The Czech Republic is attractive for tourists at any time of the year. Whether in January or in June, you can relax here in a variety of ways, from strolling along the beautiful streets and visiting many castles to medical visits to resorts. Karlovy Vary, Machovo Lake, Prague Zoo, ski resorts - these are just a few of the local attractions. From the point of view of gastronomic tourism, this state is also popular. Czech cuisine is distinguished by its simplicity and originality, and the main thing is that it is tasty and satisfying. Traditional dishes are still cooked according to old recipes, passing on their characteristics from one generation to the next.

History of Czech cuisine

Czechs have developed their culinary preferences for hundreds of years. They were greatly influenced by Austrian, German and Hungarian cuisines. The Slavic peoples also contributed their share. All this is due to the geographical location of the country - it is located in the central part of Europe, at the so-called crossroads.
The development of traditional Czech cuisine, like most nationalities, took place along with the formation of the nation. The main place in old Bohemian cooking was occupied by bread and meat, preference was also given to cereals. They were cooked from oats, millet, buckwheat and even hemp. The meat was boiled, fried and stewed. The main spices for these dishes were hemp and sage.
A wide addiction to meat has also passed into new dishes, this product forms the basis of all modern culinary delights among the Czechs. The first written recipes and books began to appear in the 15th century. The next century was the period when Czech chefs came to cook dishes from England, Italy, Spain and France. At the same time, cooking began to differ in the use of all kinds of seasonings.
In the 17th century, pates made from turkey, partridges, crayfish and snails began to play a special role. Among the noble nobles, the first place was still held by meat, among the poor - plant food. In the same century, dumplings, well-known and still considered the highlight of Czech cuisine, appeared. It is a dumpling made from wheat or potato flour. They are formed into balls, boiled in water, and cut into slices when serving.
The subsequent development of national cuisine greatly simplifies it, now the menu contains soups, side dishes and meat products prepared in Russian or Ukrainian style. However, they all taste completely different thanks to the seasonings and sauces used.

Features of Czech cuisine

Traditional Czech dishes are very satisfying, that is, they are high in calories. In some ways, this is a fatty kitchen. In addition, most dishes are served with flour products. The portions are large enough, you need to take this into account when ordering in a restaurant or cafe. Those who are used to eating a little can simply not cope with such sizes. In addition to the tradition of eating meat, Czechs are very fond of fried sausages and sauerkraut. All of these are classic Czech culinary delights.
Of the poultry meat, one can distinguish chicken, duck and goose; trout and carp are popular among fish. The latter is prepared in a variety of ways. They also love sweets here, not a single feast can do without them. Here even a dessert is made from vermicelli, mixing it with sugar and butter. The use of sauces allows for the quick assimilation of traditionally large portions, and without spices, the Czechs do not at all understand a good lunch or dinner. Caraway seeds, marjoram, ginger, mustard, dill are all in demand by chefs and consumers.
Among the drinks, the dominant position is, of course, beer. Czech breweries have become world famous for a long time. The variety of the frothy drink is amazing - it can even be prepared using coffee or chocolate. And some soups are distinguished by the fact that the recipe is based on beer.
The price of food in the republic is generally low. The cost of an average check for lunch in an ordinary cafe is 100-120 kroons, which is about 230-300 rubles. For a full dinner at a restaurant for two, you will need to pay CZK 500-600. Tipping is usually 10% of the value of the check, but this is optional. If the service did not suit you for some reason, it is quite possible to do without a bonus.

