Austrian cuisine
Breakfast is of the "continental" type, usually consisting of bread rolls with either jam or cold meats and cheese, like most of european cuisine and it is accompanied by coffee, tea or juice.
A mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack of a slice of bread topped with cheese or ham is referred to as a Jause; a more substantial version akin to a British "ploughman's lunch" is called a Brettljause after the wooden board on which it is traditionally served.
Austrian butchers use a number of special cuts of meat, including Tafelspitz (beef), and Fledermaus (pork).
It is described as "very juicy, somewhat fatty, and crossed by tendons"; the latter fact makes it suitable for steaming, braising or frying after tenderization in a marinade.
Perhaps the most famous is the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot jam filling, traditionally eaten with whipped cream.
Other favourites include the caramel-flavoured Dobostorte and the delicately layered Esterhazy Torte, named in honour of Prince Esterházy (both originating from Hungary during the Austro-Hungarian empire), as well as a number of cakes made with fresh fruit and cream.
Mohr im Hemd, while traditionally something closer to a chocolate custard, is now generally prepared as a steamed cake.
A "Konditorei" is a specialist cake-maker, and the designations "Café-Konditorei" and "Bäckerei-Konditorei" are common indicators that the café or bakery in question specialises in this field.
Another favourite is Kaiserschmarr'n, a rich fluffy sweet thick pancake made with raisins and other fruits, broken into pieces and served with a fruit compote (traditionally made of plums called Zwetschkenröster (German: [ˈt͡svɛt͡ʃkn̩ˌʁœstɐ] ⓘ)) for dipping, while a speciality of Salzburg is the meringue-like "Salzburger Nocken".
Although the first coffeehouses had appeared in Europe some years earlier, the Viennese café tradition became an important part of the city's identity.
Almdudler is an Austrian soft drink based on mountain herbs and with a flavour reminiscent of sambucus beverages.
Skiwasser is a traditional Austrian beverage, made by mixing water, raspberry syrup, and lemon juice.
In Austria schnaps is made from a variety of fruits, for example apricots, rowanberries, gentiana roots, various herbs and even flowers.
For example, the Bosna or Bosner (a spiced bratwurst in a hot dog roll), is an integral part of the menu at Austria's typical fast-food restaurant, the sausage stand (Würstelstand).
In Lower Austria, local delicacies such as Waldviertel poppies, Marchfeld asparagus and Wachau apricots are cultivated.
Because of Hungarian influence, Burgenlandish dishes are often spicier than elsewhere in Austria, often indicated with the terms "Zigeuner..." ("Gypsy") or "Serbisch..." ("Serbian").
They are famous for their Brettljause, a cold hors d'oeuvre served on a wooden board, typical with Verhackertes (a spread made from finely chopped raw white bacon), different types of cold meat (Gselchtes: salted and smoked meat, Schweinsbraten: roast pork, air-dried sausages, Speck: ham) grated horseradish, hard-boiled eggs, meat paste, Liptauer, pumpkin seed spread, vegetables, pickles and cheese with sourdough bread, also Käferbohnensalat (runner bean salad) with pumpkin seed oil is typical.
A typically Styrian delicacy is pumpkin seed oil, which lends itself particularly to salads on account of its nutty flavour.
Heidensterz, resembling a dry, almost crumbly version of grits made from buckwheat flour, is a local dish enjoyed in cold weather.
Klachlsuppe (pig's trotter soup) and Reindling (yeast-dough pastry/cake filled with a mix of cinnamon, sugar, walnuts and raisins) are also produced locally.
Linzer Torte, a cake that includes ground almonds or nuts and redcurrant jam, is a popular dessert from the city of Linz, the capital of Upper Austria.
Linzeraugen are fine, soft biscuits filled with redcurrant jam called Ribiselmarmelade, which has a sharp flavour.
