If I asked you which cuisine Tafelspitz came from you might be wavering and hazard a guess that it sounded vaguely Germanic. But if I asked you which cuisine Sacher torte came from I have a feeling that you might immediately guess Austrian cuisine. It has been a couple of years since my visit to Austria but it still remains a fond memory. I had gone over primarily to visit the Christmas Markets but while we were there I got to try some of Austrian food, not a particularly well known cuisine here in Australia. It’s a cuisine quite different to German cuisine given the Austro-Hungarian connection.
One of my most vivid memories was a 10am visit to the Hotel Sacher in Vienna to try the Sacher torte, the very famous dense chocolate cake split and filled with apricot jam and enrobed in more chocolate. I had tried Sacher torte here and wondered what the fuss was about. And then I tried the one at Hotel Sacher and it was deliciously moist and moreish and suddenly I knew why it became so famous. And keep reading Dear Reader, if you would like a chance to win a whole Sacher-torte of your very own flown all the way over from the Hotel Sacher in Vienna! 
Back to the present though. I’m at the Shangri-La hotel in The Rocks to try some of the Austrian food for the Taste Austria dinner as part of the Austrian week of food where they have flown over the Hotel Sacher’s chef Werner Pichlmaier for the occasion. From the 1st to the 6th of August (yes today is the last day!) diners at Altitude restaurant can try Austrian dishes such as Sacher Tafelspitz Aspic, Pike Perch, Rack of Deer and Onion Sirloin Steak and of course Sacher torte. Or if you just want to try the cake the Shangri-La is also selling Sacher tortes to take away for $95 for a 6 person cake if you go into the hotel. But remember after today they will not be available! We’re in for a slightly different menu tonight but one nonetheless quintessentially Austrian.
Travelling to Austria for a meal can seem unwieldy for most and we learn during the course of the evening that people have not only travelled for this evening from as far as Nambucca Heads, but also Townsville and Perth to attend this dinner. The idea behind this Taste Austria dinner is not only to try modern Austrian classics but also to match the food to Austrian wine and the other thing that Austria is known for, classical music. When I walk in an ensemble from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is playing.
The evening starts with a welcome from Austrian Wine Marketing Board’s Willi Klinger who explains the wines that we will be having with our meals. Grüner Veltliner is the predominant wine in Austria and although Austria lies at the same latitude as Burgundy, there are large temperature differences with hot Summer days and cool nights. He calls Austrian wines more ”intellectual” before correcting himself (there was a reaction to that of course ) to say that they are instead “sensual” wines. And interestingly, it has been said that Grüner Veltliner is a good match for Chinese and Asian cuisine which can be notoriously hard to match.
Horseradish marshmallow with lardo, cream of Jerusalem artichokes, Western Australian truffles served with Schloss Gobelsburg Sekt
Now I did read that this was a horseradish marshmallow but I didn’t expect that it would be a horseradish marshmallow! Which sounds silly I know but there is the striking horseradish quality to the confection but it is also very, very sweet much like a spongey fresh marshmallow. It’s sits underneath a paper thin crispy wafer which is crossed with a crisp piece of lardo. On the right is a cup of velvety smooth cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup which has an amazingly aromatic slice of Western Australian truffle-so aromatic that when it is placed in front of me I can smell the truffle before I see it.
Tartare of milk fed veal, yabbies with beetroot served with 2009 Donabaum Thal Smaragd Gruner Veltliner
Our second course is a perfectly seasoned tartare of milk fed veal with two tender yabbies and salad leaves sitting atop and some sweet beetroot relish on the side. But no meal is complete without matching of the food and the wine and to match the Grüner Veltliner and tonight they have matchd the music to the wine. Musicians from the SSO perform the 2nd movement (Andante) from Schubert’s String Quartet in A Minor, D804 (Rosamunde).
Crispy skin mulloway, cucumber and pork crackling served with 2009 Weingut Salomon Undhof Steiner Kogl served with Reserve Riesling
The neat serving of crispy skin mulloway is moist on the inside and sits on a bed of finely diced cucumber, foam and dill with a baton of crunchy, light pork crackling. Two sweet semi dried cherry tomato halves finish off the dish.