Snacks

Interestingly enough, in the Czech Republic bread is called differently - bread and bread. The difference lies in the fact that the first option is a coarse dark bread, usually with additives. And the second is a white bagel, loaf, bun.
Among the appetizers, the palm belongs to salads. The most famous among them is popular far beyond the borders of the country, called Prague. However, he is far from the usual understanding of salad as a light snack - it is a hearty dish containing a lot of meat and vegetables. The traditional Czech recipe includes veal and pork, which must be cut into strips and fried. Other ingredients are onions, apples and cucumbers, which are added to the finished chilled meat. Before serving, it must be watered with lemon juice and mayonnaise or sour cream is added.
Another hearty salad - Vlash salad - also consists of fried veal. The second meat ingredient is ham. Meat, ham, apple, boiled potatoes and green peas are mixed and seasoned with mayonnaise. Such a dish is decorated with green salad and parsley.
Czechs love cabbage. Such a variety as kohlrabi is also not bypassed. The vegetable is cut into slices, fried, and then poured with sour cream sauce with paprika and stewed. It turns out a rather unusual and tasty dish.
A simple but original version of the Czech omelet includes, in addition to eggs, horseradish. First, the eggs should be fried in a pan, as usual, then add the loaf cut into pieces and grated horseradish. This appetizer is served with absolutely any drink - both coffee and beer.
Since the most widespread and favorite drink in the Czech Republic is beer, most of the snacks on the menu of any restaurant are served with it. You won't find such a variety of beer treats in any other country! One of the favorite dishes of local residents is "drowned", which literally means "drowned" in translation. This is what the Czechs call sausages or sausages, pre-marinated for two weeks. They say that this name came about thanks to a history of a century ago. A miller named Shamanek Beroun owned, in addition to the mill, his own brewery. It was he who invented to marinate sausages for better preservation, adding onions and other spices to the marinade. Therefore, his pub has become a very popular establishment. Beroun himself drowned while repairing a wheel near the mill, which is why the sausages began to be called that. The presentation of this dish is interesting - the sausage is cut in the center along, where vegetables are put - tomato, onion, pepper. Sometimes they can be served with cabbage or hot peppers. Sprinkle with herbs on top. Remember that this is a rather fatty dish, so it goes best with beer.
Brawn, habitual for the Slavic people, is called tlachenka in the Czech Republic. It is made from pork shank and meat offal. It is served with horseradish, mustard and pickled onions. Czechs are also known for their sausages, which came to the national cuisine from Germany. This is a very tasty meat product that is grilled until crispy.
Cheese has a special place in Czech cuisine. Many tourists are advised to try Olomuk cheese. It should be borne in mind that they are distinguished by a very sharp specific smell, not everyone can withstand it. But those who nevertheless decide to try, say that the taste of such delights is very delicate. They are made from sour cottage cheese, which is mixed with salt, filled with the resulting mass of containers and left to mature. You can not only taste them in a cafe, but also buy them in almost any Czech store. Lovers of curd cheeses recommend keeping them warm first, and then eating them - so they become softer and tastier.
Another type of cheese is hermelin as a beer snack. It is a pickled product made from cow's milk. It is distinguished by the presence of mold. The secret of the meal lies in the right marinade, consisting of black pepper, onion, bay leaf, chili pepper, garlic and caraway seeds. In such a mixture, it is about two weeks. It is often fried in breadcrumbs and served as a hot snack.

