I’ve given this question a lot of thought and it’s not easy to find an
answer. As I’ve already mentioned I’m not a big fan of the traditional Austrian
cuisine but there are still some dishes that I like as well. It’s still
difficult to make a choice because there are many regional meals that taste
great but it is hard to remember them all because one only get’s them so
rarely. I decided to present you a three-course menu that (if you’re not
vegetarian) you will certainly appreciate.
To start off you should eat a “Fritattensuppe”. This is a really simple
dish but it just tastes great. Fritattensuppe is a beef broth filled with
thinly sliced pancakes.
For the main course I absolutely recommend “Tafelspitz”. It has it origins in Vienna but I’ve seen it in many restaurants by now. Tafelspitz is boiled beef in broth, which is usually served with vegetables. It can be absolutely delicious but sadly not everybody who prepares Tafelspitz really knows how to do it – so if you want to get a good-tasting Tafelspitz the best way to have it is preparing it yourself.
The best Tafelspitz I've ever eaten was at Plachutta in Vienna. It is kind of pricy but it's totally worth it!
After eating these good dishes there’s only one way to complete this
perfect menu: a “Sachertorte”! I think this cake is the best cake in the whole
world and everybody should eat it at least once in a life time (after eating it
once I’m sure you will have it more often ;)). It consists of two layers of
chocolate cake filled with a thin layer of apricot jam (you can also try it
with cherry jam, it tastes great as well). These layers are coated in dark
chocolate couverture on top and on all sides. You can eat it with some whipped
cream but in my opinion it is better without the cream. This cake is quite easy
to prepare yourself so you should give it a try. If you don’t like baking that
much you can also have an original Sachertorte at the Sacher-Café.
Here's a video so you can learn how to make it yourselves:
Another specialty I need to mention in this
context is Austrian coffee. I think coffee is strongly related with food because
many people sit together at a cup of coffee after having a good meal or while
eating a Sachertorte. The Austrian coffee culture is extraordinary – there are
much more different types of coffee than in other countries. In my opinion it
also tastes much better than elsewhere. Austrians just love sitting in a
traditional “Kaffeehaus”, reading the newspaper or a good book while enjoying a
cup of delicious coffee. 