Recipe Old Viennese Yeast Gugelhupf

The clear waters of the Salzburg Lake District are of a quality which is good enough to drink and they offer the best living conditions for the local fish population. Foremost, amongst these are the charr and trout, but pike, tench, carp, eels and perch can also be found in large numbers in the Fuschlsee and the other lakes in the area.

Strudel, štrudl, štrudla and štrukli – these are the names given by our neighbors in Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to this sweet dream of light pastry and its juicy filling. But in English, the only word which has made it into common use is the German “Strudel”. That is a powerful signal of just how famous the Viennese Apfelstrudel has now become internationally. But it’s all too easily forgotten that this fine pastry once traveled an extensive route from Arabia via the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, before becoming resident in Vienna. However, the long journey was worth it!

There are many varieties of šljivovica (a distilled beverage made from plums) in Serbia. What is common is the scent of plums, a golden colour and the Central Serbia intoxicating power of a strong liquor. Less alcoholic, but no less tasty, is a drink prepared from šljivovica when the weather is cold. During winter, when a slava (the feast day of a family’s patron saint) is celebrated, the drink of choice is Šumadija tea or mulled plum brandy.

Hünkar Begendi was created during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, for his special guest Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon the Third. The name of this dish literally translates as “liked by the Sultan.” The chef kept on asking the Sultan and the Empress if they liked the dish, therefore the name got stuck as “liked by the Sultan.” In fact the Empress liked it so much that, she asked for the recipe and took it back home with her.