What are we eating? Where are we eating? Where’s the best Wiener schnitzel?” These vitally important questions are posed by British author Douglas Adams in his series, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. He even gives an answer: “Milliways”, the restaurant at the end of the universe, offering an indication of just how widely eaten Wiener schnitzel has become.

Although thin cuts of meat have been fried for thousands of years, the term “schnitzel” first appeared in Austria at the end of the 18^th century, and was used to describe a thin piece of boneless meat cut from the ribs. The word comes from the middle-high German “sniz”, meaning “cut”.

Today, almost any thin, fried piece of meat is referred to as schnitzel, whether it comes from a breast, saddle or joint. If the type of animal is not stated, it should be pork, as schnitzels from other animals must be labelled as veal, beef, venison, or turkey. The one exception is Wiener schnitzel, which by its definition must feature veal. If this is not the case, it should be referred to as Wiener-style schnitzel.

The Wiener schnitzel (“Wiener” being the German for “Viennese”) doesn’t actually have its origins in Vienna, but in Milan: Austrian field marshal Josef Graf Radetzky was the general governor of northern Italy for many years in the mid 19^th century, and grew to love Italian cuisine. In Milan he discovered the costoletta alla milanese, a veal cutlet wrapped in breadcrumbs.

The dish was initially created purely as a piece of bravado, as the meat was covered with gold leaf. When the gilding of foods was banned in 1514, cooks turned to an old Byzantine custom, and coated the meat in golden breadcrumbs. Count Radetzky brought the recipe back with him to Vienna, where it underwent some slight modifications and achieved near instant popularity, before becoming the “Wiener schnitzel” in 1900.

The term “schnitzel” is employed in a host of other recipes and dishes. Milanese schnitzel (piccata alla milanese) for example features grated Parmesan, lemon juice and white breadcrumbs, Roman schnitzel (saltimbocca) includes ham and sage, while the cordon bleu is filled with cheese and ham. Other German favourites include the jägerschnitzel (with a mushroom sauce), the zigeunerschnitzel (with tomato and pepper sauce) and the Hawaii schnitzel (topped with pineapple and cheese). The Polish schnitzel is the only dish to include beef.

Here can you find a delicious recipe for Wiener schnitzel