Recipe Stoemp

There is practically no more delicious proof of how firmly the Austrian cuisine is rooted in the heart of Europe than one of the most typical of Viennese dishes: boiled veal, or Tafelspitz. Good-quality beef, a few vegetables, aromatic spices and plenty of water to cook in – these are the vital ingredients. The same ingredients, though, also come together when the French are creating their “pot-au-feu”, or the Italians their “bollito misto”. In the case of the latter, veal and chicken meat or tongue might be added, but then some small differences should remain despite us all being good Europeans together.

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.

The Austrians are convinced that the word “Gugelhupf” origins in the Middle High German “gugele” (monk’s hood) and “hopf” (yeast). It might also come from the Alsace “Kouglhof”, though, a sweet dish which, according to legend, the Three Wise Men carried with them.

Souvlaki, souvlakia or kebab, irrespective which name you pick, you will get one of the most popular dishes in Cyprus. Souvlakia are small pieces of pork, skewered and roasted over a slow charcoal fire and eaten with chopped onion, salt and pepper in a pitta, a flat, unleavened bread.