[upbeat bowed string music] [Walter] Hello, friends back on board the S.S. Maria Theresa.

If you're just joining us, we've been savoring every bite of history an culture along the Danube River.

The countryside is just so beautiful!

From the soul-stirring melodies of Salzburg to the sweet delights of Linz, each destination has infused our journey with its unique energy and flavor.

And today, our voyage continues as we embark on the second leg of our river adventure through Europe.

We'll explore the imperial halls of Vienna, a city known for its history and musical and culinary masterpieces.

Across the border Bratislava awaits.

The charming capital of Slovakia.

And finally, our cruise ship winds its way to the heart of Budapest, where we'll try exciting foods and learn about paprika, a vibrant spic that defines Hungarian cuisine.

The flavor of paprika is so unique, you know.

So buckle up and prepar to be swept away by the stories, food and scenery along the banks of the Danube River.

And all this for A Taste of History.

[Narrator] A Taste of History is made possible by [Three Little Birds b Bob Marley & The Wailers plays] ♪ Rise up this morning ♪ ♪ smiled with the rising sun ♪ ♪ three little birds ♪ [Narrator] The Caribbean all inclusive Sandals Resorts.

More information can be found at sandals.com.

Additional funding provided by Crow Vineyard and Winery on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Sip.

Stay.

Savor.

[music] [water lapping against boat] As we continue our beautiful journey down the Danube River, we are greete by the historic charm of Melk.

[Narrator] Nestled among th rolling hills of Lower Austria, Melk serves as the gateway t the breathtaking Wachau Valley.

This charming town is famously marked by the presence of the awe-inspiring Melk Abbey.

Founded in the 11th century, this spectacular Benedictine monastery stands as a testament to Europe's rich history.

Its breathtaking Baroqu architecture and vast libraries are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and continue to be a custodian of religious and literary heritage.

But Melk is merely the first chapter in the enchanting story tha unfolds along the Wachau Valley.

As visitors travel further down the Danube River, they are greeted by picturesque villages and stunning landscapes that lead the way.

As early spring emerges, the valley is painted with the delicate beauty of blossoming apricot trees, the fragrant promis of the delicious fruits to come.

Blanketing the hillsides, meticulously carved vineyards are a clear sign that the region is also renowned for its exceptional wines.

-Seeing all that, it's really- I'm very emotional almost because that's kind of the wa I grew up near the Black Forest.

My uncles and all of us had to work the vineyards.

We as young kids had to go up there, pick the grapes.

I asked many times as a kid, 'Why do you have to make it so difficult?'

[laughs] [Narrator] Winemakers today and for centuries prior utilized the terrace system, which not only prevents soil erosio but also maximizes sun exposure, allowing the grapes to ripen to perfection.

sauvignon blanc, riesling and gruner veltliner are the primary grapes that are used to produce these highly sought after Austrian wines.

[Walter] Now our journey leads us to the enchanting village of Durnstien known for something unexpected.

Saffron.

And as a chef, let me tell you, I couldn't be more excited about stopping in to check it out.

[Bernhard] It's been forgotten over the hundreds of years that the best qualities in saffron were always coming from winegrowing areas.

Only later, it moved into cheap- labor countries where all the stuff's coming from now, where they actually produce a lot of saffron in quantity, but not the qualities.

Crocuses, like a normal spring crocus, you know they're heavily related.

One of the fall-flowering ones is saffron crocus.

There's only one you can use and only one variety of them.

The region here develops a sweet character to it.

Saffron is an easy crop, actually.

It's not exotic.

It's not fragile.

It can deal with frost.

It can deal with heat.

So there's a lot of advantages.

You can grow your own saffron in your garden.

You don't need to buy it.

We don't spray, we organic farm.

So, we keep it free of weed mechanically until beginning of September, and then it starts to wake up with the next flowers.

And inside you see the femal part is red, long, long styluses and it need to be removed by hand.

And then it is dried down overnight and packed the next morning.

About a gram of saffron contains 600 threads.

