Kaiserschmarrn (Emperor’s Mess)
A dessert’s journey
There are endless myths and legends surrounding the origins of the Kaiserschmarrn. One such tale narrates that when imperial couple Sissi and Franz Joseph were served a sumptuous new pancake-style dish the figure-conscious Sissi refused to eat it, upon which an irritated Franz Joseph sighed, “Well, give me the Schmarrn!” The ‘mess’ in question turned out to be greatly to his liking and the rest, as they say, is history.
Whatever the truth may be, it makes no difference to the delectable Kaiserschmarrn. Over the years it has grown to become a well-established delicacy, and appears on practically every menu at mountain huts, restaurants and hotels. Traditionally served with jam or apple sauce, some adore it with raisins added to the batter while others prefer it without, but with a hefty sprinkling of icing sugar or a drizzle of eggnog