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Food from Austria mixes Central European produce, textures, and flavors. Most of these influences date back to more than six centuries of the Habsburg Empire. While savory Austrian food focuses on meat, poultry, root vegetables, and dairy, Austrian desserts mostly use chocolate, soft cheese, yeast, compotes, and jams.

Austrian Goulash

Goulash is a stew of meat, usually beef, seasoned with paprika, red sweet pepper, sour cream, onions, cumin, and marjoram. Its origins trace back to the 9th century, to stews eaten by Hungarian shepherds. In the traditional recipe, a little bit of tomato sauce is added to the recipe. But in the Austrian recipe, more onions but no tomatoes or other vegetables are used, It is served with bread or dumplings (Semmelknödel). Sometimes you can find goulash with more broth to make it a soup dish. This dish is perfect for a cold winter’s day.

Grießnockerl

It is a Semolina dumpling soup. It consists of beef soup, semolina dumplings, and chives. Frothy butter is mixed with eggs and semolina to make oval dumplings, then cooked in salted water. Then, these semolina dumplings are served with beef soup and decorated with chives. Carrots can be used in the beef soup; grated lemon zest, bay leaf, ginger slices, pepper, or chili peppers are also used for flavor.

Erdäpfelsalat “Potato Salad”

Potato salad is considered a side dish. It is prepared from boiled potatoes and white wine vinegar, a bit of mustard, red onions, chives, and a dash of salt and pepper. There’s no mayonnaise to be found in this fresh salad. Some recipes also include a bit of chicken or meat stock.

Wiener Schnitzel

Traditionally, the Viennese schnitzel is made from veal but is often available with pork, chicken, or turkey meat. Wiener Schnitzel is made of a thin, breaded, pan-fried meat cutlet. It is one of the national dishes of Austria.

Tafelspitz

The Tafelspitz is one of the tastiest dishes in Austrian cuisine and one of the easiest recipes for meat dishes. It’s boiled veal or beef in a broth of spices and root vegetables like carrots, leeks, and turnips, served with a mix of apple sauce and horseradish cream or with roast potatoes, cream spinach, and sour cream with chives. A traditional way of serving Tafelspitz is together with the broth, which is to be eaten first, and the meat afterward.

Wiener Würstel “Viennese Sausages”

It is a boiled sausage traditionally made of beef and pork in a casing of sheep’s intestine, then smoked. It is served with sharp mustard, accompanied by Austrian potato salad, radishes, spring asparagus, and other fresh vegetables.

Brettljause

It is a variety of cold cuts, cheese, spreads, pickled vegetables, and a breadbasket. “Jause” in Austrian means “snack” between meals, and “Brettl” is the wooden board on which the snack is served. A basic Brettljause dish contains bread, meat, pickled vegetables, and spreads.

Käsekrainer

It is a lightly smoked, cooked sausage filled with cheese and coarse pork meat served in a bun. It is served with mustard and freshly grated horseradish; in other variants, it is served with mustard and ketchup, optionally dusted with curry powder.

Schweinsbraten

It is a roast pork dish. The pork loin comes with a crunchy crust topped with cumin and is served with white sour cabbage and bread dumplings. Depending on the recipe, it is usually seasoned with caraway, coriander, marjoram, and garlic. Mostly, Schweinsbraten is eaten with gravy, which can sometimes be thickened with flour.

Backhendl

It consists of prepared and spiced pieces of chicken, which are breaded and crispy-fried. Pepper, cumin, and lemon juice can be added to the recipe. The fried chicken is served with lemons and a green salad, potato salad, or mashed potato.

Knödel

Usually made from flour, bread, or potatoes. The savory Knödel is served as a side dish or even as meatballs in soup, while the best of sweet Knödel is a variety made up of plums. There are many varieties and variations in this recipe. The bread dumplings are known as “semmelknödel.”.

KäsesSpätzle

Käsespätzle is a traditional dish that combines freshly cooked spätzle, grated hard cheese, and roasted onions to create a delightful aroma and flavor. The dish is prepared using a variety of cheeses such as Emmental, Montafon Sura Kees, Limburger, and Weißlacker, each adding its unique twist. This comforting meal is typically served with a side of salad or potato salad, but in Vorarlberg, it is especially enjoyed with a dollop of sweet apple sauce on the side.

Perfect for chilly winter days, this hearty dish consists of chewy egg noodles (Spätzle) in a creamy Emmentaler cheese sauce topped with butter-caramelized onions. In Austria, Käsespätzle is served as both a side dish and a main course.

Dessert

Sachertorte

The most famous cake in Austria It’s a dense, rich, dark chocolate sponge cake made with thin layers of apricot jam in the middle, covered in dark chocolate icing. It’s usually served with thick whipped cream. Sachertorte was invented in Vienna in the 1800s.

Apfelstrudel

It is also called an Apple Strudel. It is made with a light, crisp pastry dough that’s stretched and thinned and filled with apples, sugar, raisins, lemon, rum, and cinnamon. It is served with toppings of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, custard, or vanilla sauce. It can be accompanied by tea, coffee, or even champagne.

Powidltascherl

Powidltascherl are dumplings made from potato dough filled with plum jam and rum, then topped with a mixture of breadcrumbs, butter, and walnuts. A bit of cinnamon and vanilla are added to add a special taste. Sometimes it is served with chocolate sauce or sugar.

Palatschinken

Palatschinken are thin pancakes or crepes usually filled with apricot jam, strawberry jam, or plum jam and then rolled. A scoop of apricot jam or vanilla ice cream is applied to it. The dough is made from eggs, wheat flour, milk, and salt and fried in a pan with butter or oil.
Then sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar or topped with different sauces.

Gugelhupf

It is a yeast-based cake often baked with raisins, traditionally baked in a distinctive circular shape. Depending on the region, it can contain raisins and almonds.

Buchteln

Buchteln are sweet rolls made of yeast dough, filled with jam, and baked in a large pan so that they all stick together. Traditionally, they are filled with plum jam and served with hot vanilla sauce.

Kaiserschmarrn

Kaiserschmarrn is a meal fit for the kings! The name of the dish is ‘Kaiser’ meaning King and ‘Schmarrn’ meaning shred. The dish is fluffy shredded pancakes! The sweet dish can be served as a dessert or as a meal by itself. The pancakes are cut into small pieces and topped with jams, sweet sauces, fruit compotes, and caramelized dried fruits. The dish, which originated in the nineteenth century, has since become part of traditional Austrian cuisine.

Rehrücken

It is a pudding made with a pound of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. It is generally baked in a loaf pan and served either dusted with powdered sugar, lightly glazed, or sometimes with a coat of icing.

Drinks

Wiener Melange

It is similar to a cappuccino It consists of one espresso shot served in a large coffee cup, topped with steamed milk and milk foam.

Einspänner Coffee

It consists of an espresso shot or regular black coffee topped with whipped cream. Einspänner is usually served in a tall glass and, it can be dusted with icing sugar or cocoa powder. Traditionally, it is not stirred, and the coffee should be slowly sipped through the whipped cream.

Glühmost