If you’re like us and frequently grow tired of eating the same school cafeteria food, you’ll find this series to be refreshing. This is episode one of a hopefully 26-part series where we (Francesca Schneider and Gabrielle Sullivan) will take you (the reader) on a trip around the globe, making stops at countries A–Z to research, shop, cook, and sample cultural dishes. Additionally, our mission is to educate ourselves (and you!) on the social and cultural values in other countries beyond food.
Our first stop: Austria, where we’ll be making a dish called Apfelstrudel.
Recipe – Apfelstrudel
Apfelstrudel translates to apple strudel in English and is a dessert that reflects Austria’s rich cultural history. Austria is characterized by its strong musical scene, classical music, festivals, and strong prioritization of family. Vienna was designated as the European capital of music due to the fact that the Austrian monarchy served as patron for the arts, especially music. According to Music of Vienna, a website which covers musical events and the history of Vienna, “Vienna was the glittering capital of a great empire where the sponsorship of the Habsburg dynasty and of many of the aristocrats at the imperial court created an excellent environment for musicians and artists.” This high society culture helped elevate simple, accessible foods like Apfelstrudel into refined dishes enjoyed across social classes.
The oldest known recipe for Apfelstrudel dates back to 1696. It was made through a trade of ideas, with phyllo dough, which originated from the Ottoman Empire, serving as the pastry base. Phyllo dough is traditionally used for thin-layered pastries such as strudel. Apples and raisins were used as Austrian chefs began to alter and adjust the filling. Strudel means whirlpool in German, which refers to its iconic spiraled layers. Apfelstrudel was originally seen as a food for poverty-stricken classes because it was easy and affordable, only requiring flour, water, apples, and sometimes oil or lard. (Note from future us: this was not an easy recipe…) However, today it has become a refined, elegant dish that is a beacon of Austrian culture around the world—much like the classical composers Austria is famous for, such as Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The national language spoken in Austria is German. A specific variety of German, Austrian German, is mainly spoken there. Other languages include Hungarian, Croatian, and Slovene. Austria was established in 976 AD by Emperor Otto II who appointed Leopold I. He was entrusted with the administration of the Eastern March, which served as the origin for the country today. Austria is surrounded by Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. In some mountainous regions, you may accidentally hike into another country without even realizing—one minute you’re in Austria and the next you’re in Italy. Ostarrichi (Austria) dates back to 996 AD, with that word later turning into Österreich (Austria) in the modern German language today.
Overall, Austria serves as our first step to learning more about the world through food. We hope you tune in next month for country B. Auf Wiedersehen!