The 'Wiener Schnitzel' comes from Istanbul

Manuela Honsig-Erlenburg makes fun of a press release published by the right-wing populist FPÖ party calling for Austrians to "promote Viennese cuisine and 'traditional gastronomy' to counter the 'regrettable proliferation of kebab shops'. She points out that "while many of the classic Viennese dishes stem 'at least' from former Austrian territories, i.e. Hungary, the traditional 'Wiener Schnitzel' has its roots not in Italy – that would be just about bearable – but Istanbul of all places. The more prosperous residents of what used to be Constantinople garnished their food with gold leaf. Those who couldn't afford this luxury used golden bread crumbs instead. This was the birth of the crumb-coated escalope; right in the middle of today's Istanbul."

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