With one gram you cook for one year.

So, it seems to be expensive but it isn't if you use it wisely.

-As a culinarian, my whole life I've had an unbelievable respect for saffron.

Saffron is very versatile.

Rice dishes, seafood dishes.

I could not envision ever making a bouillabaisse without saffron, but also fantastic for sweets in chocolate mousse and regular chocolate.

Wow, mmm!

I haven't had this in a long time.

Spectacular.

[waltz music] [Narrator] Nestled gracefully along the Danube River lies the vibrant metropolis of Vienna, proudly serving as the most populous cit along its shores and seamlessly intertwined with historic charm and energetic modernity.

From its early Celtic and Roman roots, the city adapted and transformed eventually becoming the capital of the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The 17th century saw the Habsburg dynasty in Austria reach its peak, with emperors like Ferdinan the Second and Leopold the First consolidating their powe and expanding their territory.

Following two successful defenses against sieges by the Ottoman Empire, this era also marked the transformation of Vienna into a Baroque masterpiece, reflecting the dynasty's wealth and influence.

The 18th century saw flourishing artistic movements under the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, the sole female ruler of the Habsburg dynasty.

Her educational reforms fostered an intellectual population, while her patronage of the art drew musical giants like Mozart and Haydn, solidifying the city's cultural prestige and claiming its title a the musical capital of Europe.

The Habsburg monarchy ended following World War 1 in 1918.

Yet Vienna persevered, emerging as a vital center for international dialogue and a hub for global organizations.

[Walter] Wunderbar!

So this is the famous currywurst.

To me, it's a lot of memories because even as a young kid, when I got a little tip for working hard in the restaurant, I would sneak away and get myself a currywurst.

It's all over this part of the worl Austria, Switzerland, Germany.

And if you have it once you'll have it again.

Oh!

Nothing has changed.

It's beautiful.

But Vienna obviously has a lot more to offer than just the currywurst [Narrator] Vienna's culinary scene boasts a delightful balance between savory and sweet.

Here, hearty meat dishes reign supreme with plump sausages sizzling on grill and steaming bowls of goulash.

But the Viennese palate extends beyond just meat, with delicious pastries and desserts to satisfy every sweet tooth.

Whether it's a slic of the city's famous chocolate sachertorte or kaiserschmarrn with plum jam, there's something for everyone to indulge in.

Of course, n exploration of Viennese cuisine is complete without taking part in its famed cafe culture.

Coffee here is more than just a beverage.

It's a way of life.

Legend tells of Vienna's first coffeehouses opening after the Ottoman siege, where enterprising locals turned abandoned Turkish coffee beans into a delightful drink served in elegant porcelain cup sweetened with sugar and milk.

Of course cornerstone of Austrian cuisine and likely a familiar name, hails from Vienna itself, the Wiener schnitzel.

The name, derived from the German word for Vienna: Wien, literally translates to Viennese schnitzel.

Thinly sliced vea is meticulously breaded and pan fried in oil and butter, resulting in a dish that embodies both simplicity and sophistication.

[upbeat bowed string music] [boat bells ringing] [water lapping against boat] [Michal] Chef, welcome back and welcome one more time on the beautiful ship of S.S. Maria Theresa.

We are sailing all the way from Austria to the beautiful Hungary.

-Chef, what I've seen so far is absolutely unbelievable, a journey with so much history.

And I'm looking forward to the next dish we making.

-We're going to start with the nice Slovakian stuffed cabbage leaves with the minced meat.

-Soul food, no?

-Exactly.

So in the first step for this recipe, to have the cabbage and to put it in the boiling water 5 to 10 minutes.

After, when the leaves are ready, you just take them out and you dry them because you don't want to have the taste of the water inside of the stuffing.

-I got to show you a recipe that Thomas Jefferson used to make And he called it cabbage pudding.

Same idea.

-Beautiful -Same idea.

-In the meantime, we can be preparing nice stuffing.

We need the nice minced meat, which is 50% of the beef and 50% of the pork.

