The Top 10 Austrian Dishes

Foreigners often ask me what do people actually eat in Austria. Sausages, right? Well, not quite. Of course, Austrians love sausages, especially in barbecue season during which you will rarely find a fridge without them. However, they are far from the only thing that the national cuisine has to offer.

So that you can get an idea of these foods, which will make your mouth water, I will introduce you to some of the most famous and delicious Austrian meals there is. And to make the whole thing a bit more exciting, we will begin at the bottom of the rankings (which are of course based on my own personal preferences, just try everything! ).

Although I also like to cook occasionally, I find that some of these dishes take a lot of time and effort (and money when it comes to meat), so I will not be writing any recipes for you. However, if you would like to prepare the food yourself, I'm sure you will be able to find them on the internet in no time.

10. Brettljause

I beg your pardon? Brettljause - funny word, right? Well, once broken down it does actually make sense. "Brettl" is the name of a board (in this case a cutting board) in the Austrian dialect. And a "Jause" is a snack, usually eaten in the afternoon between 3 and 5 o'clock (but you can also have a morning snack, so a kind of second breakfast for all hobbits among you; )).

The combination of these two terms refers to a particular dish that is usually eaten on a wooden board and as a snack, because it consists of cold ingredients. On these cold plates you can find all sorts of things: all kinds of sausage (ham, bacon, salami, liverwurst, prosciutto), cold meat (for example, smoked meat), various cheeses (Emmental, Gouda, Parmesan), boiled eggs, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles and peppers. The whole thing is then garnished with horseradish and enjoyed with a piece of dark rye bread. To go with it, you can drink a cold beer, a raspberry spritzer or some schnapps - for the true connoisseurs.

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9. Tafelspitz

Another weird word... if you read that on the menu, would you know what it is? Well, it's another strange dish actually, but really delicious! This is beef, the rump to be exact, first cooked in broth and then served with potatoes (hash browns, as pictured below) and vegetables. Finally, some chives are sprinkled over it together with the strained broth. Above all, I love the way this dish is served, but unfortunately it's way too elaborate (for me) to prepare it myself.

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8. Würstel (Vienna Sausage)

Yes, there they are already, the beloved Vienna sausage. I do not know why, but these are what foreigners love the most about Austrian (and German) cuisine. Not without reason, because we have a large variety of different sausages and, above all, an interesting tradition, which you find especially in Vienna: the sausage stands.

Funnily enough, the famous Vienna sausages are not actually called that here; in Vienna they call them frankfurters. The "Wiener" (Viennese sausage) itself is a piquant sausage, so be careful to get the right one when ordering! But do not worry, you have a lot to choose from at the Viennese sausage stalls: as well as Frankfurters, there are also Burenwurst (a boiled sausage that is often dipped in sweet mustard) or Käsekrainer (also known as "Eitrige" (meaning purulent un English)... I know, that's not very tasty! ). You always get a piece of Semmel (a round, crusty roll) or brown bread and you can also ask for gherkins, spicy pepperoni, mustard or ketchup.

So, you Viennese sausage-lovers, go to the sausage stand!

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7. Gulash

This delicious and simple dish originally comes from Hungary, as the name may well betray, but has become a Viennese speciality over time. There are also many different variations of this stew, for example you can make it with meat or with potatoes or peppers or you can throw everything together.

The most widely used form in Austria is beef goulash (known outside of Austria as Viennese goulash). Fiakergulasch is also interesting, but very difficult to digest, because it is served with frankfurters, a fried egg and sometimes with bread dumplings. Sounds to me like an attempt to lump all Viennese classics in one pot. But my favorite variant is and always will be my mum's, because she is a vegetarian and therefore always makes goulash with potatoes, beans and peppers. Since the Austrian cuisine is usually very meat heavy, I like this variant as a healthier alternative!

