Wiener Schnitzel
...seems to be the most favourite dish of the Austrians. Per person around 30 Schnitzel are eaten each year. The legend says that field marshal Radetzky brought the recipe from Italy in 1857. Though the legend was disproved, the Schnitzel gained worldwide fame. In addition there is a whole range of other dishes that can be connected with the capital city, like for example the classic Fiakergulasch (goulash), Burenwurst (sausage) and Käsekrainer (cheese kransky), boiled veal and pork knuckle, Kaiserschmarrn (cut-up pancakes) and of course also the world famous Sacher cake.
Wine, women and song
The waltz composed by Johann Strauss hits the point: No matter if in an award-winning restaurant or at a Heurigen (wine tavern), wine has always played an important role in Vienna and can be found in many Viennese songs. On about 700 hectares wine is cultivated mainly in the northwest of the city and in the near of the Danube. Very special is the Viennese Gemischter Satz, a white wine consisting of up to 20 different types of grape. Next to the Viennese wine also the vegetable is a specialty. More than 40 different kinds are cultivated at the Vienna city limits, from cabbage lettuce up to sweetcorn. About one third of the amount of vegetables that is consumed in the city is also produced within Vienna.
Culinary highlights
Whether you prefer classic Viennese cuisine or international dishes, in Vienna there is a virtually endless variety of restaurants, inns and taverns including also the Würstelstand (sausage stand) and the classic Viennese Beisl (pub) as well as Heurigen and Buschenschänke (wine taverns). Of course the Vienna coffeehouse culture should not be forgotten, which is since 2011 listed as intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. The Viennese markets complete the culinary offer of the city, where you can find next to numerous regional and seasonal products for your home also small snack bars and bistros inviting you to directly taste the specialties.
