Austrian Cuisine

The valleys of Steiermark are well known for their plentiful supply of pork (and to a lesser extent of sheep and cattle). Coupled with the annual influx of Hungarian beef at Martinmas, the Covenant reaps the benefits of this hearty food supply. Rabenstein secures most of its provisions from the monthly market at Leoben, although nearby Graz and Friesach in Carinthia have also been utilized. Here are examples of the types of foods the Covenant purchases or prepares:

Breads and Tortes

• Maslin - Cheap mixed bread, the most commonplace in all of germany
• Cheat - Fine brown bread baked from nutritious but bitter grains
• Wastel - white, leavened bread, the most expensive
• Barnsbread - fed to horses, pigs and beggars (also called Horsebread or Barleybread)
• Trencher - A bowl of bread, used to hold other foodstuffs or soups, eaten along with the meal it contains
• Apple Strudel - often stuffed with Carinthian raisins
• Linzertorte - a tasty apricot almond tart
• Omelets - filled with raisins and served sweet, sometimes with mushrooms, onions

Meats and Fish

(In the winter, all meats are salted or smoked)

• Boiled Pork - the traditional means of preparing this plentiful meat
• Weisswurst - A white sausage popular in Bavaria, made of pork and bacon, eaten with mustard.
• Wienerschnitzel - fillet of veal, with fried egg and breadcrumbs (only nobility consume this dish since deer are forbidden to peasants)
• Goulash - Not a German dish, but rather a Magyar treat, a stew of flavored red peppers, paprika, garnished with tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and served very hot.
• Lake trout - this and Grayling are the most common fishes in Austria's lakes and streams
• Salted Herring - imported from the Baltic, but common to Austrian markets
• Birds - Pheasants, partridges, quail, thrushes, egrets, gulls, and plovers are common.

Vegetables and Fruits

• Beans - Most popular and abundant (though some are imported from the Balkans)
• Turnips, Peas, and Onions - also very popular, and available year-round
• Lettuces, Carrots, Cabbage - traditional crops (though somewhat less plentiful)
• Radishes - these are often eaten as a tasty side-dish, soaked in water for days and salted to remove the harshness of their uncooked-flavor.
• Hazel Nuts, Apples, and Pears - Seasonal nuts and fruits
• Almonds, Oranges, Lemons, and Figs - none of these delicacies can grow in Austria due to the harsh winters, but they can be found at many local markets, imported from southern Italy (they are expensive however)

Wines and Beers

• White Wines - the most popular variety in Austria, probably due to the fact that they are much more commonly grown than red. Neuberger, Sylvaner, Riesling, Traminer, and Valtellina are well-known. Primarily grown in the Wienerwald, south of Vienna.
• Gumpoldskirchner - a highly-prized white wine from the Wienerwald
• Leibnitz - a light red wine, popular in Steirmark where it is made.
• Hellesbier - an amber beer made from malt, baked and dried, the national drink.
• Dunklesbier - a dark, heavy ale, sweeter than the Hellesbier.
• Bull's Blood - a potent Magyar red wine (more than 60 proof!). It has of late become a favorite of the Covenant, who cherish it as a delicacy.

This page last modified 9/14/97.

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