A “secret” delicacy: Viennese rice meat

A simple dish that is not served at a feast, but is nevertheless tasty and can be prepared quickly.
The “roots” of this dish, as with many other Viennese delicacies, do not lie in Vienna.   Rice, a staple food in the countries of the Far East, comes from the cereal grains of the Asian plant species “Oryzasativa”.
The Hungarians, or Magyars as they used to be called, brought rice with them on their migration to Europe. The vast Hungarian plains, also known as the Puszta , were ideal for livestock farming.  Over time, the shepherds and farmers invented a simple dish in which they added rice to an often strongly spiced meat sauce with small pieces of beef or pork.
The “relationship” to goulash is quite recognizable. Only long-grain rice is used to prepare the dish, which is often cooked with pork , pepper, pureed tomatoes and salt .
It was a simple dish with a high nutritional value. People who were only physically active needed this high-calorie meal.  Towards the end of the 18th century, this extraordinarily tasty dish soon conquered Viennese inns and taverns.
Today, it is part of the repertoire of classic Viennese cuisine. Time Travel Tip: In the restaurant “Zum Renner” on Nußdorfer Platz or in the Minoritenstüberl, Viennese rice meat is lovingly prepared according to old recipes and served as a specialty.
Please make a reservation!   Editor: Michael Ellenbogen