Wagyu Sirloin, onion, confit potatoes and broccoli served with 2008 Nittnaus Kalk und Schiefer Blaufrankisch
The wagyu is cooked medium rare and served with soft braised onions, a square of confit potato, crispy onions (a very Austrian accompaniment to beef) and a broccoli puree with a tiny head of broccoli. The beef is very tender and it’s a simple way of serving beef Austrian style.
Steven Krasicki (left) and Werner Pichlmaier
Altitude’s chef Steven Krasicki comes out with Hotel Sacher’s chef Pichlmaier for a bow and applause. And for two chefs that have just fed 100 people all at once they look surprisingly relaxed!
Plum Ravioli with cinnamon crumbs, red wine ice cream served with 2001 Weingut Kracker Trockenbeerenauslese Traminer
The plum ravioli comes out as two sticks of ravioli coated in very crispy cinnamon crumbs. The centre of the dumpling is filled with a sweet vividly dark purple coloured plum puree and the two tone ice cream is creamy and dense and flavoured with red wine.
No Austrian meal is complete without Mozart chocolates, two per person housed in little bags in the Austrian flag colours plus a gift bag with a CD of “Rendezvous Wine and Music” Discovery of the Senses: A Journey from Muskateller to Beerenauslese, from J.S. Bach to S. Prokofieff.” And if I took me eyes away from the fantastic view of the Harbour Bridge, I could have felt like I was in Austria!
And I did mention a giveaway didn’t I Dear Readers! Thanks to the lovely people at the Shangri-La Hotel two lucky Sydney based Not Quite Nigella readers will win a Sacher torte that serves 6 people worth $95! This legendary cake has been airfreighted all the way from Vienna’s Hotel Sacher! For a chance to win one all you have to do is tell me a random fact about Austria! Simply add your answer as a comment to the story. Now this is a very, very short competition as the cakes are fresh and will only last until Wednesday so the competition ends at midnight AEST 7th of August, 2011. I will choose winners Monday morning on the 8th of August and the Shangri-La will courier you the cake on Monday. You can enter this competition once daily and the cake can only be sent in the Sydney Metropolitan area as they are perishable.
***The winners are:
Hannah (sarcasm cupca)
and
Margie May
Please contact me on info{at}notquitenigella{dot}com replacing the at and dot with the appropriate keys. The cake must be sent by Wednesday the 10th of August , 2011 as it is a fresh product.
***
Best of luck!
Lots of love,
Lorraine
xxx
NQN dined as a guest of the Shangri-La Hotel
Altitude Restaurant
Level 36, Shangri-La Hotel
176 Cumberland Street The Rocks Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9250-6000
The Taste Austria food and wine week goes from the 1st-6th August, 2011
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106 Comments | Add your own
All automobile drivers in Austria are required to carry a Reflective Safety Vest in their car at all times. This is a new regulation required by law and is subject to heavy fines if you dont have one.
I’ve had those Austrian chocolates before! They’re very yummy aren’t they!!!
In Vienna every summer along the river, they fill up the river banks with sand and they set up beach bars where people go to sunbathe, drink and boogie!
I loved Austria!! Particularly Salzburg! My random fact comes from the Sound of Music Tour. We went to see the gazebo where Liesel and Rolf dance to “I am 16 going on 17″ but it’s now closed to the public because some 80 year old woman thought she was 16 going on 17 and fell as she was dancing around the gazebo, breaking her hip. Public liability insurance ruins the dreams of many a Sound of Music fan!
My random fact: did you know that the world’s Red Bull headquarters are in Austria? Also – if you are ever in Salzburg – make sure you try “Carpe Diem” – they serve everything (and I mean everything!) in cones, and they are spectacular.
The sewing machine was invented by an Austrian:)
I cannot enter the competition but I just wanted to chime in to say that the Sachertorte really was delicious at Cafe Sacher!
What a shame that I found out today and not at the beginning of the week!!!!
