Traditional veal is Viennese, but why Viennese?

Although no surveys or research have been conducted to our knowledge, we can be sure that in a significant proportion of Hungarian households, eggs are cracked, flour is flying and breadcrumbs are waiting to be rolled in late Sunday mornings, when the (not very) flattened palm-sized pieces of meat are pounded into the hot oil and golden, furry wonders are served. Yes, it's breaded meat or, as it's called east of the Danube, flat meat, but we're sure that each region has its own name for the speciality, originally called Wiener schnitzel in the Baptismal tradition.

The traditional Wiener Schnitzel, as the educated Austrian would say Wiener Schnitzel, pronounced 'vínersnicl', is indeed a speciality of Viennese cuisine, originally made from veal (also from veal nuts, fricando, rump or shoulder), pounded to a thickness of about 3-4 mm and fried in a paniré.

But why is it Viennese?

Legend has it that it was thanks to Field Marshal Joseph Wenzel Radetzky that the recipe for Cotoletta alla milanese, originally made in Milan from bone-in veal loin, was brought to Vienna from Lombardy in 1857. In his report to Franz Joseph from Lombardy, the General reported on the wonderful taste of the costoletta, a veal cutlet in butter, rolled in eggs, breadcrumbs and fried in butter, and on his return home he is said to have given the recipe personally to the Emperor, who liked the dish so much that it was soon spread throughout Vienna. However, the veracity of this story, like all legends, is somewhat questionable.

Research shows that a roast with a bun like the one described above can be found in medieval Spanish cookbooks, under the name of chuleta andaluza. After the expulsion of the Moors in 1491, Andalusia fell into Christian hands, but the local cuisine stuck to the traditional Arab method of preparing mutton, which was to roll the meat in flour and beaten egg white, then in breadcrumbs and fry it until golden.

According to this approach, it was the Moors who introduced this method of preparation in Andalusia, which was later adopted by the Italian courts and eventually reached the Viennese court via Milan.

The first recorded recipe for roast veal in breadcrumbs is said to have appeared in a cookery book published in 1884 under the name 'Kalbsschnitzel', but a southern German cookery book from 1907, for example, refers to it as 'veal schnitzel with breadcrumbs', and a 19th century Austrian publication refers to it as 'gilded loin'. It was also said to have been served with grated Parmesan cheese, and an Austrian cookery book also mentions that it is advisable to add melted fat and a little cream to the beaten egg, as this makes the breadcrumbs crispier.

In a hundred words, veal béchamel has stayed with us, and we can safely say that it is still a must-have item on every restaurant menu, and we are sure that every family has a secret recipe handed down from generation to generation that describes in detail how to make it.

Obviously, we are not giving away any secrets by saying that we have such a secret recipe and that we have this dish with a very interesting history on our menu as Traditional Veal Vienna.

So, if you fancy a traditional veal Wiener, visit KIOSK soon, where, in addition to scrambled eggs, you'll find both more traditional Hungarian and international, cosmopolitan flavours, complemented by an exciting selection of drinks.