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6. Schinkenfleckerl (Ham pasta)

A really simple and cheap dish, and a definite hit among many Austrian students. Even if the name sounds quite outrageous, this dish is actually quite simple: Pasta with ham. The name "Fleckerl" comes from the special pasta, which is used and which is recognizable due to its square shape. The ham is cut into small pieces that are about the same size as the pasta itself. It is all then fried with onions and cream, cream or béchamel in a pan and, if desired, baked in the oven with some cheese. As a vegetarian alternative, there are Krautfleckerl, in which herbs are used instead of ham as an ingredient. In many Austrian restaurants this ham or herby pasta is served directly in the pan and accompanied by lettuce.

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5. Soups

Now, you probably think that soups are nothing special at all, but in Austria there are certain soups that are really delicious as an appetizer or as a light dinner.

Here you have the five best Austrian soups that you definitely have to try:

1. Pumpkin Soup: I know this dish is spread all over the world, but the Austrians (especially the Styrians) are especially good at making this creamy soup.

2. Mushroom soup: in the autumn months especially you will often find soups and other dishes with mushrooms on the menu. Well, there are many forests in Austria!

3. Liver dumpling soup: the dumplings are made from cow's liver, which are bound and shaped together with bread and parsley by using egg yolk. The dumplings are then served in beef soup. Good, but very meaty.

4. Semolina dumpling soup: the dream of every Austrian child! Along with the soup below, semolina dumpling soup is a Viennese classic. It is usually made with beef soup, but there are also often vegetarian alternatives.

5. Frittatensuppe (Pancake soup): my personal favorite of all the soups. Small pancakes are made out of smooth pancake batter. The pancakes are then thrown into the finished broth and garnished with fresh chives.

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4. Roast Pork

When I visit my grandmother and she asks me in advance what I would like to eat, then I only ever have one answer: roast pork! Even if you can't get it as well made as my grandma's roast pork don't be sad, you can get a good roast pork all over Austria, you just have to choose the right pub for it.

This wonderful dish is made from various pork pieces that are fried or stewed. The roast is then doused with plenty of juice, seasoned with cumin, coriander and garlic and served with dumplings and cabbage. Bread dumplings are often used, but I just love potato dumplings way too much to replace them with anything else. Normally you use sauerkraut as a side dish, but I have a weakness for red cabbage, which my granny of course always takes into account.

Trust me that when you come to Austria, without a doubt you have to try a porkroast. But beware: the portions you get here in restaurants will be enough to last you for a whole day!

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3. Egg gnocchi

Finally, a typical Austrian vegetarian meal! But don't be fooled by appearances, they can be as filling as an onion roast. Egg gnocchi are made from spaetzle (German pasta), which are seared in a pan with eggs and onions and then refined with chives. This dish is usually served in the pan itself and enjoyed with a crisp green salad. You can not miss out on it if you come to Austria.

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2. Potato salad

There is nothing like a fresh and delicious potato salad, which you can enjoy as a side dish to just about anything. I know, this is not an actual meal on its own, but I love it so much that it took second place in my ranking. Potato salad would even fit perfectly in first place on this list.

But beware, it's easy to think that it's relatively easy to make a potato salad, but it's not. You need a very specific type of potato, waxy potatoes, as they do not disintegrate as fast as normal potatoes do when mixing the ingredients. The salad is seasoned with vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and mustard and for the best result, cut up some red onions to go in it (normal onions will do too). In Austria there are two variants: with or without mayonnaise. The Styrian version tastes especially exquisite: the salad is garnished with lamb's lettuce (corn salad) and pumpkin seed oil. Really tasty!

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1. Wiener Schnitzel

Who else could be number one on this tasty list?! As a native Viennese woman, of course I am biased, but I believe I can say that the Wiener Schnitzel is very popular in Austria (and also in other countries). The schnitzel is served in many different ways, made from chicken, pork or veal and served with rice, chips, parsley potatoes or potato salad, with ketchup, mayonnaise (even if no Viennese would ever eat it with mayonnaise! ) or with cranberries (in my opinion the only option to really enjoy a schnitzel). Most importantly, do not forget to squeeze the accompanying lemon wedge over the schnitzel.

What else can I say, just try all the variations and discover which one you think tastes best!

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Well then, have fun eating! Dinner time!

P. S. : Read this article too about the top 10 Austrian desserts.

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