Last Updated on April 30, 2022 by gregor
When traditional Austrian products survive over decades and become iconic…..
Even though Austria is a very small country regarding its size and inhabitants, many traditional products that are invented and produced in Austria are famous all over the world – like the ‘Sachertorte’ or the ‘Mozartkugel’ …..
When a winemaker creates an alternative to wine
Sometimes you can surprisingly find out interesting stories while exploring the historic background of a product….like the one of ‘Traubisoda’ – a long-established soft drink made of real grapes and natural water. Back in 1930 the famous winemaker Lenz Moser, well known at this time for his innovative access to growing and making wine, decided to use part of the harvested grapes to create an alcohol-free alternative matching his red, white, and rose wines. First, it was only available at ‘Buschenschank’ places, the traditional wine taverns that serve new wine in jugs, because the drink developed some alcohol while raging. Later on, a method to make it stable was developed – ‘Traubisoda – Kellerkalt’ was born! The slogan – that is still used nowadays in adverts and TV spots – indicates serving the drink at a temperature like storing it in a wine cellar. The famous Isabella grape – which is said to have its origin in Long Island, (US) – is used for the red Traubisoda. The grape has a sort of strawberry scent that gives the drink a fruity taste – give it a try whenever possible!
Chocolate for everyone
Much earlier, in 1898, the still well-known ‘Mannerschnitte’ was invented by Josef Manner. In those years chocolate was of no good quality but yet very expensive and therefore not available to many people – Josef Manner had the vision to change this! He experimented till he found the perfect recipe and the ideal combination of wafers, chocolate, and hazelnuts………since 1960 it is available in a pocket-size pack that is still sold nowadays! The famous ‘katsching’ sound of the SCHNITT-O-MAT, the specially designed dispenser, that resounds when extracting a pack is great fun itself /BINDESTRICH the delicious taste of the MANNERSCHNITTE is definitely worth trying it! Whenever visiting Vienna….do not miss the Manner shop located in the very heart of the city, right next to St. Stephen’s Cathedral – and enjoy at least once the ‘katsching’ of the SCHNITT-O-MAT when taking out your pack!
Countless stories about traditional products from Austria that are still having cult factors can be explored and told……..find another two examples here
The artful porcelain from the Augarten porcelain manufactory and other traditional sweets made with chocolate, the Niemetz Schwedenbomben
