The story
In 1832 Prince Klemens von Metternich, Austria's powerful statesman, asked his kitchen for a special dessert for important guests. The head chef was ill, so the job fell to Franz Sacher, a 16-year-old apprentice. He produced a dense chocolate cake spread with apricot jam under a glossy chocolate glaze. Sacher's son Eduard later refined the recipe and served it at the Hotel Sacher, which he opened in Vienna in 1876. A long legal fight with the Demel patisserie over who could sell the 'Original' ended in the hotel's favour in the 1960s.
Also known as Sacher torte, Sacher cake, Original Sacher-Torte.
On the Meridish menu
Sachertorte was the dessert course on menu No. 2 on October 2, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Dense chocolate cake with apricot jam, invented in 1832 by a 16-year-old apprentice cook for a prince.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- sacher.com/en/original-sacher-torte/recipe
- bmluk.gv.at/themen/lebensmittel/trad-lebensmittel/backerzeugnisse/sachertorte.html
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachertorte
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
