Its history goes back to the old days, a link between the cafés of Vienna, the oriental landscapes and the Austrian cottages. But one thing is certain: its popularity in Europe is undiminished, and...
It has several forms, because its simplicity is also its magnificence. It has long been a favourite in Viennese cafés and is loved by everyone. It is eaten with coffee, with tea, but also on its own. It is a favourite in alpine huts, because there is nothing better than a delicious chocolate experience when you are relaxing on the ski slopes.
Mi a Mohr in a shirt
A very simple cake made with chocolate, breadcrumbs, sugar, egg yolks, almonds and sometimes red wine. In fact, it can be called chocolate soufflé, which gets its characteristic name from the dark chocolate and white whipped cream. It is usually conical in shape, but is made in a variety of forms already worldwide. After the dough is baked, it is usually coated with hot chocolate and topped with whipped cream.
Origin of Mohr
Mohr is an obsolete German term for people with dark skin. Hence its origin seems obvious. Mohr im Hemd was invented by an Austrian confectioner, Jacques Torres, the master chocolatier, at least according to his own claim.
However, Jean-Georges Vongerichten constantly refutes this, as he believes he created it first. He claims that it was an accident that he took a sponge cake out of the oven prematurely, while it was still in the final stage of preparation. That was when he noticed that the sponge cake was still runny inside. He liked this and from then on he made it consciously. Since then, the cake has been known as Lava Cake and is sold all over the world.
According to some sources, the birth of the sweet was inspired by the 1888 Vienna premiere of Verdi's opera Otello. For the premiere, the confectioners wanted to create something completely unique and special. The symbolism is clear. Otello itself is the warm cake covered in chocolate, and the white shirt is the whipped cream that is placed on top when it is served. “In Austria and Bavaria, ”Mohr im Hemd“, or ”Moor in shirt', is of course available all year round and is a must in any restaurant. It has become a favourite cake for the holidays, especially the Christmas season. It is often made with vanilla ice-cream and topped with fruit as a decoration. Strawberries or apples are the most commonly used.
The cake also sparked human rights debates
Although it is a hugely popular cake, in the 21st century human rights debates have erupted around it. The controversy surrounding its name began in 2011. The Wien Museum has organised a temporary exhibition About Angelo Soliman, who served at the Viennese court around 1720. It is said that he was abducted from his native Africa as a child. So Angelo lived his life as a slave. In the 1750s he was presented to the Duke of Liechtenstein, where he served for the rest of his life. The shocking part of the story is what happened next. Because his skin colour was not common, his body was stuffed after his death and placed in a display case in the Natural History Museum. This was much resented and considered inhumane. The human rights organisation SOS Mitmensch issued an appeal on the matter and put pressure on various organisations, including Mohr im Hemd, to change its name. It was then that the name of the cake was changed to Othello im Hemd. #
