Cakes created 'by accident'<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Famous as a land of stunning castles, arts and breathtaking
\nlandscape, Austria is also renown for its centuries old tradition
\nof baking.<\/p>\n
For Austrians, enjoying delicate cakes after lunch and dinner
\nor at coffee time is simply one of life's richest and oldest
\npleasures.<\/p>\n
This enduring tradition is preserved in families, where
\nspecial cakes and pastries are served during a picnic or family
\nweek-end get together.<\/p>\n
\"Cakes are part of family tradition and are usually
\naccompanied by a cup of brewed coffee for adults and hot
\nchocolate for the children,\" said Austrian master pastry chef
\nRichard Mayr.<\/p>\n
This is not only family tradition, but is also reflected in
\nthe Austrian capital city, Vienna, which boasts thousands of
\npastry shops and coffee houses that line the streets.<\/p>\n
Commercial counselor at the Austrian Embassy Raymund Gradt
\nexplained that the country's baking tradition can be traced back
\nover 500 years, when Emperor Frederick V of Austria ordered
\nspecial bread rolls to please his palate and this royal demand
\nthen sparked fierce competition among Austrian bakers to produce
\nexquisite cakes and pastries.<\/p>\n
This old rivalry is still preserved today, with bakers and
\npastry shops competing to be best in the sector.<\/p>\n
Its baking history, as well as its arts, music and lifestyle,
\nfurther flourished when Vienna was the capital of the vast
\nAustro-Hungarian Empire, which covered half of Europe. During
\nthis period, Austrian bakers incorporated foreign influences to
\nmake recipes for exquisite cakes and pastries. \"... We took
\ncooking items from other countries and modified them to make
\nsomething completely new,\" said Mayr.<\/p>\n
Among the foreign influences are those from Hungary, known for
\nits famous Applestrudel -- internationally known apple strudel
\n(pastry filled with cinnamon-seasoned chopped walnuts, raisins
\nand of course apple), from Italy the Vienna's schnitzel and other
\npasta-based treats and from the Czech Republic: dumplings.<\/p>\n
Gradt also added that Austrian sumptuous baking traditions
\nhave a role in fostering cultural ties between countries.<\/p>\n
And although it is a small country, Mayr said, Austria's
\nbaking tradition has also influenced its neighboring countries
\nand Austrian baked products have made their way onto the shelves
\nof pastry and coffee shops throughout Europe.<\/p>\n
Mayr is currently in Jakarta for the Austrian Cake and
\nPastries promotion, jointly held by the Austrian Embassy, at
\nHotel Borobudur Jakarta's Pendopo Lounge, from Sept. 8 to Sept.
\n15, 2002 with Rp 65,000++ for the afternoon tea buffet and Rp
\n36,000++ for the cake set with coffee or tea. He is also
\nscheduled to give cooking demonstration on Sept. 6 and Sept. 15
\nwith a registration fee of Rp 80,000.<\/p>\n
Apart from using fresh produce such as milk, cream, flour and
\neggs to make its rich delicacies, Austrian cakes and pastries are
\nalso well known for their pronounced flavors of rum and different
\nkinds of liquors, such as almond-flavored Amaretto, Baccardi and
\nSchnapps -- a strong alcohol with nutty flavors, among others.<\/p>\n
For the food promotion, Mayr prepares at least nine popular
\nAustrian delicacies, including linzerschnitte, (traditional nut-
\nbased cake with red currant marmalade from Linz), dobostorte
\n(hazelnut-nougat cake with caramel topping), a sort of pancake
\ntopfenpalatschinken, buchteln (yeast dumplings with vanilla
\nsauce) and of course, luscious chocolate cake sachertorte and
\nMayr's own signature cake steiermarktorte, which was certified
\nand patented by the Austrian government in 1998. The chef, who
\nproduces a new variety of cake every month, named his creation
\nsteiermarktorte, for the Styria province where it is created.
\nThis cake too is made using a Styrian cooking item, pumpkin seed
\noil.<\/p>\n
People may find inspiration from music or paintings but for
\nMayr, the ingredients themselves can be inspiring and he laughed
\nwhile saying that some of his cakes were created \"by accident\" or
\n\"from mistakes\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cakes-created-by-accident-1447893297",
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