Food in Austria - a guide to avoiding schnitzel
The food in Austria isn’t the main reason why people come here. At the risk of being deported, compared with other national cuisines, Austrian food is really rather boring, samey, and extremely meat and potato dominant. Now to some, this may sound great, as it did to me when I first arrived here, but after years of the same menus, and the same products in ALL of the supermarkets, I long for more variety. But you’re probably coming here on holiday for just a few days, so ignore my encroaching bitterness and don’t worry, cos there’s certainly enough choice here to last you that long. And the best thing of all? You needn’t resort to ordering Schnitzel and Sacher Torte, as there are several better, albeit lesser known, options out there. Ever heard of Kaiserschmarrn or Zwiebelrostbraten? Wait, Kaiser-what? Zweeb…zwah, … oh screw it, “er yeah, I’ll have a schnitzel please!“ But resist my friends, cos unless you have a fetish for dry food, there’s no need to settle for the pronounceables. As this is a famous alpine land, I encourage you to go off-piste to discover these different options instead…
The problem with Schnitzel
But, before we do, let’s say you have one final meal request. What would you order? I’ve asked many people this and most were influenced by their geography or ancestry. Texans typically say BBQ, Californians often choose Mexican food, and Brits opted for Roast Dinners or fish n chips. Austrians I know choose schnitzel. It may indeed be a local favourite, but if you haven’t grown up with it and have no emotional connection, you’re probably better able to see it for what it really is. Don’t get me wrong, Schnitzels have a role to play, especially for the tired and hungry tourist, who cares more about volume than flavor. But, isn’t eating on holiday supposed to be about sampling new things that you can’t easily replicate back home? Anyway, let’s tuck into some of the more interesting food in Austria…
What to eat in Austria instead
To successfully avoid the ever-present Schnitzel and Sacher Torte/Apple Strudel combo, you’re gonna need to learn about the other tastier Austrian dishes, which will equally satisfy even the hungriest tourist after a day of activities and tours in Vienna…
Main Courses
Zwiebelrostbraten
This is basically a cut of roasted beef served in a rich brown gravy, buried underneath a healthy pile of freshly battered & fried crispy onions. It’s typically served with thick-cut fried potato wedges. The vegetable element, as is often the case in Austria, amounts to a single splayed gherkin. Indeed, you’ll probably notice that many restaurants don’t seem really big on vegetables, as such, this dish makes for particularly good winter food. In fact, pretty much all of my favourite Austrian dishes are best eaten in winter time given their propensity to go heavy on the meat and potatoes. It’s beefy, you’ve got crunch from the onions, and some fried potatoes as well, so it ticks some important boxes.
Käsespätzle
As I said, Austrians actually do winter food very well. Käsespätzle is a prime example of this. Hailing from the far western Austrian regions of Voralberg and Tyrol, this is a dish perfectly designed to fill up hungry skiers and farmers up in the alps. One could describe it as an Austrian version of mac n cheese, although this would be unfair, as Käsespätzle most certainly does NOT come from a packet! The homemade pasta, usually pushed through a colander to achieve a relatively uniform size and shape, is cooked with funky, melty mountain cheeses and topped with crispy fried onions (this seems to be a theme). It does get a bit samey towards the end, but it is very good, and will satisfy even the biggest appetites out there.
Blunzngröstl
Blunzngröstl is a traditional Austrian dish, most commonly eaten in the southern regions of Styria and Carinthia. It’s a combination of sautéed potatoes, onions, and the star of the show – blood sausage (blunzn). The mere sound of this, and a cursory look at the ingredients (pig’s blood, fat, and various spices) is usually enough to put most people off, but that would be a mistake. Whereas in Britain, ‘black pudding’ is often grainy, and tastes like cardboard, the Austrian version is softer and well spiced. Cooked together in a pan until crispy and golden brown, the aesthetically challenged final product is then served with a generous portion of freshly shaved horseradish, which adds a wonderfully sweet and hot burst of flavour through the dish. Hearty, earthy, and yet another comforting winter warmer. Don’t judge this book by its cover.
Schweinsbraten
Austria eats the most pork per capita in the European Union. They love the stuff – as evidenced by the sheer number of sausage stands around the city. A very solid go to Austrian restaurant dish is good old Schweinsbraten, which you’ll find on pretty much every Austrian restaurant menu. Expect a generous slice or two of roasted pork belly, served with a thin gravy, a bread dumpling and a side of sauerkraut, which adds the required acidity to complement the pork. When served in one of Vienna or Lower Austria’s traditional Heurigen (wine taverns), you often get to inspect the crispiness of the crackling before ordering directly from the counter, thus avoiding the potentially devastating disappointment of soft crackling.
