The city of Vienna, Austria is continuously recognized as one of the most livable cities in the world. In 2001 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is also home to international organizations such as the UN.
Perhaps lesser known is that it’s also home to the most famous cake in the world, the sachertorte, a layered chocolate cake so good it’s worth a trip all the way to Vienna just to have some.
OK, maybe you shouldn’t go all the way to Vienna just to have a piece of cake (you can order it online – they even deliver to SA!). But if you’re planning to visit anyways, the Hotel Sacher in Vienna is the only place where you can enjoy the original recipe of the world’s most famous cake, served with a dollop of unsweetened whip cream and a small cup of wiener melange.
The quick history of the famous cake begins in 1832, when Prince Wensel Metternich was expecting important guests and asked his personal chef to create a special dessert. The personal chef fell ill however, and the task fell on short notice to a young 16-year old apprentice chef named Franz Sacher, who created the original recipe and satisfied the guests. The recipe was eventually passed on to Franz’ son Eduard, who established the Hotel Sacher in Vienna in 1876. The famous hotel remains today and is the home of the original sacher-torte recipe.
Although the hotel hasn’t been owned by the Sacher family since 1934, the famous cake and recipe remain the 5star hotel’s key attraction for visitors around the world. There are actually four retail outlets in Austria where you can find the original sachertorte, but if you’re in the area anyways, you can’t visit Vienna without having a cake at the Hotel Sacher.
* photos courtesy of Wikimedia commons
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