First meal

As in most countries, the traditional first course is soup. It is prepared here in a variety of ways, one of the favorite locals is garlic broth, or garlic. Its main ingredient is garlic - a whole head is put here. Prepare a dish based on smoked meats, which are pre-boiled. Then potatoes, chopped garlic, caraway seeds, marjoram and black pepper are added to them. Czech chefs recommend not adding all the garlic at once, but in portions during cooking. This will make the soup more flavorful. It is often served on a loaf of bread. Then one beaten egg is added there. It turns out to be thicker and does not flow out of the bread. The egg must be added before cooking, pouring in a thin stream and stirring. It should not curl up in large pieces.
Another soup served in bread is thick potato bramboraka. It is prepared on the basis of dried mushrooms. First, the mushrooms are poured with water and allowed to swell. Then they are mixed in water with onions fried in flour, potatoes. Seasoning with caraway seeds and black pepper, sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Studying Czech cuisine, you can find many recipes for making beer soup. One of these is ginger broth. First, the beef composition with beer is brought to a boil, and then a mass made from pounded sour cream, eggs and butter is added to it. Before cooking, it is seasoned with grated ginger. Served with parsley and lemon slices.
The green vole is a soup made from sauerkraut, to put it simply, cabbage soup. The difference in the Czech recipe is that cream is added to it. They are pre-fried in a pan using flour. It is usually seasoned with ground red bell pepper, cloves, wig, and allspice. Sausage is often added to such a soup - then it will be called tsurochka.
Since Czechs are famous for their love of meat, their favorite soup is goulash soup. They use a wide variety of game for him - beef, chicken, and rabbit. Of course, beef goulash soup is in the greatest demand. First, boil the broth on the meat bones. At this time, beef, cut into small pieces, is fried separately in a pan. Then diced potatoes are added to it and stewed along with garlic, caraway seeds and marjoram. This goulash is then poured into broth. It turns out to be a rather thick rich first course. Czech chefs often add meat by-products to it.
Soup based on dill and sour milk is called coprova vole. In a saucepan, mix meat broth, milk, potatoes and onions fried with flour. All this is generously covered with chopped dill. The seasoning is usually caraway. They try to give this dish a slightly sour taste with the help of vinegar or lemon juice.
Another favorite Czech meat soup is made from meat broth and liver dumplings. They are the main component of this first course. To prepare them, white bread is soaked in milk and mixed with twisted liver. Then this mass is boiled in water, cut into slices and added to beef broth with potatoes.
Czechs and borsch are cooked, its basis, like ours, is beetroot. The usual recipe includes all the same ingredients as the Ukrainian counterpart. But Prague borsch is also present in the Czech menu - this is when the beets are chopped on a grater and poured with bread kvass. Add butter to the boiling mass and sprinkle with dill and parsley.
It can be traced that Czech soups are often prepared with the addition of flour, which makes them thicker, because the favorite serving of the first courses is in a loaf of bread. The thick soup won't soften the bread or run off the plate!

Second courses

As a second course, Czechs focus on meat with a side dish. The real brand in the gastronomic diversity of this country can be called the dish, referred to as the boar's knee. The approximate weight of such a knee is from one to one and a half kilograms - take this into account when ordering. The delicacy is best consumed in a large company. Basically, this is a baked pig's leg that is pre-marinated in beer. The whole secret of its preparation lies in the correct marinade. The meat is rubbed with garlic, caraway seeds and other spices. Then the ginger is cut into pieces, which is laid on the bottom of the dish. A pork leg and apples cut into slices are spread on it. All this is poured with beer. The meat should be marinated for about a day, therefore, it is better to start cooking it in the morning in order to fry the leg the next morning. It is recommended to cook the meat in this marinade for an hour before sending it for frying. At home, the pickled leg is wrapped in foil and sent to the oven for a couple of hours. Cooking time depends on its size. Restaurants often do this on a grill or spit. It is served with pickles, stewed cabbage and, of course, with beer.
Another national second dish is sour cream svichkova - beef tenderloin stewed in sour cream sauce. Before frying the beef, it must be stuffed with thin slices of bacon and grated with caraway seeds and pepper. Then you should fry the meat piece in a pan and send it to the oven for half an hour. The preparation of the sauce deserves special attention. First, vegetables are fried - onions, celery and carrots. They add meat broth or water, nutmeg, cinnamon, and then cream or sour cream. This sauce is stewed until vegetables are cooked. Before serving, the meat is cut into pieces and poured with this sauce or stewed in a sauce. It is customary to serve food with cranberry or lingonberry jam. Despite the strange combination, it turns out to be delicious. Each chef has his own recipe for the correct preparation of svichkov. The most eminent among them have knowledge of ancient recipes, passed down from the previous generation. This is mainly a festive meal. It is garnished with no less famous dumplings.
It is worth mentioning them in more detail. It is difficult to attribute dumplings to any dish, because they can be with both meat and sweet filling. They are also just a side dish. In general, this is a traditional Czech dish, the first to be remembered at the mention of the Czech Republic. Dumplings are based on potatoes. It is boiled in a uniform, cooled and grated. An egg, flour, salt are added to the resulting mass and sausages are molded from it. Then they are boiled in water. After cooling the dumpling, it is cut into slices. And then the imagination of cooks and cooks is already working. You can use minced meat as a filling, put in the middle and jam, just sprinkle with grated cheese until it melts. There are no restrictions on giving food a special taste. The second popular side dish after dumplings is cabbage, mostly stewed.
Thanks to the influence of Hungarian cuisine, goulash took root in the Czech Republic and became one of the favorite second courses - juicy meat stewed with caraway seeds or garlic in tomato paste. The prepared gravy is delicious, as a result, goulash is usually served with dumplings, with which it is convenient to smear it. In any restaurant it is easy to do it calmly, the locals do it this way and they treat it absolutely normally. The meat in the dish is beef or, even better, veal. Some chefs add paprika, marjoram and other spices to the goulash to add spice.
Czechs like to add honey to some dishes. One of the most delicious national dishes is pork ribs baked in honey. In the local language, it sounds like a baked Vepr's gall in honey. Baked goose or duck are considered a festive treat. They are also brushed with honey for a crispy and flavorful crust.
Czechs love not only game meat, but also their by-products, preference is given to the liver. Here it is prepared so that it remains pink inside. A whole beef liver is divided into two parts, rubbed with spices and fried for a short time, but over high heat. Red wine mixed with soy sauce is added as a gravy during frying. Before readiness, the dish is supplemented with almonds and onions fried in flour. Dumplings or rice are usually a side dish for the dish.
Schnitzel is also in demand here. Of course, this dish is not of Czech origin, but it is so revered that it has long been perceived as local. The main ingredient is beef, veal or chicken. Chunks of meat are beaten off, dipped in batter and fried in a pan. The batter can be either bread crumbs or flour mixed with pepper, or a beaten egg. The most common side dish for schnitzel is mashed potatoes.
According to many tourists, one of the most delicious Czech dishes is katów shlyach v derun. First, it is worth mentioning what a potato pancake is - this is a potato pancake, which is familiar to Ukrainians, here it is also called bamborak. Its recipe is similar to the preparation of potato pancakes, but only local chefs add marjoram to the dough. And katuv shlyakh is pork cut into small pieces, stewed with vegetables. Onions, carrots and peppers are usually taken as vegetables. They are not rubbed, but cut. Peppers - in strips, carrots and onions - in half rings. When the meat is ready, it is laid out on one half of the baborak and covered with the other. It should be noted that here potato pancakes are baked large, spreading over the entire size of the pan. Local bamboraki were even ahead of dumplings in the poll for the most popular dish in the Czech Republic.

