Everything about Wiener Schnitzel totally explained
Wiener schnitzel (from
German Wiener Schnitzel, meaning
Viennese ) is a traditional
Austrian dish and popular part of
Viennese and
Austrian cuisine, consisting of a thin slice of
veal coated in
breadcrumbs and fried.
In Austria the dish is traditionally served with a
lemon slice,
lingonberry jam and either
potato salad or potatoes with
parsley and
butter.
The dish may have originated in
Milan, northern
Italy, as
cotoletta alla milanese, and may have appeared in Vienna during the
15th or
16th century. According to another theory, it was introduced by
Field Marshal Radetzky, who spent much of his life in Milan, in 1857. The term "Wiener Schnitzel" itself dates to at least 1862.
Elsewhere
Argentina
In Argentina, the schnitzel is one of the most popular meals, called "milanesa". It's probably one of the many influences left by Italian immigration to the country since the end of the 19th century. The "milanesa" is made from beef and also chicken, and it may be served both at expensive restaurants and cheap street stores. It is usually served with french fries or salad, but there are also many variants with cheese, ham, tomato and different types of sauces.
Australia
In
Australia, schnitzel (often incorrectly pronounced
snitzel) has become a common form of
pub grub, usually made from beef or chicken rather than veal, and commonly served with gravy and chips or as
parmigiana topped with tomato salsa, cheese, and sometimes bacon. Predominantly in South Australia and likely due to the influx of German and Austrian immigrants to the region.
Brazil
Due to the strong influence of Italian culture in Brazil, wiener schnitzels are known as
filé à milanesa (Milanese steak). It is found easily on street restaurants and often cooked at most homes. Servings often include white rice, salted brown beans, French fries or mashed potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad. Milanesa sandwiches are also common, and so is the
parmigiana version -filé à milanesa with tomato sauce and melted
mozzarella cheese.
Czech Republic
Schnitzel is also highly popular in the
Czech Republic where it's known as a
smažený řízek and is made of pork or chicken. It is often served with boiled or mashed potatoes.
England
In the
Teesside area of England, the
Parmo is a popular take out meal. Made from flattened, breadcrumbed pork or chicken rather than veal, it's topped with
béchamel sauce, grated cheese and then grilled.
Schnitzel is often referred to as
escalope in the UK, particularly when made with chicken.
Hungary
Due to the strong Austrian influence of the
Austria-Hungary era, Wiener schnitzel is very popular in Hungary, known as
rántotthús (fried slice) or
bécsi szelet (viennese slice) or "borju bécsi" (viennese veal). Some variants are topped with a paprika-cream sauce. Most restaurants offer the Cordon bleu variant.
Italy
In
Italy cotoletta alla milanese is very similar to Wiener schnitzel. Originally from
Milan, it can now be found all over the country. According to the original recipe it's made from veal, but chicken, turkey and pork are more common in domestic kitchens.
Iran
Chicken-breast schnitzel is popular in
Iran where it's known as
shenitsel (Farsi: شنیتسل). Thought to have been introduced in
Persia during the World Wars,
shenitsel is usually thicker, bigger, spicier, and fried with a more crispy
breading than the standard Wiener schnitzel. It is customarily served with lemon, French fries and a variety of boiled vegetables.
There is another Iranian dish called
kotlet which shouldn't be confused with
shenitsel. Kotlets in turn are small oval-shaped patties made by deep-frying a mix of ground meat, onion, potato and herbs.
Israel
Schnitzel (שניצל) or ktita (כתיתה) is a very popular food in
Israeli cuisine. Schnitzel was brought to
Israel by the way of
Ashkenazi Jews coming from Europe. It is either made of a bread crumb and egg batter or spiced with
paprika and then fried. The meat is often either chicken or turkey, in conformance with
kosher laws, which don't allow pork to be used. It is usually served with French fries or rice, and
ketchup or
hummus are common condiments. Schnitzel in
pita is a popular fusion dish unique to Israeli cuisine, and is often called the national dish. Many Israelis were of
Viennese or
German origin, but during the early years of the state, veal was unobtainable, and turkey proved an inexpensive and tasty substitute. Schnitzel is also a traditional
Ashkenazi Jewish recipe and considered part of
Jewish cuisine. 'Tiv'ol' was the first food company to produce a meat-like vegetarian schnitzel.
Poland
Polish
kotlet schabowy is similar, but lighter than the traditional Austrian dish.
Portugal
In Portugal a similar dish is made called
bife panado.