So then what you need is the cooked rice.

Because you have always at home leftover cooked rice.

One egg.

Here we go.

Chopped little bit onion inside.

Garlic.

Chopped parsley.

-Salt.

-Salt and pepper.

We mix with the hand.

-It's better by hand because you get a feel for it.

-Exactly -Perfect -So this one is ready.

Beautiful mixture is done.

Our cabbage leaves are ready.

What is very important.

-Trim the core.

-Exactly -The most important step.

-A little bit of the stuffing.

Cover it a little bit like this.

-Roll it properly, yeah.

It's kind of like wrapping an eggroll, you know?

-Exactly.

And then you just roll them gently like this.

Tomato sauce with the nice bay leaves.

Cover with aluminum foil or with something.

And then you bake them 350 Fahrenheit around 40, 45 minutes.

[Walter] Now this is still Austria?

-This is still Austria.

It's the other beautiful town they call Hainburg, which is the last city in Austria.

After we just gonna cross the border to the beautiful country of Slovakia.

We just going to finish them.

We gonna put a little bit- -Sour cream -Sour cream on the top because we love sour cream in this part of Europe.

Parsley on the top.

Now you see.

-Yeah.

-Our food is ready.

-In anticipation I ate very little lunch.

[Walter laughs] Simple.

Beautiful.

Tastes like home.

-I think well done, huh?

-Tastes like my mom made them.

-Beautiful taste.

-Very good.

-Simply the best.

[Walter] Look at that.

-It's a beautiful view from there.

-Oh, I bet!

It's unbelievable.

-This is a beautiful castle from the 12th century between the border of Austria and Slovakia.

So, guys, it's my pleasure to welcome you in my beautiful home country.

We have few more minutes to enter our capital city of Slovakia, which is called Bratislava.

Unbelievable.

What scenery, yea?

[Narrator] Beginning in 1526, the city of Bratislava served as the royal capital of the Kingdom of Hungary.

For over two centuries this historic town hoste as many as 19 royal coronations, all held within the majestic confines of St. Martin's Cathedral that still stands today.

With the daw of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the late 19th century Bratislava's significance only grew, serving as a vita administrative and cultural hub within the dual monarchy alongside Vienna.

[Michal] We are already in the middle of Bratislava, which is just a one minute walk from the ship.

Bratislava is more than 1000 year old town.

You have the nice, beautiful Bratislava Castl which is on the top of the hill.

You have two minutes to wal to the nice historical center.

Behind us you can se the National Slovakian Theater.

[Walter] I love the architecture.

I just love the feeling the way it is.

The only thing I'm missing is my horse and carriage.

But, you know, what can I do?

[laughs] -We can order this, you know?

[laughs] [Narrator] Bratislava's strategic location along key trade routes, fostered economic prosperity and cultural exchange.

Its diverse population of Slovak, Hungarian, German and other ethnic communities contributed to its vibrant social fabric and cuisine that is still evolving in the city today.

[piano music] [water lapping against boat] [Michal] Chef, our next recipe is going to be the traditional Hungarian goulash soup.

We're going to start with a nice piece of meat.

-I've made this all my life, being from the Black Forest, where it's also our great soup.

Wherever you go, there isn't a Gasthaus that doesn't have goulash soup.

And goulash soup, where I come from, you eat after you have about three beers too many.

[laughs] [Michal] Oil in the pot [sizzling] Make the nice color One kilo of meat.

-Yeah.

-You put one kilo of onion.

-Half and half.

Yeah.

-You just nice saute everything together.

-Saute until dry- -You saute until dry, yeah.

-Hungarian paprika.

-Exactly -I don't ever cook without it.

I'm not kidding you.

There's a sweetness to it.

It's much different than Spanish.

It just is a great finishing paprika.

It tastes really good.

-You need to be careful don't burn the paprika.

-Exactly.

-Peppers nicely in the pot.

You just make a nice, beautiful color.

-Wow!

-So please, look at this.

-That's what Hungarian cooking is all about!

