There are many reasons to visit #Austria at least once in your lifetime. There is always plenty to do, from enjoying breathtaking mountain views and strolling through charming villages to seeing stunning historical landmarks. Also, if you are a fan of winter sports, you'll be thrilled to hear that some of the best European ski destinations are there.
In Austria they like seasonal food and local flavor. Beyond the Viennese schnitzels and dumplings, the Austrian cuisine has evolved a lot, but remains true to its philosophy of carefully selected local ingredients. Vegan, organic, wild ingredients and slow food are much more than just fashionable concepts. Whether it's a farmers' market, a retro-style delicatessen, a modern brunch venue or a Michelin-starred restaurant, love for the land is always present. And Croissants (Kipferl), are originally from here.
But most importantly, there is no way you can stay hungry as there are so many delicious foods to try when visiting Austria for the first time. We've selected several amazing dishes that you absolutely have to taste.
Before we start listing amazing foods to try when visiting Austria, we'd like to draw your attention to the importance of protecting yourself while traveling. As the world is still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, make sure to follow recommended guidelines and keep yourself and your loved ones safe at all times.
Now comes the delicious part of this article - a list of fantastic foods that will leave you wanting more.
1. Sachertorte
Moving from the USA to Austria can be quite a change and a very challenging event. Once you settle and start over in Austria, make sure to treat yourself to a delicious piece of Sacher torte. One bite will make you forget all about your long international move and the stress that came with it. There's no better way to start our Austrian food journey but with a dessert that everyone falls in love with.
Enjoy the delicious sachertorte. For the uninitiated, sachertorte is a cake, of Austrian origin, that consists of a dense chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam on top, coated in dark chocolate icing on the top and sides. It is traditionally served with unsweetened whipped cream. In Vienna there even is a Hotel named after it were you can get the best Sachertorte in the whole world. This dessert is also served everywhere in Austria. It's a chocolate cake served with some whipped cream.
Sacher Torte is a famous Viennese specialty as well as one of the best chocolate cakes in the world. This legendary chocolate cake layered with apricot preserves was invented in Vienna in 1832 by Austrian Franz Sacher for Prince Wenzel von Metternich. It didn't take long for it to become one of the most famous and favorite chocolate cakes in the whole world.
The Original Sacher-Torte is still hand-made using Franz Sacher’s original recipe to this day and has two layers of apricot jam between the outer layer of chocolate icing and the sponge base and is now served in Hotel Sacher - a five star hotel founded in 1876 and situated in Vienna and Salzberg. The recipe of sachertorte is a closely guarded secret. Make sure to try a piece at Hotel Sacher. Their version of this cake is a closely guarded secret.
Due to the strict guarding of this recipe, this cake is not sold outside Austria, and Hotel Sacher does not plan to sell it at its overseas branch to avoid the recipe to be leaked.
2. Marillenknödel
Marillenknödel are also very popular in Vienna and Austria. It's basically a dumpling but filled with apricots. Apricot dumplings or Marillenknödel are an iconic desert originating from the picturesque Wachau Valley. This region is known for its rich historical heritage and a gorgeous view of the Danube. The dish is common in the Czech Republic, too.
Small dumplings are formed from dough which is usually made of potato. In the middle of the dumplings, you can find cored apricots or Mirabelle plums. The dumplings are then boiled in slightly salted water and covered with breadcrumbs and powdered sugar. Although you can buy them frozen, make sure to try freshly made ones. You can find them anywhere around Austria.
3. Wiener Schnitzel
Out of so many iconic dishes in Austria, wiener schnitzel might be the most famous one. Wiener Schnitzel is one of the foods to try when visiting Austria It's a thin, breaded, and deep-fried veal dish, traditionally served with lettuce, cucumber, or potato salad. There is also a pork version of Wiener schnitzel. If that's the one you want to order, make sure to ask for Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein.
Wiener schnitzel is known EVERYWHERE, there is no restaurant that doesn't have it. It's pork, dipped in mashed eggs and then bread crumbs, fried and served with a salad and some potatoes or fries and the dessert is Sachertorte.
Although this dish originally comes from Italy, Austrian chefs perfected the recipe and made it iconic. Interestingly, the roots of this dish are found in Venice. From as early as the 16th century, Italian chefs experimented with frying meat in a breadcrumb wrapper. Legend says that in 1857 Austrian field marshal Count Radetzky brought this dish to Austria, where chefs perfected the recipe.
4. Apfelkren
Obligatory amongst the accompaniments are chive sauce (Schnittlauchsauce) made with chives and cream, and horseradish mixed with apple in a kind of purée. In Austria, this is known as Apfelkren, using a word for horseradish of Slavic origin (cf. Polish chrzan; Czech křen etc.) that is well-known internationally through being used in Yiddish also. The standard German word for horseradish - Meerrettich - is not much used in Austria.
5. Apfelstrudlel
Other popular desserts in Vienna and Austria are Apfelstrudlel, it's an apple pie but rolled up. If this is not served then your not in Austria. It's served with apple sauce or vanilla sauce.
6. Kaiserschmarren
It's a fluffy pancake but split into pieces and baked with raisins if you want to. It's also served with applesauce or vanilla sauce.