Romania
Romanian
şniţel is very common in restaurants, fast food places, and homes across the country. Normally served simple and unadorned, the fast food version is differentiated by being served sandwich/burger style. Cordon bleu
şniţel (made from pork tenderloin stuffed with cheese and ham) is also very popular.
The Romanian
şniţel is made in the same manner as the Austrian one, but as a local characteristic is made of almost any type of meat (chicken, pork, veal or beef). A specialty from Western Romania is the
mosaic şniţel made of two thin meat layers (usually each layer of different meat) and a vegetable (usually mushroom) filling.
Slovakia
Schnitzel is also highly popular in Slovakia, referred to as "vyprážaný rezeň" or in a colloquial form as "šnicel". It is often made of pork or chicken and served with french fries, boiled or mashed potatoes or even rice.
South Africa
Schnitzels are also popular in
South Africa, due to the European heritage in the country. Chicken schnitzels and Cordon Bleu schnitzels are a common item on most restaurant menus, and in recent years beef and pork schnitzels have also become widely available.
Sweden
Unlike in
Austria, schnitzel is served with gravy. Some Swedish cookbooks claim that real Wiener schnitzel is decorated with
ansjovis (tinned
sprats cured in
brine).
United States
The precise origins of
Chicken Fried Steak are unclear but many sources attribute its development to German and Austrian immigrants to Texas in the nineteenth century. Chicken fried steak (also known as country fried steak) is a piece of beef steak (tenderized cubed steak) coated with seasoned flour and pan fried. It is associated with Southern U.S. cuisine and hospitality. Its name is likely due to the dish's similar preparation as with fried chicken, and it's typically served with white, cracked pepper
gravy.
Other types
Other variants of the schnitzel, not all necessarily made with a breadcrumb crust, include:
- Cordon bleu: "Blue ribbon", (possibly from Le Cordon Bleu, more likely though as an association with excellence, see blue ribbon), two slices of Wiener schnitzel (or one with a pocket) filled with cheese and a slice of ham.
- Valdostana: Very similar to the cordon bleu, but cheese and ham are not inside but on the top. This plate is from an alpine region in Italy, the Val d'Aosta, which is very close to France, where cordon bleu is from.
- Jägerschnitzel: "Hunter's schnitzel", served with dark mushroom sauce. (Jägerschnitzel may also refer to an eastern German variant made of Jagdwurst which originated in the GDR.)
- Zigeunerschnitzel: "Gypsy schnitzel", served with a tomato sauce containing bell pepper and onion slices.
- Rahmschnitzel: "Cream schnitzel", served with a sauce based on cream, often contains mushrooms.
- Hamburger Schnitzel: "Hamburg-style schnitzel", topped with a fried egg.
- Holsteiner Schnitzel: "Holstein-style schnitzel"; breaded; topped with a fried egg.
- Naturschnitzel: "Natural (for example unbreaded) schnitzel"; not breaded; sautéed; served with a simple sauce (for example, pan drippings, to which sour cream may be added) or none at all.
- Hühnerschnitzel: Also called Chicken Schnitzel, made of chicken, usually a cheaper alternative to others. Considered the poor man's schnitzel.
- Turkey schnitzel: Made of fillet of turkey breast, very popular in Israel, often called the national dish.
- Vegetarian schnitzel: Made of textured soy, tofu or seitan. The seasoning is in both the flavor of the meat as well as the breading so the consistency may differ slightly. In the UK the Tivall brand was (until late 2007) distributed nationwide through Tesco Supermarkets. Tivall Vegetarian Schnitzels are meat free, made with lightly seasoned, shaped and textured vegetable proteins, coated in light and crispy breadcrumbs. Although softer in texture the flavor is a close approximation to the meat based original.
Popular culture
In The Sound of Music, the song "My Favorite Things" has a second verse that includes the lines, "Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles".
In Hoodwinked, the woodsman drives a truck selling schnitzel-on-a-stick.
The dish is also featured in the song "Karate Schnitzel" by Tenacious D on their self-titled album Tenacious D.
The dish is often used by comedian Conan O'Brien when parodying Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A main character in Chowder (TV series) is called Schnitzel. A recurring theme is that all the names are also foods in the series.
Tom Lehrer wrote a song called The Wiener Schnitzel Waltz.
In the film Top Secret!, Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer) learns German and uses the phrase: "I want a schnauzer with my Wiener schnitzel".Further Information
Get more info on 'Wiener Schnitzel'.
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