains pepper paste, onion, garlic and caraway and must be stewed for a long time to thicken the sauce.
7. Erdäpfelsalat
Potato salad typical of German and Austrian cuisine. It is made from hard or boiling potatoes, known in German-speaking countries as ‘salad potatoes’. The pieces of these varieties keep their shape when mixed with the other ingredients of the salad. It is eaten with mayonnaise in some regions of Germany, but in Austria they prefer to dress it with broth, vinegar, oil, mustard, pepper and salt. It is one of the most versatile side dishes in Germanic cuisine and a classic accompaniment to wiener schnitzel.
8. Powidltascherl
Powidl is an Austrian sweet from Yiddish cuisine, similar to jam, but without sugar, sweeteners or stabilisers. It is made from overripe plums. The original recipe is sugar-free. The plums must be cooked for many hours for the preparation to reach the required texture and sweetness, without having to add anything else. The fruits used are harvested as late as possible to ensure that they contain as much natural sugar as possible.
9. Spargel
Asparagus is one of the most common foods in Austria. It is basically white asparagus cooked with ingredients such as sugar, salt and butter. People usually eat asparagus in summer. It is healthy and delicious.
10. Melange
The wiener melange or Viennese blend is a cappuccino-like coffee, a Viennese icon. It is prepared with a soft-bean espresso topped with hot, creamy milk and milk foam. It is drunk by sipping the froth first and served in an individual tray with a glass of water, which the consumer drinks to cleanse the palate. This classic Viennese coffee is sweetened according to personal preference and is a regular accompaniment to Austrian desserts.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.