-It's already smelling.

-The aroma that comes out of this pot is like- -Even the captain is already checking when it's ready.

[laughs] So now our next step is the carrot.

-Perfecto.

-Caraway seeds.

-Yeah.

Chef, do you know that the caraway seeds it's the most natural way to prevent extra wind or gas.

-This we nee because we have a lot of wind!

-No, no.

[laughs] That's not the kind of wind I'm talking about!

-So now you want to pu a little bit of garlic inside.

-Yeah, yeah.

-And now we're going to season it with little bit of salt.

-Looks good in this pot.

-And then of course black pepper.

Pass me the water, please -Here we go.

Agua.

So then we going to put the water inside.

Boil it around three and half hour until the meat is done.

[music] [fishing rod reels] [Michael] Okay, chef.

Now our meat is ready.

-Yeah.

-So now on the end we put the potatoes.

-Because they don't take long to cook so you figure- -You need ten more minutes for the cooking.

Just gently mix it.

And our Hungarian goulash soup is ready.

We just gonna finish them with- -Dollop of sour cream in the middle.

-Excellent.

-The soup itself is history.

Think about it.

Mmm!

Oh, God.

That's some serious flavor.

Mine is pretty close but I got to give credit to the master!

-Thank you very much for the compliment.

But also can be because we are on this destination.

You know it's the things like when you are in Italy the pizza is tasting differently in Italy like in the Germany.

So the same is just with the goulash.

And it is the taste of Hungary.

-Yeah.

It really is.

[Narrator] Hungary's culinary journey spans across centuries of cultural influences and historical events.

Since the establishment of the Kingdom of Hungary by the Magyars in the year 1000, Hungarian cuisine has evolved into a rich blend of flavors and traditions.

The 15th century marked a golden age of gastronomy with the marriage of King Matthias to Italian Princess Beatrice, introducing new spices like garli and nutmeg to Hungarian cuisine.

This era saw the emergence of meat based dishe being served with rich gravies, laying the foundatio for Hungary's culinary identity.

The Ottoman invasio in the 16th century introduced ingredients like paprika, poppy seeds and eggplants, further enriching Hungarian cuisine with diverse flavors and textures.

Despite periods of adversity, including nearly 50 years of Soviet control Hungary's food culture endured the end of communism in 198 ushered in a new era of economic reforms and increase connections with Western Europe, fueling Hungary's renaissance in food and wine.

[Hungarian folk music] [Walter] To learn more about Hungary's cuisine and its famous paprika, I'm stopping in at one of the oldest markets in the city to meet with a local television personality, Laszlo Sule.

[Laszlo] Paprika is relatively new thing in Hungary.

Almost 115 years old.

Paprika came to Hungary with the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, but the Hungarian cuisin first used for our main dishes in the 19th century with the Austrian monarchy.

That's why when you wer in Vienna, you can find goulash.

-Yeah.

-And here Wienerschnitzel is also very popular because we were one country for more than 300 years.

-So this is the paprika that later gets dried and groun and is what you buy as a powder.

-The sweet paprika is from this one.

And the other one is the hot one.

Very very hot hot hot paprika.

So meat is the most important thing in Hungary.

In the ancient times the popular meats was sheep, lamb, pigs and the new time when we settled chicken, duck, turkey.

But I don't like it because I'm a real Hungarian.

I like pig and I like cows.

[Walter laughs] -I like that.

-We have a lot of sausages.

The Hungarian sausage is alway all the time contains paprika.

This is the Hungarian winter salami.

Let's try it.

Very spicy.

-Oh, but beautiful.

[Laszlo laughs] -People say Hungary's cuisine is the most spicy in Europe.

Like we are the Mexico of Europe.

[city sounds] [Walter] Budapest also has a lively street food culture with sweet treats like the chimney cake.

This traditional Hungarian pastry is made by wrapping sweet yeast dough around a wooden cylinder, then rolling it i granulated sugar and baking it.

[Laszlo] Chimney cake and chimney cone.

