Who was Kaiserschmarrn originally intended for? How many legends are there about its name? What is it made of and how is it made? What are the typical side dishes?
This dessert, which can also be served as a main course, has a distinctly Viennese origin. What else would you say in Vienna? Prepared from flour, eggs, milk, sugar and a little salt , this very simple dish is light and easy to digest, even if a portion of around 500 calories will weigh you down.
How is it made?
As with the pancake batter, mix the flour, sugar, salt and egg yolks with the milk in a bowl to make a nice thick batter. Separate the
Where the name “Kaiserschmarrn” comes from
The origin of the name is disputed . Four stories persist. But it will probably never be possible to determine which one is true. Here are the most common versions:
The most frequently told story is that the imperial couple’s personal chef always endeavored to serve the very figure-conscious Empress Sisi particularly light and fluffy desserts. The empress always refused heavy dishes. A simple, easily digestible and, in today’s terms, “calorie-reduced” dish was to please the empress. The task for the resourceful minds at the pots and pans in the imperial kitchen was not an easy one. But with a few simple ingredients, they were able to create a meal that had never been served before and had an unusual name to boot: “Der Kaiserinschmarrn“.
The personal chef brought the torn, fluffy pancake dough with stiffly beaten egg whites and plum compote. As the Empress was not impressed, Emperor Franz Josef I uttered the now famous words “Well, give me the Schmarrn that our Leopold has cooked up again”. The Emperor is said to have enjoyed the dish so much that it was immediately given the name “Kaiserschmarrn”.
More origin stories
The following story is similar: For the wedding of Elisabeth in Bavaria and Emperor Franz Joseph I, the chefs developed an “Kaiserinschmarrn” in honor of the young empress. However, as the dish is said to have tasted better to the emperor than the empress, the name was quickly changed to “Kaiserschmarrn”.
In another story, an imperial hunt of Emperor Franz Josef I is said to have ended at an alpine hut. The dairyman, also known as a cheese maker, is said to have served the emperor a “Kaserschmarrn”. The emperor was so enthusiastic about the dish that he greatly appreciated it at his hunting parties. This is reported by Joseph Cachée, one of the last court servants, in his book about theemperor’s court kitchen.
The fourth variant sounds much more profound, meaning that the many simple dishes that are called “a la casa” in Italian, i.e. cooked in the style of the house, were simply onomatopoeically called “Kaiser” in Vienna. Like the Kaisersemmel, the Kaisergulasch, the Kaiserschnitzel, etc. An expression of the Emperor’s modesty and love for the people and the people’s love for this very Emperor.
Time Travel Tip
Just around the corner from Time Travel on Kohlmarkt is the former imperial and royal court confectioner Demel, which recently started offering “Kaiser to go”. This means you can enjoy the imperial treat to go. Highly recommended, it has addictive potential! The doughnuts at Demel are also a hit.
Image sources: https://pixabay.com/de/photos/kaiserschmarrn-mehlspeise-s%C3%BC%C3%9Fspeise-4685563/
