Centuries ago, a German sailor would leap out of bed with his heart in his throat if someone on deck shouted these dreadful words: “Mem Gott! Der Strudel! Der Strudel!” The fear paralyzing these sailors was evoked not by a chance encounter with the sweet and sticky pastry, but by the natural phenomenon it is named after—the whirlpool, which in German is called strudel. The pastry owes its name to being made by rolling dough around a filling, thus giving the final product a swirling appearance. The word strudel first appeared in English at the end of the nineteenth century.
A pastry dessert that involves a thinly rolled dough, filled with assorted ingredients, rolled into a spiral shape, and baked until golden brown. While apple strudel is perhaps the most renowned variant, other types such as those with fruit, poppy seeds, and even meat and vegetable amalgamations are also common.
A delectable pastry hailing from Austria, Germany, and various parts of central Europe holds considerable fame. Crafted with precision, this culinary delight involves a pliable dough meticulously stretched by hand until it reaches a delicate, almost ethereal thinness. Subsequently, it undergoes a transformation, as a choice between two delightful fillings—such as succulent apples, dark cherries, tantalizing nuts, flavorful poppy seeds, savory cheese, or a medley of vibrant vegetables is generously spread across the dough’s expanse. Finally, the creation is deftly rolled akin to a jelly roll, culminating in a tantalizing masterpiece of gustatory pleasure.