And it's originally from Transylvania.

Transylvania was originally part of the Hungarian Kingdom.

Very delicious.

-Now here, does it all sweet.

Ice cream, whipped cream, you name it.

So it lends itself for anything.

But you could eat this just on its own, like I'm doing her and loving every minute of it.

It's really beautiful.

The dough they're using is beautiful, like a sponge cake but the outside is caramelized and basically has vanilla an cinnamon incorporated into it.

Makes a beautiful eating, I tell you.

Another famous dish that goes hand in hand with Hungarian street food culture is the langos.

This traditional preparatio is simply made with deep fried dough, brushed with garlic and topped with sour cream and a heap of delicious grated cheese.

-This is langos Hungary's most famous street food.

Langos, it means like- 'lang' is flame.

In the old time, 100 years ago, it was baked on flame.

Open fire.

That's why the name flame.

But in the new era it's fried in oil.

And it's a very heavy, very heavy street food.

After that, you have to sleep a few minutes.

[laughs] -Let me see here.

-Yeah It's a bit similar, like the donut.

-It's good though, uh huh.

-However, now it's spring, langos is a typical summer food for the Hungarians.

For example, we are on the beach.

We don't have a sea, but we have a great lake called Balaton.

Langos and Balaton is hand-in-hand.

But this time of the year, it's not for the Hungarians.

It is for the tourists.

Yeah [laughs] We don't eat langos in the spring.

[Walter laughs] Maybe in summer.

-Well, I'm an explorer, I'm not a tourist, so.

[laughs] -You can eat it.

And me too.

-Surprisingly, no paprika in there.

What happened?

[laughs] -What about the paprika?

Yes.

We have some foods without paprika, yeah.

[Walter laughs] -Budapest rocks, man!

[Hungarian folk music] [Walter] I am ready to indulge in one of the most iconic pastries of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Strudel.

While often associated with Austrian cuisine, strudel holds a very special plac in Hungarian culinary heritage, tracing its roots back to the Habsburg era of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Crafted from a delicate paper-thin pastry dough, strudel require a careful hand and a keen eye.

It's a skill that is passed down through generations.

Any number of fillings are used inside and wrapped carefully, then brushed with melted butter and put in the oven to get golden brown.

I've made my fair share over the years, and I can attest to the skil and artistry it takes to create these delightful treats.

In front of me I have a variety of strudels.

Apple that everybody knows, raspberry and cheese, but the one that really caught my eye is the poppy seed strudel that we really don' see much in the United States.

Poppy seeds came here to Hungary during the Ottoman Empire and is still used today in many Austrian and Hungarian dishes.

It has a unique flavor profile, but it works extremely well with strudel.

When I grew up in the Black Forest, you'd make with whatever fruit you have too much of because strudel, it camouflages the fruit.

The flavor stays the same.

So if an apple doesn't really look really good, you can put them in the strudel because you cover it with dough you bake it.

So normally they have little bit of whipped cream here a little bit of their caramel sauce over it and let me give it a shot.

I tell you, they are the strudel-meisters!

[laughs] It's really, really good.

It's a spectacular dessert.

[upbeat bowed string music] As the sun sets on our incredible journe down the Danube river, I cannot help but reflect on th incredible journey we shared.

It's been quite literall a symphony of flavors, sights and sounds.

Memorie that will truly last a lifetime.

And all this for A Taste of History.

[music ends] [Narrator] A Taste of History is made possible by [Three Little Birds b Bob Marley & The Wailers plays] ♪ Rise up this morning ♪ ♪ smiled with the rising sun ♪ ♪ three little birds ♪ [Narrator] The Caribbean all inclusive Sandals Resorts.

More information can be found at sandals.com.

Additional funding provided by Crow Vineyard and Winery on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Sip.

Stay.

Savor.

Viewers can find DVDs and cookbooks at atasteofhistory.org, including the all new A Taste of History Cookbook, complete with step by step instructions of recipes seen on the show.

Exclusive content can be found on A Taste of History's, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages.