Austrian Cuisine: Staple Foods, Classic Dishes & Desserts

Staples

• Potatoes (ubiquitous)
• Pork (sausages, bacon, roasts)
• Beef (goulash, schnitzel)
• Bread (rye, wheat, sourdough)
• Cheese (hard/semi-hard)

Iconic Dishes

• Wiener Schnitzel: Breaded fried veal cutlet + parsley potatoes.
• Goulash: Paprika beef stew with onions/vegetables.
• Käsekrainer: Cheese-stuffed pork sausage.
• Tafelspitz: Boiled beef + root veg, dumplings, apple-chive sauce.
• Kaiserschmarrn: Shredded pancake + plum compote.

Desserts

• Sachertorte (chocolate-apricot cake)
• Apfelstrudel (apple strudel)
• Topfenkuchen (quark cheesecake)
• Palatschinken (filled crepes)
• Mohrrübentorte (carrot cake)

Drinks

• Coffee culture (Melange, Cappuccino)
• Austrian wine (Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt)
• Beer (local breweries)
• Apfelmost (apple cider)
• Spritzer (white wine + sparkling water)