Strudel is a loanword in English from German. The word itself derives from the German word Strudel, which in Middle High German literally means “whirlpool” or “eddy”.

In Hungary it is known as rétes, in Slovenia  as štrudelj or zavitek, in Czech Republic as závin or štrúdl, in Romania as strudel, in Crotia as štrudla or savijača and Slovakia as štrúdľa or závin). It is very popular in Southern Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as other ex-Yugoslav republics.

A strudel is a type of layered pastry with a — most often sweet — filling inside, often served with cream. It became well known and gained popularity in the 18th century through the Habsburg Empire.

The oldest Strudel recipe is from 1696, a handwritten recipe at the Viennese City Library, Wiener Stadtbibliothek.

The pastry has its origins in the Byzantine Empire