An Austrian, Ferdinand Porsche, was responsible for 2 German icons: he founded Porsche (yes, THAT Porsche) and designed the Volkswagen Beetle.
The sewing machine was invented in Austria in 1818 by Josef Madersperger
Hi Lorraine,the torte looks deliciously moist and rich. I’d love to win, my random fact is that Pez candies were invented by an Austrian.
Linking a geographic fact with that well-known Austrian composer Johan Strauss, the very famous Danube is the second longest river in Europe, and with its tributaries drains nearly the whole of Austria.
Google told me that the sewing machine was invented by Austrian in 1818
I think i’m going to have to move to Sydney just so i’m eligible for all of your giveaways
I haven’t tried Austrian food before, it looks delicious.
Apart from being a food nut VBG. I am also a quilter. Did you now that the sewing machine was invented by an Austrian? Joseph Madesperger in 1814.
Oh those cakes look and sound divine! My fun fact is that Pez’s were invented in Austria. You know those funny lollies that come as Pez sticks, and a lot of people, including Rove, collect the Pez Stick holders? And also salt was once mined in Austria and I once donned a silly miner’s outfit and went down into one of the mines. Awesome fun!
Yummy YUM! I think one of the most exciting parts of traveling is the food!
I’d love to make it to Austrian one day!
Did you know NQN that PEZ was invented in Austria! I bet they’d have some funky PEZ dispensers
Austria is responsible for the creation of PEZ!!!! What a turning point in the world of confectionary!
Arnold Schwarzenegger,grew up an Austrian citizen but his accent is so country bumpkin they won’t let him dub his own voice in German in his movies.
Austria’s National Anthem is attributed to the great composer Mozart – how cool is that!
Austria has the second lowest unemployment level for men in the EU.
Austrians are nowhere as humourless as Germans and they also saved more Jews in WWII. I know this is not a cake-related fact, but that’s all I know. There are a couple of very good Austrian restaurants in Sydney. The Schnitzelhouse is good.
I was airfreighted one of these earlier this year as a gift from dear friends, it was so yum!
Well, this was a surprise!
! Lovely for cakelovers in the immediate Sydney area! Lorraine, I too had my first taste of Sachertorte at Hotel Sacher for morning coffee! I do prefer Austrian cooking to that of their neighbouring countries, as it [sorry] seems to have more finesse – always got ‘stuck’ on venison dishes somehow and Gruner Veltliner does bring back fond memories. Thanks! The lovely menu presented to you seemed a lot more international/modern than what I am used to – the part which would have thriled me would have been the wonderful music. My fave part of Austria is the Salzburg area with classical music concerts available just about every night of the year – beautiful small hotels and fab food. Actually, for any travellers to the area: the most special way to get to know Austrian ‘gemutlichkeit’ is to stay in one of the family-run castle hotels. Am jealous of you having been to the Christmas Markets in Vienna – would love to do one of those Yule Rhine trips which stops at a number of those from Netherlands to Austria. 
!
Oh boy, umm… my favourite composer mozart was austrian:)
I don’t recognize many of these items yet they all look delicious!
Thanks Lorraine for reminding me of this wonderful country!!Ever since the Von-Trapp family entered into the land of Austria & were free, I’ve always wanted to go there,just to relive that experience,to smell the fresh breeze of the mountains, to visit the different places of eatery, oh and those Austrian chocolates!!!– but whenever I bake or buy or eat a piece of Sacher Torte I know I’ m tasting a bit of Austria.Yodle, yodle, yodel-ley -hee-hoo!!!!
What a lovely night, and view! I am intrigued by the horseradish marshmallow, was it too sweet for the dish though?
Pez was invented in Austria. It’s name comes from the word for peppermint and was designed to be eaten to help you give up ciggarettes.
I pashed a guy from Amsterdam while I was on a week-long training convention in Austria
(VERY random fact!)
The PEZ Candy was invented and first sold in Austria – sometime in the 1920′s. So, as children, five generations of my family have enjoyed PEZ candy and their dispensers.
How good does that Sacher torte look! yummo.
