How to Eat Tafelspitz

by Annie Scott (RSS feed)
Feb 18th 2010 at 4:01PM

If you should find yourself in Austria and served a generous, yet rustic meal of Tafelspitz, you'll need to know what to do. Look no further than Luxist; we've got you covered.

Tafelspitz is a traditional Austrian meal meaning "tip [of meat] for the table." Big copper pots of beef, bones and vegetables (all together) are typically served. They are still simmering, so it's important to eat your meal correctly and in order.

The first step of eating Tafelspitz is the soup. Ladle a generous helping of the hot broth into the soup bowl you've been given. Enjoy -- those Austrian noodles are especially tasty.

Next, ladle out a bone. This is not for the delicate. Bone marrow has only recently become popular in the United States, but is a time-honored traditional food in many European countries. Chunks of bone will be in your Tafelspitz pot, and you are to scoop them out and eat the gelatinous marrow inside. Spread the marrow on slices of bread. According to my Viennese friends, it's a fatty, yet nutritious food, comparable to the fatty-yet-nutritious values of avocado. I ate it prepared this way myself and can report it's very tasty -- just don't let the texture ruin your experience.

Finally, the third step of Tafelspitz is the rest of the food in the pot (which is last, but certainly not least). Dish yourself some meat (typically beef, sometimes veal) as well as roasted potatoes and vegetables, and be sure and give yourself a big helping of apple-and-horseradish sauce, as well as chive sauce. Though the whole meal is flavorful, the sauces are some of the most exciting flavors and will have you in mystery cravings for weeks afterward.

I was lucky enough to have my first Tafelspitz experience at Plachutta, which is regarded as Vienna's finest restaurant for Tafelspitz. Check out the gallery below for pictures of the bone marrow and more.

Gallery: Tafelspitz at Plachutta in Vienna

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Tags: austria, bone marrow, BoneMarrow, dining, tafelspitz, vienna

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kenneth Tong Feb 18th 2010 10:46PM

Been in love with Bone Marrow since Blue Ribbon in NYC; based in Dublin now but am considering a trip to Vienna just for this meal! Anything else good out there?

hey dude7 Feb 22nd 2010 1:17AM

I am proud to bring this up,but this marrow thing, is very old news in Latin America, in Mexico for example we have eaten this food since the last 400 years , we have it in many recipes, we call it "tuetano" and one the oldest ways to serve it it`s like you describe it, a soup and the "tuetano" smeared on a fresh tortilla, salt lemon and some chile and you my dear foodie will be in heaven..

Mexican trivia, Zenon a Very famous eatery, now gone ,had the best "Sopa de Medula" money could buy,the place was owned by "LOS POLIVOCES" a very famous comedian pair of singers, imitators actors and all around great guys.!

millard adams Feb 25th 2010 5:16PM

I am proud to say ,I am from USA, & we have been eating marrow for as long as I can remember. Grand Mother always said if more people ate that,they would be much healthier

Magrid Kaylan Feb 26th 2010 4:32PM

Tafelspitz used to be a favorite Sunday dinner (taken at noontime) where I come from, but we never had it served in this elaborate fashion. However I would like to mention that this dish was Kaiser Franz Joseph's absolute favorite and he would have had it served in inimitable Hofburg style, but surely not with the soup pot on the table.