Today we will talk about 15 popular Austrian dishes to try on your next Austria trip. Every country has its own unique culture. If you happen to visit a new country, make sure you enjoy to the fullest by being a part of the culture. How can you miss out on food then?
With various regions come their popular dishes, unique flavors and a distinct taste. Chances of liking what you tried or not would always depend on your taste. But is it even a trip if you don’t immerse yourself in the place completely? If you happen to visit Austria, especially Vienna and Salzburg, you will find some specific dishes on most of the menus.
Here are 15 Popular Austrian Dishes to try on your next Austria trip are:
Wiener Schnitzel
Wiener Schnitzel is a traditional Austrian dish popular in most regions of Austria. It is mostly popular in pork or beef variants. You can rarely find it in the chicken variant as well. Any of these meats which you select are breaded and fried. It is usually served with a potato Salad or Kartoffelsalat as they call it and a slice of lime. Wiener Schnitzel is also popular in the Bayern region of Germany. It is sometimes served with a cranberry dip or sauce.
Sachertorte
Sachertorte is one of the most popular desserts in Vienna. Popular places where people usually have it, is Sacher. You will find variants for this cake in other places too. We recommend you to try the cake in Sacher in Vienna. On a busy day, there would be a lot of rush there. Sachertorte is a chocolate cake with layers of apricot jam and chocolate. It was first baked by Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Wenzel.
Frittatensuppe
Another popular item you will see on the menu in Austria is the Frittatensuppe or the pancake soup. This is a simple soup made in a beef broth. Small strips of pancake are added to this soup.
Döner Kebab
The next dish is a popular street food in Austria. Döner Kebab has a Turkish influence. Döner Kebab is also known as Döner Kebap. The name Döner was derived from the Turkish words- dönmek which means to revolve and kebap which means grilled meat. Shawarma, veggies and a yogurt sauce is added to a pita like bread. It is a popular item sold in rotisseries.
Leberkäse
If you split the word Leberkäse, Leber translates to liver and Käse translates to cheese. Leberkäse contains ground meat from corned beef, pork and bacon. It can contain small quantities of liver or cheese or both, as the name suggests. The meat is then baked in the oven till it gets a nice crust. It is shaped like a loaf. It is usually served with a bread and a side.
Palatschinken
Palatschinken are the Austrian version of pancakes. These are usually filled with apricot jam or any other filling of choice and then rolled and dusted with powdered sugar. The pancakes can also be had just with maple syrup or butter. Palatschinken are used in some soups too.
Apfel Strudel
Apfel Strudel is an Austrian dessert loved by many. Apfel translates to Apple and Strudel translates to whirlpool or a swirl. This dessert has a Turkish and a Hungarian influence. It is a dessert made of layers of thin sheets of pastry wrapped around an apple filling. It is usually served with ice cream.
Knödel
Knödel is a boiled dumpling used in the Austrian cuisine. These dumplings can be found in various preparations, sweet as well as savory. There are various ways of preparing these dumplings as they are now popular in many places in Europe, not just in Austria.
Wiener Würstel
A Wiener Würstel aka Vienna sausage is a popular food item in Austria. You will find it on most menus. It is traditionally made of pork and beef. Make sure you study how to eat sausages as you have to remove the sheep intestine casing in a few.
Wiener Kaffee
As many people know already, Vienna is known for its coffee culture. In the coffee houses of Vienna, you can find several types of coffees unheard of. Coffee is usually served with a glass of cold tap water in Vienna. You can sit for hours in the coffee houses and enjoy an alone time.
Goulash
Goulash is a dish which comes from Hungary. It is another food item popular there. It is the history of Austria that has brought in the food items of various cultures into the Austrian cuisine. Goulash is a meat stew cooked for hours. It also contains veggies and is flavored with spices.
Tafelspitz
Tafelspitz is a typical beef in a broth dish. If you break down the name of the dish, Tafel translates to slab and spitz translated to spiky. It is served with a horseradish and apple mince. The meat is poached for hours before it is served.
Salzburger Nokerl
Salzburger Nokerl is a speciality dessert in the region of Salzburg. Nockerl is a type of dumpling. Salzburger Nokerl is served with a sweet dip. It is said to be derived from a French soufflé dish.
Pretzel
Pretzel would probably be the one dish from this list which you already must have heard of or even tried. A pretzel is usually crispy and baked in the form of a knot. It is usually topped with coarse salt. It has a cracker like flavor and you will definitely like it. It is also popular in Germany.
Mozart Torte
Mozart was a very popular Austrian music composer. Mozart torte is a layered cake. It gets the green layer from the green pistachio marzipan. The other layers are the chocolate ganache and a delicious cake. It is topped with a small disk with the face of Mozart.
Apart from these 15 popular Austrian dishes, did you know that Sauerkraut is also popular in Austria, just like in Germany?
PS – Not all recipes are the same but most of the ingredients in the recipes would be the same.
If you enjoyed reading this article, also check out Popular Desserts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
