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Original cookbook "Süddeutsche Küche" by Katharina Prato
Katharina Prato, Austria’s 19th Century Martha Stewart
Katharina Prato single-handedly changed how people ate in the Habsburg Monarchy. The author of cookbooks and homemaking guides became a household name as renowned in her day as Martha Stewart is today. Explore her undeniable influence & taste some of the ‘healthy’ dishes she promoted back in the 1800s in Graz, Austria’s Culinary Capital.
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19th Century Domestic Goddess
Katharina Prato, born in 1818, taught generations of women in the Habsburg Monarchy how to cook, garden, and go about their housework. She grew up in a well-to-do family in Graz, one of Austria’s most vibrant cities.
At the age of 38, she married Eduardo Pratobevera, who had a severe stomach ailment. For him, she created and recorded lighter recipes, which ended up being printed in the famous cookbook “Die Süddeutsche Küche” (The Southern German Cuisine), first published in 1858 with 348 pages.
Soon after, she also published a housekeeping guide for “women of all backgrounds” as well as many other books, which established her as the home-making queen of her day.
About Katharina Prato
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Most popular cookbook of the Habsburg Monarchy
Prato’s literary talent contributed to the success of the book, which eventually sold over one million copies. Later editions included up to 1048 pages and contained recipes collected during her travels throughout the region.
They reflect the international nature of the Habsburg Monarchy and feature not only very distinct local dishes, but also strong influences from Hungary, Bohemia, and Italy.
"It was my main goal to have this work be of use as ‘guide for beginners,’ especially for future housewives.”
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Katharina Prato
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Activist For Women
Prato’s books were downright revolutionary in that they were not written for professional cooks or aristocratic households, but for ordinary housewives. Likewise, she geared her domestic advice to women of all backgrounds, which made her books more widely read than existing works.
In later editions, she also included and taught the newly established metric system. Equally unusual for her time was her engagement in bettering the situation of women, such as charity work for soup kitchens and shelters, or the founding of a school for girls and several kindergartens.
„A wise man may take salt, a wasteful one oil, a stingy one vinegar, and a fool may mix them all.”
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Katharina Prato
Recipes from the 19th Century
Prato’s recipes were also unique in that they included ingredients available to the masses. Back then, only wealthy aristocrats could afford good cuts of meat. The rest made do with sources of protein we mainly discard today, like cow udder, turtles, or boar head.
Prato created lighter versions of this heavy fare and found with this a whole new audience. Many enduring dishes from Prato’s books can still be tasted today, best at traditional restaurants in Graz: For example, sauteed ox cheeks with polenta, venison ragout at the Landhauskeller, or liver-dumpling soup at the Altsteirische Schmankerlstubn.
Two favourite recipes from her cookbook
Some of Prato’s recipes include ingredients that would be hard to find today, such as pigeons or cow udders. Try these updated versions of two simple, popular recipes that still today are easy to recreate.
“One can’t advise young girls often enough to learn cooking in earnest and practice it with love, because it can have a significant influence on their future happiness and fate.” Katharina Prato in the introduction to her cookbook.
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Katharina Prato
Prato’s influence on Graz’ cuisine
Graz is known today as Austria’s Culinary Capital. Its vibrant culinary landscape is the result of the efforts of trailblazing women and cooks such as Katharina Prato, as well as a general appreciation of fresh local ingredients. Aside from numerous gourmet restaurants, locals love their many farmers markets, all stocked to the brim with fresh produce from surrounding farms. Many of Prato’s recipes can still be found on the menus of the city’s various restaurants, proving that Katharina Prato’s influence on popular cuisine was a lasting one.
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Graz culinary delights in winter Grazmedia_content.tooltip.skipped -
Culinary delights at the Schlossberg Styriamedia_content.tooltip.skipped -
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Kunsthaus café Grazmedia_content.tooltip.skipped -
The Lendplatz Market in Graz Market on Lendplatzmedia_content.tooltip.skipped -
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Delicious food in Graz - bread from the region Grazmedia_content.tooltip.skipped -
Enjoy mediterranean flair at Mehlplatz in Graz Grazmedia_content.tooltip.skipped -
Styrian Fried Chicken Grazmedia_content.tooltip.skipped -
Styrian Vulkanland cured ham media_content.tooltip.skipped -
Bar Albert in Graz Grazmedia_content.tooltip.skipped -
Schlossberg media_content.tooltip.skipped -
Truffle dish @ dreizehn by Gauster media_content.tooltip.skipped
Graz
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Foodie Tips to Graz
- Take a look at these restaurants featuring traditional Styrian cuisine.
- Taste your way through these local farmers' markets in Graz.
- Make a list to try these regional products during your visit.
- Collect a delicious food basket and have a picnic in Graz' greenest and prettiest spots
- Plan your trip around one of the food highlights in Graz: the Truffle Festival
- Eat, drink, and feast at the Long Table Graz, an open-air dinner extravaganza in the historic city centre.