Cuisine

German and Austrian

Central European cooking of pork, potatoes, cabbage, dumplings and noodles, sausages and an exceptional bread and cake culture, with strong regional identities.

Flavour character: Hearty and tangy: pork and smoked meats, sour notes from sauerkraut, vinegar and mustard, caraway and juniper, sweet-sour red cabbage, butter and cream; rich baking with fruit and quark.

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History

Germany's many former kingdoms and duchies kept distinct regional cooking. Preserving was vital through long winters, producing sauerkraut, sausages, smoked hams and pickles. The potato spread widely in the 18th century, encouraged by rulers such as Frederick the Great of Prussia. German bread culture, with thousands of registered varieties, is a source of national pride. Vienna's Habsburg court drew on Bohemian, Hungarian and Italian cooks, giving Austria its schnitzel, strudel and coffee-house cakes.

Well documented

Geography and influences

North European plain with coasts on the North and Baltic seas, central uplands and forests, and the Alps in Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland: rye and wheat, potatoes, cabbage, pigs and dairy.

Regional courts and principalities
Habsburg Vienna (Bohemian, Hungarian, Italian cooks)
French cooking in the courts
Post-war Turkish immigration (döner)

Regional variations

Bavaria: Weisswurst, pork knuckle, pretzels, dumplings and beer-hall food.
Swabia and Baden: Spätzle, Maultaschen, Swabian potato salad, Black Forest cake.
North Germany: Fish, Labskaus, kale with sausage (Grünkohl), Franzbrötchen.
Rhineland and Westphalia: Sauerbraten, pumpernickel, potato pancakes.
Austria: Viennese schnitzel, Tafelspitz, strudel, Sachertorte and coffee-house culture.