Strudel

Strudel(/ˈstruːdəl/STROO-dəl,German:[ˈʃtʁuːdl̩]) is a type of layeredpastrywith a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common. It became popular in the 18th century throughout theHabsburg Empire. Strudel is part ofAustrian cuisineandGerman cuisinebut is also common in otherCentral European cuisines. In Italy it is recognized as aprodotto agroalimentare tradizionale(PAT) ofSouth Tyrol.
The oldest strudel recipes (aMillirahmstrudeland a turnip strudel) are from 1696, in a handwritten cookbook at theWienbibliothek im Rathaus(formerly Wiener Stadtbibliothek).The pastry is probably descended from similar pastries such asbörekandbaklava.
Strudel is an Englishloanwordfrom German.The word derives from the German wordStrudel, which inMiddle High Germanliterally means 'whirlpool' or 'eddy'.
Although it is known by its German name in most language areas, it used to be called by itsHungarianname, rétes. The menu at theRitzhotel in Paris in the early 19th century, for example, included 'Rétes Hongrois', for which the strudel flour was ordered from Hungary and thepâtissierswere sent toPestto learn.
Traditional strudel pastry differs frompuff pastryin that it is very elastic. It is madefrom flour with a highglutencontent, water, oil and salt, with no sugar added. The dough is worked vigorously, rested, and then rolled out and stretched by hand very thinly with the help of a clean linen tea towelor kitchen paper.There are numerous techniques for manually pulling strudel dough. One method is to roll the dough thin before laying it over the back of the hands and drawing it thin by pulling the hands apart from one another.Purists say that it should be so thin that you can read a newspaper through it. A legend has it that the Austrian Emperor's perfectionist cook decreed that it should be possible to read a love letter through it. The thin dough is laid out on a tea towel, and the filling is spread on it. The dough with the filling on top is rolled up carefully with the help of the tea towel and baked in the oven.
The best-known strudels areapple strudel(Apfelstrudel in German) and Topfenstrudel (with sweet softquark cheese, in Austrian GermanTopfen), followed by theMillirahmstrudel(milk-cream strudel, Milchrahmstrudel). Other strudel types includesour cherry(Weichselstrudel), sweet cherry, nut filled (Nussstrudel),apricotstrudel,plumstrudel,poppy seedstrudel (Mohnstrudel), rhubarb strudel andraisinstrudel.There are also savoury strudels incorporatingspinach,cabbage, potato, pumpkin, andsauerkraut,and versions containing meat fillings such as theLungenstrudelorFleischstrudel.
In Hungary, the most common fillings include raisin-cottage cheese(túrós rétes),sour cherries(meggyes rétes),apples(almás rétes),poppy seeds(mákos rétes),walnuts(diós rétes), thoughsour creamand tejberizs (sweet rice porridge) also used to be common.
Regional apple varieties prevail with choice based on a firm to semi-firm texture once baked. Tasting notes are acidic with apple flavour. Varieties includeBelle de Boskoop,Stayman Winesap,Gravenstein,Newtown Pippin,Bramley's Seedling,Karmijn de Sonnaville,Zabergau Reinette, Yellow Transparent,Calville Blanc,Granny Smith,Glockenapfel,Jonagold,Jonathan,Northern Spy, andRhode Island Greening.
Strudel (inYiddish:שטרודל, pron.shtrudl) in general is also associated withAshkenazi Jewish cuisine, particularly of German, Swiss, and Austrian Ashkenazi Jews. Apple and raisin filling is popular,but cabbage has historically also been used as a filling for a savoury strudel.The cabbage is braised or caramelized with sliced onions and caraway seeds, sometimes with added sugar. Recipes may include chopped walnuts. Cabbage strudel (káposztás rétesin Hungarian) is especially associated with the cuisine ofHungarian Jews.
The 19th-century American writerAlice Lee Moquérecorded an encounter with savoury strudel, ordered mistakenly as a dessert, in her account of her travels through Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia), at the Hotel Petka in Gravosa (Gruz). Assuming "Sprudel" was a type of "German sweetcake", Moqué's travel partner carelessly ordered a "Kraut sprudel", only to find the sweet pie crust was filled with "the most awful mixture" of hot, boiled cabbage.
Observant Hungarian Jews would make the dough with oil and serve them forSimchat TorahandPurim, to match the customary drink imbibed at these celebrations.
In Hebrew colloquial speech, the symbol@in email addresses is called "shtrudel" (שטרודל), a German loan word for the pastry. There is also an officialHebrew languageword for the @ symbol: "keruchit" (כרוכית), this also being the formal word for the strudel pastry. In both cases, the allusion is to the spiral form of strudel.(Other languages have  evolved a name for the symbol in a similar way, by borrowing a food term, for example:rollmopsin Czech and Slovak; andkanelbullein Swedish.)
In Hungary,rétes, a traditional Hungarian strudel is consumed atFarsangor New Year, because it is believed to bring good luck and a long life. It is also the subject of several traditionalHungariannursery rhymes, two of which areAki nem lép egyszerre('who doesn't match the pace') andTekeredik a rétes('the snake coils'):
"The snake coils" is sung while children do a specialcircle dance, imitating the coiling andshapeshiftingof the snake.
Media related toStrudelat Wikimedia Commons