Oh yum. My parents used to travel to Vienna quite a bit, and my mom used to bring Sacher Torte home in pretty little wooden boxes. Apparently there is quite a rivalry between Hotel Sacher and another hotel nearby pertaining to who does the cake better.
No chance Chef Pichlmaier shared the famous recipe is there?
What a great post. Wish I lived close enough to win, but it is ok, as I learned a lot and have no idea how to pronounce a lot of what you ate. You have quite a pallet and you describe and photograph food to make one wish they were there eating it, like me. I think this is one of my favorite posts and one of my favorite places you have gone to.
“`Isn’t Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger from there???? xx
In the movie “the sound of music” (set in Salzburg, Austria) the hills the Von Trapp family are filmed climbing in their great escape from the Nazis actually lead to Germany not Switzerland!
Random Fact: Austria has the second lowest unemployment rate for men in the EU.
You can see Austria on a clear day from the top of “The Zugspitze” germanys highest mountain
Great post as always Lorraine. There is a downside to all this beautiful Austrian food though. Did you know that 50.8% of Austrian men are overweight (but only 8.6% of them are obese)but in contrast, only 20.3 of Austrian women are overweight. (again 8.6% of this group is obese). So there you go
Sounds like it was a wonderful week of showcasing Austrian food. Got to love sacher torte.
If I ever visit Austria, at the first opportunity I’ll find a cafe and order a Punschkrapfen – a classical Austrian pastry filled with cake crumbs, nougat chocolate, apricot jam and then soaked with rum. What better way to start a foodie tour?
The food looks lovely! I can smell it from here
German is the official language of Austria and it is the home to the birth of many world famous composers including Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Liszt, J. Strauss, Mahler and Bruckner, were Austrian. (The sewing machine was also invented by an Austrian! – Josef Madersperger)
this is for my sister who works in Sydney. Austria makes the beautiful Mozartkugeln Chocolates that I love from David Jones!
Ordering tap water in Austria is generally considered rude! Some restaurants even charge the customer a fee to serve them tap water!
Ahhh, I have to be honest, when I was reading the post, I scrolled right to the end to see what’s for dessert. Plum ravioli and sachertorte!!! Jealous much.
The name Austria derives from a Germanic word ‘austro’, meaning ‘east’.
Mmm.. sounds good! My fact is that in Vienna, the number of tombs in the Central Cemetery outnumber the people living in the city! (How morbid haha)
DNA analysis revealed that one parent of the Austrian national wine Grüner Veltliner is the Traminer vine which is more well known in Australia as Gewürztraminer, an old world variety which – here’s the twist – grows best in New Zealand.
Looking a lot like the sails of the Sydney opera House, the Austrian dessert named Salzburger
Nockerl is made with only two ingredients, eggs and sugar!
Love this post but love that Sacher Torte even more! hehe
I’d love to serve it up for my daughter’s welcome home party
Austrian mountain water is BEAUTIFUL!
I went hiking in the mountains and drank water from little springs. It was the nicest water I have ever had:)
OMG – have just slipped back for a second [OK, a minute!] – what fab info!!
Great post! Salzburg was one of my favourite cities I visited in Australia.
Random fact: Did you know that while Austrian men are the most overweight in the EU, Austrian women are the least overweight? Clearly the ladies can restrain from all that delicious Sacher Torte!
…another random fact: it is incredibly hard to type ‘Austria’ without wanting to type ‘Australia’!
The beautiful Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi, would have Sacher Torte delivered to her palace.
Ok, after reading that, I feel like cake now
random fact: Austria was the very first country to use postcards starting in 1869.
And a great invention too, nothing beats getting a postcard from a friend that’s overseas
Austria was the first country in the world to use postcards!
Salzburg’s very own Brez’lstand Cakes are completely calorie free!
ooooooh i would love to try that horseradish marshmallow!
and what a delightful cake, looks amazing
Random austria fact, ummmmm, in the movie Dumb and Dumber Jim Carey makes a comment to an Austrian “throw another shrimp on the barbie”, hehehe, Australia and Austria really are quite different!!!
