When Vienna became a great capital in the seventeenth century, Austrian cooking really began to develop into an art. That was when the famous Viennese pastry began to be made. Food and ideas for cooking were imported from all over the continent, even from distant countries like Poland and Russia, and adapted to appreciative Austrian palates. The beloved sour cream came from the Slavs. The paprika which brightens so many Austrian dishes came from Hungary (hungary got it from Turkey, and Turkey got it from India). The innumerable noodle dishes came from Italy. But everything, as soon as it reached Austria, became Austrian. The Austrian accent was quickly acquired!