Travel for Food Hub The Food Blog for Travel Lovers
Last Updated on February 7, 2023
Austrian dishes are renowned and adored all over the world. The historical fusion of Czech, Hungarian, Austrian and other cuisines into the old Austro-Hungarian Empire’s culinary repertoire blessed us with countless, mouth-watering delicacies. Beyond the unforgettably tasty, highly-celebrated Apfelstrudel, Wiener Schnitzel, or Sachertorte, lies another large world of lesser-known delectable treasures for you to try. Once you have decided where to stay in Vienna, you can plan where to try these nine delicious foods in the Austrian capital:
1. Semmeln and Salzstangerl
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These bread rolls are staples of the Austrian diet and they also form the foundation of a typical breakfast table. A crunchy, warm, freshly-baked Semmel or salty Salzstangerl, paired with your favourite spread or butter and jam, makes a heavenly breakfast to start the day.
2. Liptauer
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Speaking of favourite spreads, Liptauer is an amazing and tangy spread that makes a perfect snack. It is a soft, cheesy spread accented by finely-chopped onion and paprika. And it goes well with a drink at just about any time. Be careful because it is very difficult to stop eating once you’ve started!
3. Leberknoedelsuppe
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This soup, made with liver dumplings and fine herbs, is a national favourite (along with lots of other awesome soups). It’s perfect as a companion to a light lunch, or as a starter before dinner.
4. Leberkaese Semmel
On the subject of light lunches, you can’t go wrong ordering a warm Leberkaese Semmel at a sausage stand or at a grocery store in the deli section. Be sure to get some delicious brown mustard on the roll with a slice of this oven-baked loaf made of ground pork and beef (and sometimes bacon) for a snack, lunch, or when on the go.
5. Kaesewurst
While at the deli counter, any salami-and-cheese lovers might want to experiment with some Kaesewurst, a wonderful yet simple lunch meat with specks of cheese in it.
6. Burenwurst
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To really live like a local, stop by any Wuerstelstand (sausage vendor stands on many streets) and take a break with a hot Burenwurst, one of many types of delicious local sausages. To make the experience complete, it should be accompanied by a Semmel or piece of bread, brown mustard, and a glass of beer.
7. Heisse Maroni
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If you happen to be in Vienna during the winter or colder months, you’ll spot some street vendors selling Heisse Maroni at strategically-located spots around the city. These roasted chestnuts are ideal to nibble on while strolling the cobblestone roads of the inner city or while waiting for a streetcar on a chilly day.
8. Faschiertes or Schinkenfleckerl
Apart from the numerous, very famous Austrian main dishes such as Tafelspitz or Wiener Schnitzel, to name just two, there is a whole other world of simple, down-to-earth, yet amazingly hearty recipes to try. Faschiertes is a popular style of yummy meatloaf that goes great with mashed potatoes and gravy. Schinkenfleckerl is another nice, local comfort food, overflowing with noodles and specks of ham.
9. Desserts and sweets – just too many to single out a particular one!
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Once the subject moves on to Austrian desserts, there are really just far too many splendid choices to single out only one…or two…or even three. Everyone has heard the highly-deserved praises of Apfelstrudel, Kaiserschmarrn, and Sachertorte, to name just a few of this country’s renowned, awesome desserts. So let’s add the following further little sampling of other desserts or sweets. Again, just a tiny sprinkling from an almost endless selection of sweets to add to your “must try” list when in Austria: Punschtorte (punch cake, made with rum, and a trademark pink frosting), Linzer Torte (an appetizing, lattice-design crusty cake with red currant or raspberry filling), Marillenknoedel (usually only available during apricot season – fantastic, sweet apricot dumplings), Mohnstrudel (poppy seed strudel – a perfect fit with a cup of strong Austrian coffee), and Ribisel-Palatschinken (a very thin, dainty, crepe-like pancake with red currant).
And the list of delicious foods to try in Vienna could go on and on… So please let us know in the comments what’s your favourite dish that everyone should try when visiting Vienna.
