Did you know that Austria, known for its majestic Alps and world-renowned ski resorts, also offers a rich culinary culture that perfectly complements a day on the slopes? Many of our single parents and their children are unfamiliar with the mouthwatering hearty and sweet dishes that for many form a quintessential part of their ski holidays in Austria. So, we are here to change that! If you’re joining us one of our solo or single parent ski holidays in Austria, read on and let us introduce you to a selection of Austrian mountain hut classics you must try. Read on because you’re in for a treat – literally!
Culinary Mountain Hut Classics to Try on your Ski Holidays in Austria
1. Kaiserschmarrn (Fluffy Pancake Dish)
Kaiserschmarrn is a sweet Austrian pancake dish, named after the Austrian Emperor, Kaiser Franz Joseph I. If prepared to perfection, these pancakes are thick and fluffy in texture, torn during cooking, sprinkled with icing sugar and raisins, and served with apple sauce or plum compote. Perfect for a sweet tooth, this mountain hut classic can be enjoyed as a main course for lunch or as a dessert after dinner.
2. Tiroler Gröstl (Fried Potatoes and Eggs)
Surely, my personal favourite, Tiroler Gröstl, or simply Gröstl, is a popular Tirolean dish. It is a hearty mix of fried bacon, onion, and potato slices, topped with a fried egg and served in the pan. Very tasty, this dish is sure to satisfy your hunger after an active morning on the slopes.
3. Kasspatzeln (Cheesy ‘Pasta’)
Known in Germany as “Käsespätzle”, they are Austria’s answer to macaroni cheese. This dish features “spätzle”, a type of German egg pasta, mixed with grated cheese, baked in the oven, and topped with fried crispy onions. It’s often served with sauerkraut or salad, and popular with kids as well as adults. This mountain hut classic is perfect for those who love their pasta cheesy and comforting.
4.Wiener Schnitzel (Breaded Veal Escalope)
Popular with kids and adults alike, this dish features a thin, breaded, and fried veal escalope, traditionally served with potato salad. Many mountain huts and restaurants will also serve it with chips or steamed parsley potatoes and cranberry sauce. This a must-try during your ski holidays in Austria.
5. Germknödel (Plum Dumpling)
Germknödel are massive, hemispherical dumplings made from yeast dough, with a tasty filling made from pureed plums, known as “Powidl” in Austria. Just before serving, these dumplings are doused in molten butter and sprinkled with a mixture of sugar and poppy seeds. Sometimes, they are served with vanilla sauce instead of butter. Germknödel are served in all decent mountain huts, and one is plenty to keep you going on the slopes for the rest of the day! They are a must-try on ski holidays in Austria!
6. Goulash Soup
Goulash soup is a delightful blend of different types of juicy meat (often shin beef or pork), peppers, onions, garlic, and caraway, and a food most Brits often know or are happy to try. Slow cooked to perfection, this soup has a creamy texture that makes it an ideal mountain hut food for a cold day on the slopes. Goulash, the national dish of Hungary, was originally a simple meat and onion stew and thought to originate from Magyar shepherds in the 9th century. Spices were added later, and today the dish is enjoyed as a soup or stew in numerous countries across Europe.
7. Brettljause (Cold Platter)
Brettljause is a platter of rich meat and sausage, bread, cheese, gherkins, radishes, etc. – perfect for those who crave variety in their meal. Paired with a cold, small beer, it makes for a satisfying lunch on the slopes but is also an immensely popular mountain hut classic on a hot summer day.
8. Kaspressknödelsuppe (Cheese Dumplings Soup)
Another Austrian classic is the Kaspressknödelsuppe. These dumplings are made from potatoes, bread, mountain cheese, egg, flour, onions, and milk. Once the mixture is ready, it is kneaded into round dumplings, that are fried until golden brown. The dumplings are then served in a steaming beef broth garnished with freshly chopped chives. This warming soup is the perfect lunch for comfort and nourishment after as morning of skiing.
9. Schupfnudeln (Potato Pasta)
Similar to gnocchi, these finger shaped noodles are made from potatoes, egg yolk, flour, nutmeg and salt. Once shaped into fingers, Schupfnudeln are boiled, then fried in butter, and either served as a side as they are, or served as a main in a mountain hut, with either bacon and sauerkraut or as a sweet dish with icing sugar and poppy seeds and plum compote or apple stew on the side.
10. Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel)
Although one of the best known Austrian hut foods, we couldn’t possibly leave this culinary icon of Austria off the list! Whilst the apple strudel you find in most UK stores is made from puff pastry, traditional Austrian strudels are made from strudel dough, which consists of flour, water, salt, and a little oil. The dough is stretched paper thin, before it is filled with sliced apples, dark raisins, ground nuts, and breadcrumbs. Though often served with vanilla sauce or whipped cream, the traditional Austrian Apfelstrudel can also be enjoyed without any extras.
Conclusion
Aside from these savoury and sweet treats, Austria’s mountain huts offer many other authentic dishes, such as Leberkäs’ (a Bavarian-Austrian meat loaf) served in a roll or with mashed potatoes, and sausages with bread or Brez’n (freshly baked pretzels). Young kids tend to favour the plain Wiener Würstchen (thin, parboiled pork or beef sausages) and lightly spiced Bratwurst, whilst adults also love to indulge in the lightly smoked, spicy Debreziner or the Käskrainer, an Austrian invention with cheese inside. There really is no need to go for chips or Bolognese when you can indulge in these delicious Austrian mountain hut classics. So, be bold and try some! The food is one of many reasons why we love ski holidays holidays in Austria!
About Single Parents on Holiday:
Single Parents on Holiday is a specialist tour operator offering fully-organised single parent family holidays for widows and widowers, separated and divorced parents, solo-mums-by choice, single foster parents, single grandparents, parents whose partner is unable to travel, etc. Choose between single parent ski holidays in Austria, beach, activity, and farm holidays, and city trips. In addition, you can also book solo ski holidays with us if don’t have children, they are grown up, or you are simply looking to travel without the kids.
