Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Local Specialities
Locavore is huge in Austria, where locals take genuine pride in their home-grown pro-
duce. Bright and early Saturday morning, you'll see them combing farmers markets, bas-
kets and jute bags in hand, for whatever is seasonal. It's as much a matter of ethics as
taste: Austrians believe firmly in supporting their farmers, cheese-makers and vintners,
many going out of their way to buy organic, regionally sourced goods.
Chefs often make the most of seasonal, regional ingredients too, and many have been
quick to piggyback on the Slow Food trend (look for the snail symbol) in recent years. Pi-
quant
Bergkäse
mountain cheese in Bregenzerwald, lake fish on the shores of
Neusiedlersee, dark, nutty pumkin-seed oil in Styria and tangy Rieslings from the Wachau
never taste better than at the source.
Vienna
Nothing says classic Austrian grub like the classic Wiener schnitzel, a breaded veal cutlet,
often as big as a boot, which is fried to golden perfection. Imperial favourites with a Hun-
garian flavour - paprika-spiced
Fiakergulasch
and
Tafelspitz mit Kren
(boiled beef with
horseradish) are big. Wines produced on the city's fringes are served at rustic
Heurigen
(wine taverns) with hunks of dark bread topped with creamy, spicy Liptauer fresh cheese.
Regionally grown
Suppengemüse
(soup vegetables such as carrots, celery, radish and root
vegetables) pop up at markets and on menus.
Vienna is naturally also king of Austria's
Kaffeehaus
(coffee-house) scene.
Lower Austria
If one fruit could sum up this region, the Wachau's tiny, juicy
Marille
(apricot), made into
jam, schnapps and desserts, would rise to the challenge. Spreading north of the Danube
Valley, the rural Waldviertel peps up everything from pasta to desserts with poppy seeds,
while the orchard-wealthy Mostviertel to the south is cider and perry country. Some of
Austria's finest wines are produced in the vines that march up the hillsides here, including
tangy Grüner Veltiner and Riesling whites, fruity Zweigelt and medium-bodied
Blaubur-
gunder
(Pinot noir) reds. Trout, carp and asparagus are also fished and grown locally.
