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Drink · Burgenland
Uhudler
Wine from the southern Burgenland made from American vines planted after the phylloxera outbreak, with aromas of strawberry and wild berries. It was banned for decades and returned to sale in 1992.
Flavors · Linz
Linzer Torte
Shortcrust tart with butter dough and ground almonds or hazelnuts, filled with currant jam and topped with a lattice of dough. Its oldest known recipe dates from 1653.
Traditional sweet from Linz, Alta Áustria
Also known as: Linzertorte, torta de Linz
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Linzer Torte — Linz, Austria
The Linzer Torte is made with a short, buttery, crumbly dough called Linzerteig, which contains a substantial amount of ground nuts. Older recipes used only almonds; today it is common to mix almonds and hazelnuts. Part of the dough lines the pan, is topped with a layer of jam—almost always red currant (Ribisel)—and the rest is cut into strips that are crossed on top to form a lattice.
According to the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture’s register of traditional foods, the oldest recipe dates from 1653 and is considered the oldest known recipe for a tart named after a place. It was found by researcher Waltraud Faißner in a cookbook of a noble family kept at the Admont monastery in Styria; before this discovery, the earliest known reference dated from 1696. By the early 19th century the tart was already being sent from Linz to other countries.
The register is clear about the place: the tart is from Linz on the Danube, not from towns of the same name in Germany or Carinthia.
The Linzer Torte improves after it is made. It is customary to wait two or three days before slicing so the dough can absorb some of the jam and the flavors can meld.
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Where it comes from
Linz , Alta Áustria
The Austrian Ministry of Agriculture’s register of traditional foods links the Linzer Torte to Linz on the banks of the Danube, not to other towns with the same name.
Ingredients
Wheat flour, butter, sugar, eggs, ground almonds and hazelnuts, and red currant jam.
How it is eaten
In slices, at room temperature, with coffee or tea. May be dusted with powdered sugar on top.
When it is eaten
Sweet for afternoon coffee and for Sunday breakfast, enjoyed year-round.
Your questions
Questions about Linzer Torte
What jam does the Linzer Torte use?
Traditionally, red currant jam, called Ribisel in Austria.
Is the Linzer Torte the oldest tart in the world?
The official Austrian register states that its 1653 recipe is the oldest known recipe for a tart named after a place.
Why do you wait to cut the Linzer Torte?
Because after two or three days the dough softens and absorbs some of the jam’s flavor.
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