Apparently the founder of the Porsche is Austrian! Nice!
Now I want cake
Austria is the proud home and reputed origin of Yodelling, first described as “the wild shrieking songs of the mountain cowherds” as described by Roman Emperor Julius in 4AD (obviously a fan…)
My daughter got married on Friday in Sydney and surprised us all. She only gave me two weeks notice ! The Sacher Torte would be a truly wonderful cake for our celebratory dinner next week. Her new husband is German and his favourite food is chocolate
The largest emerald in the world measuring 2860 carats is housed in Vienna in the Imperial Palace
Austria (officially the Republic of Austria) is a country in central Europe. It is not to be confused with Australia, a country in the Southern Hemisphere!
I’m in Qld, so entering this for a dear friend that lives in Sydney
Oh and I’ve LOL’d at so many of these interesting facts!
Austria is a landlocked country surrounded by 8 other countries- czech republic, slovakia, hungary, slovenia, italy, switzerland, leichtenstein and germany!
Hi Lorraine,
A couple of fun facts –
- There are four official languages: German, Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland) and Hungarian (official in Burgenland)
-Salt (salz) was mined at Salzburg and Hallstatt in the early Iron Age
Who knew?!
Hi NQN! Did you know that Austrians are (fondly) known as “Schnitzel Munchers” (Schnitzelfresser) by the Germans!! Also Austrian’s most famous footballer, Herbert Prohaska was born on 8th August (same birthday as me- and this Monday too!)… Plus funny enough his nickname was “Schneckerl”, based on viannese dialect meaning curly hair…but sounds like sacher errr schnitzel to me!
I have had a Sacher Torte at the Sacher Hotel and also the Demel (I think that is the name) in Vienna and I also know what all the fuss is about.
Oh my: horseradish marshmallows?!? What’ll they think of next! And the Sachertorte… Ah, memories of Vienna.
People are allowed to take their dogs into cafes, restaurants and public transport in Austria!
A horseradish marshmallow? Maybe, maybe not. But a plum ravioli–now there is something I could recreate! Interesting.
Austrians talk funny (if you ask a German, like my husband).
Sacher torte sounds awesome…i’ve had the bicuit version but i’m sure it’s no match for the actual cake =)
Here’s my random fact:
The first country to abolish capital punishment was Austria in 1787.
How zen =p
That Sacher Torte looks fabulous and the meal sounded and looked delicious. My fact is……Austria is the home of Swarovski Crystal.
Good Friday is not a Public Holiday in Catholic Austria. And you have to declare yourself Non Catholic to get out of paying a Religious tax that maintains all the churches.
WOW!! A cake which has been air freighted from Vienna OMG! I would definitely like a piece of that!
I loved the view of the bridge and the city lights, it makes me miss Sydney, but the dish I would have most liked to try would be the yabbies, it looked amazing.
Unusual Austrian Christmas Tradition:
On December 6th men dress up in some of the scariest devil-like costumes you can imagine and drunkenly run around towns hitting people with sticks and switches. The Krampus legend originates in the Germanic alpine regions and is widespread throughout Hungary, Bavaria, Slovenia BUT is especially popular in Austria
The world’s largest emerald is on display in Vienna!
This brings back memories! When we were in Austria, we had a free and easy day tour, and I INSISTED to the whole party that they had to go and eat the chocolate cake as it was voted best in the world and Lonely Planet said so
WE did and it was AMAZING!
Falco’s name was Johann “Hans” Hölzel. He was very, very proud of being Viennese. He died in Puerto Rico at age 40 when a bus crashed into his motorcycle. He was trying to make a musical comeback.
The cake looks fantastic Lorraine! As for a random Austrian fact, did you know that the Central Cemetery in Vienna has more than 2.5 million tombs? E.g. more than the current (living) population of Vienna? How weird is that?
There are various mountains in Austria you can hike up and camp over night for free as I did with my Australian and German friend. We left her fiat panda at the base of the glacier covered mountain and went “wild camping”.We pitched the tent on the edge of the glacier, cold but fun. Oh as they say, no Kangaroos in Austria.
