CU/HS 211 - Vienna's Victuals: Cultural History of Food and Drink

Have the Viennese always eaten schnitzel or wiled away the afternoon in a coffeehouse with strudel and a mélange? How has the history of the Habsburg Empire and the more recent history of the Second Republic affected what the Viennese eat and drink? What is “Viennese cuisine” anyway? With help from the recent turn to food studies in disciplines as diverse as history and hotel management, students will explore why we eat and drink what we do, how those food choices may have been different historically, and how “our” dining and drinking choices differentiate us from “others.” Field trips to Vienna’s iconic markets, historic tavern neighborhoods in Ottakring, chocolate producers, breweries, and cafes breathe life into the history and culture of Vienna’s victuals.