Strudel

Strudel (German Strudel — “whirlpool”) is a traditional Austrian pastry that is a roll of exceptionally thin, almost transparent stretched dough with a filling inside. Made famous by Viennese cuisine, strudel is common in the cuisines of all Central Europe, including Ukraine (especially Transcarpathia).

The main skill and magic of the strudel lie in the dough. Simple unleavened dough is kneaded to elasticity and then carefully stretched by hand on a large table until it becomes so thin that a newspaper can be read through it. Onto this thin sheet the filling is laid, it is sprinkled with melted butter and rolled into a tight roll (whence the name “whirlpool” — for the spiral cross-section). The most classic is apple strudel (apfelstrudel): with a filling of sliced apples, raisins, cinnamon, sugar, and toasted breadcrumbs or nuts. Strudels are also made with cherries, curd cheese, poppy seed, pears, and savoury ones — with meat, cabbage, spinach. The finished strudel has crisp, flaky pastry and a juicy aromatic filling. It is served warm, dusted with icing sugar, often with a scoop of ice cream or vanilla sauce. Cosy, aromatic strudel is a warm classic of Central European baking, a symbol of homely comfort.