Sweets and pastries

Baked products are revered by the Czech people. Local cuisine has many traditional sweet recipes, which are close to beer snacks in terms of the number. Tourists do not pay much attention to sweets; nevertheless, beer and the dishes offered to it are in priority here. But the Czechs themselves love them, the dessert is included in the obligatory menu after lunch or dinner.
It is impossible to imagine a single national holiday without trdlo or trdelnik. It may seem that this is a typo, but no, this is what the hollow cylindrical tubes made of sweet yeast dough are called. The dough is wrapped around wooden or metal sticks and baked by twisting such attachments. After the straws are dipped in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and sprinkled with vanilla, coconut or nuts. Later, they began to prepare trdlo stuffed with condensed milk, whipped cream of mushrooms or cheese, but traditionally it is an empty tube. Czech mothers sometimes call restless children trdlo. The word itself can be translated as "fool", that is, empty inside. In general, trdlo is the stick on which the dough is wound for baking. You can buy such a delicacy literally at every step; it is sold not only in cafes and bakeries, but also in street tents. Interestingly, the Slovak town of Skalica, located on the border with the Czech Republic, hosts an annual festival called Trdlofest. There, chefs compete in baking the longest and most delicious tube.
The Czech people are known for their humorous attitude to everything that happens. The kitchen was no exception. The local dessert rakvitsa literally translates as a coffin. It's basically an eclair topped with whipped cream. The cakes are simply fashioned roughly, in the form of small coffins. And the eclairs themselves are sugar, whipped with egg yolk with the addition of flour, a delicate delicacy that melts in your mouth.
The Czechs owe the appearance of strudel in the kitchen to the Austrians and Germans - it is still unknown who first invented it. It is an incredibly tasty thin dough roll with various fillings. Usually, berries or fruits are taken for the filling - pear, strawberry, cherry, but the most popular in the Czech Republic is apple strudel sprinkled with vanilla syrup. The locals, who love to eat heavily, could not help but experiment and began to make a delicacy with more satisfying fillings. In the country, you can taste it with cottage cheese, potatoes, fish or meat. Fortunately, the density of the dough allows such experiments to be done. The original Czech strudel is formulated with light beers. A special feature of the preparation is that the dough should be rolled out thinly and, alternating with fillings, layered on top of each other.
In the menu of many cafes, in the dessert section, you can find palanchiki. They belong to the classics of Czech sweets - these are delicate pancakes prepared with a variety of fillings. There is nothing unusual about the recipe - flour, salt, egg and milk. Real stoles should be ruddy in color. The inside of the pancake can contain cheeses, jams, preserves, or honey. All this also goes well with fruit pieces.

