Hearty and always made with local ingredients, Austrian food holds a treasured spot in my stomach.
As my readers know, I’m a total foodie. One of my favorite travel activities is trying the local food and delicacies in any country and then recreating my favorites at home and posting the recipes on TWC.
Austria is one of my favorite countries to visit, especially if visiting the Austrian Alps. I love the cozy nights spent sampling Austrian comfort food in wooden chalets fireside. These five foods are always on my “to eat” list when visiting this alpine paradise.
I’ll share my own Austrian recipes for these dishes soon, but for now, here are the Austrian food specialties you need to try on your next Europe trip.
Käsespätzle
In essence, this is Austria’s dreamy take on macaroni and cheese and topped with roasted onions (amazing) and herbs.
“Käse” means cheese, and “spätzle” refers to the region’s egg noodle specialty — so there you have it: cheesy egg noodles.
I usually eat this rich indulgence daily when visiting Austria, because I simply can’t help myself — but don’t worry, I balance it with my other healthy eating while traveling mantras.
TIP: If you aren’t a fan of strongly flavored cheese, then double check with the server to make sure you are served a mild version. It’s usually served mild but it’s always better to be safe and satisfied.
Goulash
Any Austrian food list couldn’t be complete without Goulash!
Typical to southern Germany and Austria alike (but originally Hungarian), Goulash is simple alpine comfort food. It’s important to know that this meat-based stew can be made and served a million different ways. No goulash is created equally, and they are all usually hearty, satisfying and totally worth trying.
Rinderbrühe mit Flädle
OK, so I’m not really a huge soup fan, but I can never get enough of this PANCAKE soup. Yes, pancakes. I told you Austrians knew what they were doing.
Simply put: this is a rich beef-based broth with tiny strips of thin Austrian “pfannkuchen” — AKA Pancakes — and topped with fresh herbs. It’s a soul warming delicacy and it’s hard to stop at one bowl.
Apple Strudel
True story: I didn’t like apple strudel until I tried one in Austria, the home of the strudel. You can thank Austrians for this beloved dessert.
I don’t know what it is about Austrian Apple Strudels in particular, but they are pure fluffy and ooey-gooey food porn perfection. Every strudel is like an “I’m eating at grandmas right now and this is everything” experience. Austrians even serve it with local vanilla ice cream and it’s so good it’s just not fair.
Osternkranz
We visited Austria over Easter weekend and little beknown to tourists, Europe is like a pastry and bread parade during Easter time. This Osterkranz, very typical to Austria during spring time, was the perfect treat to go alongside my afternoon espresso. They usually have some variation of it yearround and I recommend everyone taste this delicious treat.
TIP: When going to any bakery in Europe, always ask for what is the region’s traditional treats and breads. The hidden treasures of Austrian treats go beyond the croissaints and pretzels.
