On a Christmas treat trail through Europe

From roasted chestnuts in Vienna to honeyed gingerbread in Prague, the holiday season brings festive goodies and cheer to markets

- Anita Rao Kashi

Against the shimmering white façade of Vienna's Rathaus (town hall) with its neo-Gothic architecture, pretty yellow lights flicker and dance.

Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, who hold sway in this city of music, take a back seat for about six weeks as Christmas tunes fill the air.

Standing on the periphery of Wiener Christkindlmarkt am Rathausplatz, the city’s oldest, largest and most spectacular Christmas market, the overriding sensory perception is that of smell as flavours waft from a profusion of stalls. In one corner, chestnuts slow-roasting on a large skillet give off a nutty aroma, enticing me to buy a packet. They are hot, crunchy, soft and entirely addictive.

As I push inside the market, other aromas make themselves felt: spicy fragrance from gingerbread and cookies, smoky whiffs from wursts (sausages) roasting over coals, and heady, mellow scent of mulled wine. Despite the late November cold, the festive atmosphere is all pervasive.

On offer are Viennese sweets such as sachertorte (chocolate cake) as well as other Austrian specialities like apfelstrudel (apple strudel), lebkuchen (gingerbread) and chrisstollen (fruit bread). And then there are kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes), bratkartoffeln (roasted potato wedges), schnitzel (breaded cutlets) and baked apples.

Versions of this scene are replicated across Europe during this time of the year. It is believed that Christmas markets began in Germany sometime in 13th or 14th century for people to exchange and barter for the long and cold winter months. Others say they began as places for local confectioners, toy makers and artisans to sell items that were exchanged as children's gifts during the holiday season.