Beverages

There are simply no rivals to Czech beer in the country - it is the most beloved drink by both locals and guests. Brewers are held in high esteem here, as are doctors, teachers or priests. Real beer in the Czech Republic is produced in a wide variety, it is simply impossible to count all its varieties. It is easy and quick to drink, as it is less strong than that used in Russia or Ukraine. To accompany the evening with six glasses of a foamy drink is the usual norm, while the state will be far from intoxication. Only high spirits are guaranteed!
Brewing originated in the Czech Republic as early as the 11th century, and monks who drank beer during long periods of fasting to maintain a starving body contributed to its spread. The German brewer Josef Groll, who was invited to create new varieties, greatly benefited the beer chela. He owns the Pilsner variety, which appeared in the middle of the 19th century. Today, there are 49 breweries in the state, including such well-known brands as Staropramen, Krusovice, Budvar, Velkopopovitsky Kozel. Interesting beer "Staropramen" brands "Velvet" and "Kelt". When spilled, the glass is completely filled with foam, rushing upward. However, when the bubbles settle, it remains completely filled with beer.
Among other alcoholic beverages, the Czechs especially revered Becherovka. After beer, it ranks second in terms of consumption in the country. It is called the hallmark of the wine list of Czech restaurants. It is a herbal liqueur with significant strength, has medicinal properties, because it was originally created as a medicine. Becherovka helps to relax the muscle tissue of the gastrointestinal tract, the secretion of juice in the stomach. The drink contains anise and cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, orange peel and pepper. The recipe for its preparation was indulged by the Becher generation by word of mouth, the exact recipe is kept in the strictest confidence today.
There are also fruit and berry brandies, plum brandy, rum and absinthe. The Czech Republic ignored the ban on the production of the latter, about ten of its varieties are produced here. Especially for ladies, absinthe is made with 35% alcohol content instead of the usual 70%. A bottle of "Becherovka" or a gift set of different varieties of absinthe will be an excellent souvenir brought from the country. It comes with a special spoon for burning sugar. It is believed that drinking this strongest drink is correct: set fire to a sugar cube in a spoon and hold the spoon over a glass so that burnt sweetness drips there. Then mix everything and drink. Czechs choose tea and coffee from non-alcoholic drinks.

Czech cuisine is a real paradise for lovers of meat, beer and sweets. Taking away impressions of the sights from here, one of those will be memories of delicious and satisfying local cuisine. Many of the recipes are quite simple, they can be prepared at home, surprising guests with unusual dishes!

Date of publication: 2013-04-22

“A piece of toasted ham, lying in brine, with potato dumplings sprinkled with cracklings, and with cabbage! Real jam! After that, the beer is drunk with pleasure! ... What else does a person need? "

"The Adventures of the Gallant Soldier Schweik", Jaroslav Hasek

The annual pilgrimage to the Czech Republic of millions of tourists from all over the world is associated not only with a rich historical heritage and unique ancient architecture. The national cuisine can be called a full-fledged attraction of this country.

A brief excursion into history

The geographical location of the Czech Republic has predetermined its culinary traditions. For centuries, Czechs have been influenced by their neighbors - German-Austrian cuisine in the west, Hungarian in the south and Slavic in the east. Western neighbors have enriched Czech cuisine with all sorts of sausages and various types of cabbage, from southern ones - thick rich soups, goulash and the tradition of generously seasoning dishes with spices, and the eastern contribution can be considered porridge, meat offal and pastry.