Things that I noticed about Austria while there:
***Austrian German and German German are different! So different that my German friend couldn’t understand the Austrian man who gave us a lift to the Apls.
***The oldest zoo in the world is located in Vienna!
***Mozartkugeln are really LECKER (yummy)
***Austrian petrol stations sell WURST (sausages)
***Linzer torte is a tasty lattice torte from the city Linz
***Tune into SBS on New Years Day to watch the Vianna Philharmonic Orchestra’s New Years Day Concert:)
Oh and I used to own an Austrian toothbrush
It was good!
Vienna’s Central Cemetery has over 2.5 million tombs (more than the city’s present population), including those of Beethoven, Brahms, Gluck, Schubert, Schoenberg and Strauss.
The Austrian equivalent of a ‘middy’ of beer is a ‘Pfiff’.
The Sacher torte was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 for Klemens Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna. It’s the most famous dessert of Austria and I want to taste one!! I’ll even settle for just a slice if anyone wants to split the prize!
Another sound of music fact (Salzburg, Austria). The family home of the Von trapps as depicted in the film is actually two homes. One home is the front of the house, and at a totally different location is the rear of the house, which belongs to a home situated on a lake. And for the insides? Mainly sets.
My husband’s 65th birthday is on Friday and this Sacher torte would be a luscious birthday cake for him – (Random Fact – Austria is situated in Central Europe and more than half of its surface is covered by Alps!!)
Would love to partake of that yummy sacher torte!
Random fact: The German name for Austria is Osterreich which means Eastern Empire, from the time when it was part of the Roman Empire.
About 1/2 of Austrian men are overweight whilst around 1/5 of Austrian women are overweight!
Wow – that Sacher Torte looks amazing and its my chocolate-loving husband’s 65th birthday 13th August – he would love it!
(Random Fact – Austria is situated in Central Europe and more that half of its surface is covered by Alps!!)
The National Flag of Austria has no coat of arms!
Austria became a member of the European Union in 1995
Austria is situated in Central Europe and more that half of its surface is covered by Alps.
Gustav Klimt, the creator of “The Kiss” was born in Austria in 1862. Just love that painting and would also love to try the sacher torte. Thanks for the opportunity to enter another great comp Lorraine!
In 2006, when most of Austria was celebrating the 250th birthday of a certain composer, the city of Graz declared itself a “Mozart-free zone.”
~Rough Guides
Hi NQN- please accept an amendment to my entry! I have just been proposed to on the eve of my birthday (and said yes).. We are both european, not austrians but schnitzel lovers and would dearly appreciate if so lucky.., Sacher cake was made for lovers…
They actually used 2 different churches in the wedding scene for the sound of music, which was filmed mostly in Salzburg. One for the external shot and a separate one for the actual wedding.
And yes the sachre torte is absolutely amazing and you must try it whilst in Austria at Hotel Sachre!
In Austria, suckling pig is the traditional dinner for New Year’s Day and is said to symbolize good luck.
the world’s Red Bull headquarters are in Austria!! woohoo im flying there!
What a great dinner – Austria in the heart of Sydney. I am going toenter on behalf of some Sydney based friends of mine, to whom I will donate the prize if I win. A fact about Austria – it is totally landlocked!
Hitler was Austrian
Random fact: Marie-Antoinette, the wife of Frances akin Louis XVI was the daughter of Marie Theresa, the hasburg ruler of Austria
Oh I LOVE Steven Krasicki! Rach and I did a cooking course with him up there and it was so much fun. He’s a very down to eart and charming man
In the 16th century, the Austrian Empire included Austria, Belgium, Czecho-slovakia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, Spanish American colonies, parts of Italy and the former Yugoslavia. Today, over 60% of Austria’s electricity is supplied by renewable sources!
Beer halls are not for wine, stifts are abbeys, and zirbels are Austrian pines.
Sweet greetings from Vienna
What an lovely article about good taste in different ways! Join us on fb, what be great to hear from you, Susanne
http://www.facebook.com/hotelsacher or http://www.facebook.com/originalsachertorte
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