What I might at home refer to as a ‘standard white bread roll’ is called a Semmel in Austria. There are different types/shapes depending on what state you live in. In our state, a Semmel is a round, thin roll, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. It’s what you put ham and cheese or marmalade on for breakfast, it’s what the Leberkäse sits between in a Leberkäse Semmel, and it’s what you get to eat alongside your Wurst. It’s really standard, everyday fare – much like the humble white bread roll.
But here’s something that it seems everyone in Austria can do, without thinking for a second that they are going to cut themselves, and without getting a weird mismatched bottom and top – they can cut that thing in half sideways, in their hand, with the speed of a whippet, and it comes out perfect every single time.
I honestly don’t know how they do it. My attempts have left me almost bleeding, and with a chunky top and a bottom so thin that it can barely be buttered.
I salute you, Austrians, master Semmel cutters, I hope there’s always someone on hand to cut mine!
an aussie in austria 