Often wrongly equated with the cookery of the capital city, Vienna, Austrian cuisine is an amalgamation of dishes from all parts of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Rooted in the traditions of a number of regions throughout the middle European nation, it has been primarily influenced by Hungarian, Czech, Italian and Bavarian cuisines, from which both dishes and methods of food preparation have often been borrowed.

Austrian cuisine is one of, if not the most, multi- and trans-cultural one in Europe. Goulash is a prime example of this.

However, many of us, particularly in the United States, associate Austrian cuisine with fine pastries and sweets. And, of course, the wonderful coffee drinks served in the landmark coffeehouses of Vienna.

By the end of the 18th century, the cooking style of Vienna was recognized in German publications by the name “Weiner Küche.”

Best known among the dishes that are indeed Viennese and are served in homes and restaurants in Vienna are Weiner Schnitzel (veal cutlet dipped in flour, egg and bread crumbs before being sautéed), Sachertorte (a rich chocolate cake layered with apricot jam, created in 1831 by Franz Sacher, of the famous family of hoteliers), Tafelspitz (boiled beef, served with apple and horseradish sauce), Apfelstrudel (a popular apple dessert) and Palatschinke (a Viennese crepe served in both savory and sweet versions).

Austrians also love wine, featuring it as part of midday and evening meals.

Wine grapes are principally cultivated in the east of Austria. The most important wine-producing areas are in Vienna (with some 1,500 acres of grapes within the city limits), Lower Austria, Burgenland and Styria. Young wine (produced from grapes of the most recent harvest) is called Heuriger and gives its name to inns in Vienna and its surroundings which serve Heuriger wine and food.

The Grüner Veltliner grape provides some of Austria's most notable white wines. And when it comes to red wines, Austrians most enjoy the fruit-driven blends made primarily with Zweigelt.

‘Awesome Austria’

Throughout April, Copia has been spotlighting the food and wines of Austria, with exhibits, wine tastings, special food and wine pairings, as well as during the popular lunch program, A Taste of Copia.

Under the banner of “Awesome Austria,” senior culinary instructor Jill Silverman Hough and wine educator Lily Peterson are giving Copia guests a rare opportunity to pair Austrian cookery and wine without having to leave California wine country.

In fact, just last Friday, vintner Fritz Wieninger, who has a 25,000 case winery in Vienna, was on hand to pour and talk about three of his wines that were paired with a special Austrian-style lunch prepared by Hough and her culinary team.

Typical of an Austrian meal were two of the items on the menu — spaetzle, tiny dumplings served as a side dish much like potatoes or rice, and apple strudel.

And because Austrians grow pumpkins and press the seeds for a special oil used for both cooking and flavoring, Hough kicked off the meal with a salad of roasted beets with spring greens tossed with toasted pumpkin seed dressing.

The main course was roasted stuffed quail with herbed spaetzle, napped with a huckleberry sauce that comes from the most famous Austrian native in the world kitchen today, Wolfgang Puck.

For dessert, pastry chef Debbie Yee offered apple strudel with vanilla sauce and sour cherry coulis.

The chefs provided recipes for all dishes for Register readers.

Hough told those attending the lunch that the home cook can purchase a small utensil made for cutting spaetzle, or just use a large-holed (1/4-inch) colander. She noted that dough preparation is quite easy, and that is should look like “shaggy, super-thick pancake batter” when it is ready to be used.

Another tip also referred to dough, this time for the strudel. “The key to strudel is stretching out the dough,” Hough said. “It needs to be super thin ... the thinner it is the more layers you will have for the strudel.”