Desserts
Kaiserschmarren
Kaiserschmarren translates to ‘Emperor’s mess’, as it was reportedly Kaiser Franz Josef’s favourite dessert. Essentially, this is a light and fluffy, yet thick pancake, diced up into large chunks, and flambéed in butter, sugar and rum to give a beautiful caramelised crunch. It is dusted with icing sugar on top and normally served with a chilled plum compote on the side. I know that apple sauce or other types of jam can be offered depending on where you get it from, but I’ve only ever had it served with plum compote. When you order it, alarm bells should ring if they don’t warn you that it will take about 20 minutes or so to prepare. It has to be made fresh to order, as the egg whites need to be whisked, if not expect dense, rubbery chunks. You’ll often find Kaiserschmarren at Christmas or Easter markets, but avoid those in favour of freshly made ones at a decent restaurant.
Marillenknödel
Marillenknödeln are apricot dumplings. Take an apricot, wrap it in a mashed potato or quark dough with the other things you need to make a dough (eggs, flour etc.), boil it, then roll it in a sugary, buttery breadcrumb and there you have it – another massively filling dessert. Austrians don’t f@ck about when it comes to eating, so if you ever leave a traditional restaurant hungry then it’s probably time to have a long hard look at yourself, assuming you have a wide enough mirror. Marillenknödel are especially beloved in the Wachau Valley in Lower Austria, where the growing conditions for Apricots are ideal.
Austrians are seasonal eaters too
While it may seem that I love to trash Austrian food, to their credit, this is a country that eats very seasonally, and some of those dishes are among the best you’ll find. In April, Austrians prepare some really interesting pastas, pestos and risottos with Bärlauch (wild garlic), in May both green and white asparagus (Spargel in German) steals the show (white asparagus has a tough exterior, needs to be peeled, grows underground, but still makes your wee smell funny), in June it’s Apricot season, pumpkins in October, and goose in November. If you’re in country during these times then get stuck in to whatever is seasonal on restaurant menus, and enjoy the additional smugness of ‘saving the world’.
Food tours in Vienna
Ok, I’ll admit it, I do actually enjoy the simplicity and heartiness of Austrian food (vegetarians excluded, who doesn’t love fried meat and potatoes?), and I recognise that it is much like Austrian service, direct and no nonsense. For those of you who want to immerse yourselves in the local food culture, there are several top food tours in Vienna to join, depending on what it is you’re mostly after…
For a general overview of Vienna’s food scene, then check out this Tastes of Vienna food tour which takes you to some locations and districts that you wouldn’t find on your own, including Vienna’s 10th, 16th and 7th districts. Expect to sample Austrian staples of pork belly and Goulash on this tour.
Vienna is world famous for its coffeehouses and cafe culture. In the early 1900’s these regularly hosted several of the 20th century’s most influential thinkers (Freud, Klimt, Schiele, and…er…Hitler). So if you want some coffee with your food tour then check out the Food, Coffee, and Market Walking Tour, as it takes a deep dive into Vienna’s famous coffee scene and even includes a private coffee tasting.
For all you dessert heads out there, indulge your sugar cravings on the Sweet Secrets of Vienna Dessert Tour, where you’ll consume enough chocolate, pastries and sweet treats to level up your diabetes game to a comfortable type 2.
And, even though I’ve been trashing it, for those of you that want to learn how to cook the big-hitting Austrian king and queen of cuisine (schnitzel and apple strudel), then knock yourselves out with a meat-bashing and apple-rolling workshop at this Austrian Cooking Class. You’ll prepare a 3-course meal with a local chef in Vienna’s 3rd district.
Vienna is the only capital city anywhere in the world with its own wine making tradition and industry, so it’s a great place to discover and learn about urban wine making on a tour. In particular the Heurige (wine tavern) culture is one not to be missed, so check out Venture Vienna, who offer wine tours in Vienna as well as a Vienna Woods Wine Tour (30 minutes south of Vienna) in the pretty Thermal Region. Expect detailed wine tastings with a little bit of walking to first earn it.
Another alternative would be Eat With, who offer you the chance to visit passionate local cooks in their own homes. It’s a cool way to meet both local people and other international travelers, while learning about food in Austria from the Austrians themselves (not some jumped up foreigner who thinks he knows enough to write a blog post about it). It’s like a dinner part vibe. They offer some cooking classes too.
Food in Austria: Outro...
Whether it’s Käsespätzle, Blunzngröstl, apricot dumplings, or yet more pork, eating traditional food in Austria doesn’t have to always mean schnitzel. And if you’re still having trouble deciphering the menu, and you like the sound of Zwiebelrostbraten and Kaiserschmarren, then give them a try. Just come hungry! Tip: If you’re a light eater and out with friends or family, then it might be worth sharing a main course, otherwise a lot of good food may go to waste. Equally, if you’re looking for an broad overview of what’s out there, joining one of the many food tours in Vienna is a great way to orient yourself, and get an idea of where and what else to eat during your stay.
Check out part 2 to this post with my number one favourite Austrian dish – a feature on the meatiest of all Viennese classics: the Viennese Stelze. Bon appetit, or as the Austrians say, ‘mahlzeit’!
I am salivating at the thought of the dessert!
A very informative and well written description!
Most restaurants will give you a doggy bag (if too much food)without batting an eyelid so no food that you have paid for gets wasted. It’s the norm to ask.
You are absolutely right on the doggie bag front – thanks for this. Don’t be shy to ask, folks…