Delightful Demel's!

I was listening this morning to a Mozart opera aria from Abduction from the Seraglio. He wrote it in 1782 in Vienna, and it was a huge success. It established him in Vienna as a serious composer, as previously he was thought of as the "finest keyboard player". Not that that was bad, just that he was so very much more than that. He was 26 at the time.

It got me to thinking about Vienna and its delights! The beautiful music, the fabulous desserts. One of the very best sources for these desserts is Demel's, the incredible pastry shop, established in 1786 on Michaelerplatz. It is still there today, as famous as ever (having also expanded operations to Salzburg, Austria and New York City).

The original confectioner was Ludwig Dehne from Wierttemberg. He later sold it to Christoph Demel in 1857. They are still making the all incredible pastries that the Viennese are famous for, including the wonderful Sacher Torte, the dense, rich chocolate cake covered with its very own smooth dark chocolate icing, over apricot preserves. Served with Coffee mit schlag!Yum!

When I was a child I visited Demel's with my parents. We made the pilgrimage, and I remember picking out my very own dessert and enjoying it with hot chocolate. Then my family purchased a couple Sacher Tortes to send to relatives back home. They package them in beautiful little wooden boxes for shipping. They still do today. That's one of the great things about Europe. They love and keep the age-old traditions!

Look up Demel's on line if you have the chance. It's a tasty treat for the eyes!