Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Torn-Up Pancakes) (2024)

FAQs

Which of these best describes the Austrian dish Kaiserschmarrn? ›

Kaiserschmarrn [literally, Emperor's mess] is a quintessential Austrian dish that can be best described as a hybrid between a pancake and a fluffy omelette.

Kaiserschmarren is a light, caramelized pancake made from a sweet batter using flour, eggs, sugar, salt, and milk, fried in butter.

The name means “imperial mess” in German. The story goes that a frazzled farmer created the dish in a tizzy when Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife showed up hungry at his home. As a last-ditch attempt to save face, the farmer shredded his disastrous pancake and topped it with sugar and marmalade.

If you stir your pancake batter too much, the gas bubbles that your acid and base just produced will be released. Over stirring causes tough, rubbery pancakes. You should barely stir your pancake batter.

The famous food of Austria 'Vienna Schnitzel' is made of a layer of thin bread along with a pan-fried veal cutlet. It is also considered as the national dish of Austria.

Traditional Austrian dishes include Wiener Schnitzel (fried, breaded veal cutlets), Sachertorte (chocolate cake) and Apfelstrudel (apple strudel). Prominent elements of German cuisine include dishes like Bratwurst (grilled sausage), Sauerkraut, pretzels and Black Forest cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte).

A German Pancake or a Dutch Baby? German pancakes and Dutch babies are essentially the same thing, but the dish is said to have originated in Germany, not the Netherlands. The term “Dutch baby” was coined by an American restaurateur whose use of “Dutch” was a corruption of the word “Deutsch” (“German” in German).

One of the many legends about the origin of Kaiserschmarren says that Emperor Franz Joseph I liked to have Palatschinken (pancakes) for dessert. If the cook made them too thick or torn, they were served to the staff as "Kaiserschmarrn", because they were not good enough for the Emperor.

600 BC - The first recorded mention of pancakes dates back to ancient Greece and comes from a poet who described warm pancakes in one of his writings.

History. The Ancient Greeks made pancakes called τηγανίτης (tēganitēs), ταγηνίτης (tagēnitēs) or ταγηνίας (tagēnias), all words deriving from τάγηνον (tagēnon), "frying pan". The earliest attested references to tagenias are in the works of the 5th-century BC poets Cratinus and Magnes.

What does adding an extra egg to pancakes do? ›

With little gluten, pancakes rely on eggs to provide the additional structure necessary to hold the bubbles and allow the pancake to rise. The fat in the yolk also provides richness and flavor. Too much egg, however, will make the pancake dense and custard-like; not enough will make it drier and more biscuit-like.

The secret to fluffy restaurant style pancakes? Buttermilk! The acid in the buttermilk reacts to the leavening agents in the pancake batter, creating air bubbles that make the pancakes tall and fluffy. It's a simple switch that makes all the difference.

Austrian cuisine, like any other cuisine, has its unique characteristics that distinguish it from other cuisines in restaurant menus. Austrian menus often feature hearty, meat-based dishes like Wiener Schnitzel (breaded and fried veal), Tafelspitz (boiled beef in broth), and various types of Wurst (sausages).

Wiener Schnitzel

Austrians have always been true masters in the art of uniting a wide variety of cultural influences on a single plate. Take, for example, the famous Wiener Schnitzel. Its roots are to be found not in Vienna but in Venice.

Wiener Schnitzel is a cornerstone of Austrian cuisine. This dish consists of a thin slice of veal that is breaded and fried to a golden perfection. It is a dish that is both simple and satisfying, offering a delightful contrast of textures between the crispy coating and the tender meat.