Specialities, Beer, and Coffee of Vienna

Beer

Austrians certainly adore to drink! If there's anytime in my life where I drown myself with beer, it has to be in this trip. To me, it's a form of social drinking, taking time to get sozzled (oops, 0.5 l is sufficient to get me high and red). In Perth, I drink beer probably once in six months, Singapore almost none, but in Vienna, it was the rote! Let's face it. I'm an Asian chick and handling alcohol well was not my cup of tea. But gotta do what locals do. So it's an encouragement that I tasted local beer (Ottakringer, Zipfer, and Gosser). Other alcoholic drinks that I sampled is called Gluwein (warm red wine with a cinnamon touch). This drink complements well with the cold winter. Yum!

Coffee

Viennese coffee is popular amongst the locals and is the preferred hot beverage compared to tea. The Kaffeehaus is an intergral part of Austrian life, providing a place for good social interaction and small treats. Coffees are generally served on a silver platter accompanied by a glass of water. The most common I have tasted is the Melange (the viennese classic, coffee served with milk). Strong turkish coffee is a popular variation too. I tried arabic coffee the other day, served in a copper pot, accompanied with cubed sugars and a sweet turkish delight. Oh man, it was too bitter and strong for my taste. Another drink I have tasted is Almdudler, a cross of ginger ale and lemonade.

Specialities

Meats and potatoes seem to be Austrians' staples. Meats like pork, veal, chicken and beef are strongly emphasised. Clear soups are a particular favorite such as Frittattensuppe (a clear soup with shreds of crepe-like pancakes) and Gulasch (a rich-beef vegetable soup with plenty of paprika). Wiener schnitzel (breaded veal cutlets) has to be my ultimate love and is best culinary concoction! Knodel (dumpling) is an element in many meals and can be found in soups and main courses too. Talfelspitz (boiled beef with apple and horseradish sauce) is another austrian dish that I tasted.

No meal is complete without sweet, mouthwatering desserts. One can see Apfelstrudel everywhere (mostly topped with vanilla sauce and lightly dusted with powdered sugar), taste Marillenknodel (apricot dumplings with powdered sugar), Sachertorte (chocolate cake with cherry rum) and Mozart Kugeln (Mozart Balls).