7. Germknöddel
Another delicious dessert that every Austrian knows is Germknödlel. It's a dumpling but with the bread crumbs. It's huge! In the inside there is chocolate or jam. And the dumpling itself is sprinkled with sugar and a nut called Mohn. It's normally served in vanilla sauce. Germknöddel are also like dumplings but not covered in bread crumbs. And in the inside there's chocolate or jam. The outside is sprinkled with what they call Mohn. It's also served with vanilla sauce.
8. Mozartkugel
Viennas signature sweets are the Mozartkugel, these are little chocolate balls filled with nougat and marzipan. You can get it in every supermarket in Austria but in Vienna there's a huge shop only selling these. And a snack that is very very common are brezels. They come in small, big, sweet, salty and sometimes even spicy. It's a baked pastry made from dough that is very commonly shaped into a knot.
9. Brezel
In Austria, Brezel's are covered in pretty much any nuts you like. There are also pizza Brezel's. Brezel's Are also used as a Sandwich do you can put anything you like in it. You can even make it into a hamburger. And not to forget the little Brezel's. They sometimes even come with other little snacks. But these little Brezel's are called Soletti in Austria.
10. Frittatensuppe
Frittatensuppe is a noodle soup but instead of noodles use sliced pancake stripes. It's served in very restaurant in Austria. A cookie that is served everywhere in Austria when it is winter is Vanillekipferl. They are crescent formed biscuits and have the flavor of almonds and hazelnuts. Plus they are sprinkled with sugar. Another not so known dish is Krautfleckerl/Schinkenfleckerl. It's basically noodles mixed with ham.
Kaspressknödel is a soup were they mush dumpling bread and cheese together and put it in soup.
11. Leberkäse Semmel
It is corned beef, pork and bacon but into one slice and its put between two buns. Brettljause is in every Austrian restaurant. It a big plate filled with dozen of thing you can put on your bread. Austrians Love dumplings. It's mashed and seasoned pork inside of a dumpling. Käsekrainer are sausages but filled with cheese and sometimes rolled up in bacon.
12. Faschierte Laibchen
It is a combination of ground beef and ground pork, milk soaked bread, eggs, fried onions, fired garlic, bread crumbs, spices and many other seasonings. It’s normally served with mashed potatoes.
13. Punschkrapfen
It is a small cake that is strongly flavored with rum and coated in pink icing and on top there is a little cherry.
Linzer Augen are basically just like empire biscuits but in an other form. And when there are festivals you will see these ginger bread cookies everywhere. They are ginger bread cookies in form of hearts and decorated with sugar writings and forms. They mostly have compliments written on them so you can give them to somebody as a present. The strings are there so you can wear it as a necklace.
14. Schaumbecher
You can find Schaumbecher in pretty much every bakery or festivals. It's basically a cone and some whipped cream drop in chocolate. Pez is a very simple hard Candy and it comes in many MANY flavors and colors. Some sweet some spicy and some even fuzz in your mouth. A very underrated and less known sweet is Katzenzungen, which means Cat tongue. It’s basically just chocolate but it should represent the form of a cat tongue.
15. Tafelspitz
Lastly, we present you the national dish of Austria - Tafelspitz. This is one of the most popular dishes in Austria. Its name refers to the cut of meat (known as the tri-tip).
This very simple yet delicious dish is basically boiled veal or beef in broth. It's usually served with horseradish, root vegetables, spices, and minced apples. Another option is to have it with a mix of sour cream and chives. You can taste many different variations all over Austria, especially in Vienna.
Other accompaniments to Tafelspitz, made with potatoes or root-vegetables, are quite common as well, but Schnittlauchsauce and Apfelkren are considered more or less obligatory, without which the dish cannot be legitimately served as Tafelspitz. Tafelspitz is considered a classic dish of Austrian cuisine, specifically that of the capital, Vienna.
Are you moving to Austria? Are you planning on making the home of Klimt, Mozart, Wagner, Schubert, and Strauss your home too? Congratulations, you are in for a fantastic adventure. Austria itself has so much to offer. On top of that, it borders eight other countries so it will be easy for you to travel and see new places.
Austria is one of the most beautiful countries to visit, not only in Europe but in the world, too. The scenery will leave you speechless. It goes without saying that international relocation can be very challenging and stressful. This is especially true if you are moving to a place you've never been to before.
In that case, it's only natural to feel overwhelmed and scared of the unknown. Therefore, you need to prepare well for the culture shock that's waiting for you, so before you move, make sure to research local weather, culture, cost of living, healthcare options, public transport, etc. Look for a job. If you have kids, research childcare and education options. Find a place to live. Start learning German.
However, even with everything listed above, the most important thing is to find experienced and reliable movers who can handle a task as difficult as moving you to another continent. The expert team from movingtransparent.com is always more than happy to help as they've successfully relocated thousands of people across the globe.
Guten appetit!
With all of these delicious foods to try when visiting Austria, it is no surprise that this country is one of the best European countries to visit. If you get to move there, consider yourself lucky, as you'll fall in love not only with the Austrian cuisine but with everything else this gorgeous country has to offer. Have a safe trip and Guten appetit!