At first glance, Czech cuisine is quite simple and straightforward. It is based on dishes from meat and poultry, potatoes and flour products, ideally combined with the main Czech drink - beer. But the devil, as they say, is in the details. On closer inspection, you can see that the success of Czech cuisine is based on the use of selected meats and other products of the highest quality, their skillful cooking and a generous selection of various sauces, spices and seasonings.

The Czechs themselves like to say that their national cuisine is based on the trinity: “meat-dumplings-beer”.

It is difficult to call the Czech Republic a paradise for discerning gourmets (after all, it does not have such exquisite dishes as, for example, in French or Italian haute cuisine), but for lovers of hearty, tasty and, importantly, inexpensive food the possibilities are simply endless. The portions in the Czech Republic are huge (and the farther from the tourist centers, the more), the prices are moderate, and you can have a glass of freshly brewed beer with a traditional set of snacks in any institution literally at every step - from a simple formank to a popular restaurant.

Czech cuisine will delight meat eaters - most of its dishes are based on the use of meat (mainly pork) and poultry (duck, turkey). You can find fish in the Czech Republic, but rarely. Czechs mainly eat freshwater fish. The main Czech fish is carp. Baked in sour cream and garlic sauce, it is a traditional Christmas dish.

Soups and, of course, dumplings - cooked or steamed flour products that vaguely resemble wet bread - occupy an important place in Czech national cuisine. Plentifully drizzled with sauce, they are served with various dishes as a side dish.

Traditional Czech soups

Soups, or in Czech polévky, occupy an important place in Czech cuisine. Czechs prefer thick, aromatic soups based on meat broth and pureed soups with an interesting sweet and sour flavor range (sauerkraut, sour milk or apples are usually added to soups for "sourness"). Chefs do not skimp on seasonings, adding large quantities of caraway seeds, marjoram, thyme, ginger, bay leaf, pepper, paprika and fresh herbs - dill, parsley. For density, egg yolks, semolina, flour, mashed vegetables, cream, butter are added to them. Due to their thick consistency, many Czech soups can be easily confused with sauces.

Tourists coming to the Czech Republic are always delighted with soups in bread... The soup is served in special bread "pots", inside of which the crumb has been removed. Top of the crispy pot is covered with a pre-cut bread lid. Such serving is typical for meat goulash soup, mushroom puree soup, thick potato, onion and many other soups. As a rule, each Czech restaurant has its own special recipe for soup in bread. And it is so delicious that you yourself will not notice how to eat not only the contents, but also the crispy pot itself, soaked in thick meat tastes and aromas!

Meat and chicken broths seasoned with garlic, cheese and croutons are most often found as light first courses.

Traditional Czech soups include:

bramborová polévka or bramboračka - thick potato soup with smoked meats and / or mushrooms according to an old Bohemian recipe. Dressed with sour cream mixed with flour. Often served in bread.

gulášová polévka- goulash soup. Popular thick soup based on pork, beef, poultry or rabbit meat. In addition to meat, offal, chicken and duck giblets can be added to it. Thickened with flour, semolina or mashed potatoes fried in butter or lard. Serving in bread is also traditional for him.

česneková polévka- garlic soup, can be prepared as rather thick (then beaten eggs are added to it), or more liquid.

koprová polévka- dill soup with sour milk according to an old recipe. Generously flavored with sour cream and fresh herbs. And although the head hurts after Czech beer is extremely rare, but if you mixed it the night before with absinthe, liqueur, plum brandy or becherovka, this is the best hangover cure.

cibulová polévka- onion soup with croutons and cheese. Prepared in meat or bone broth. The onions are fried in lard. It has a rich, pungent taste.

hovězí polévka s játrovými knedlíčky- beef soup with liver dumplings. The "highlight" of this soup are dumplings, kneaded from pieces of bread and minced liver soaked in milk.

kulajda- Kulaida or South Bohemian potato-mushroom soup - an old recipe for the first course from southern Bohemia. It is rightfully considered one of the masterpieces of Czech cuisine. Prepared with milk or cream. Differs in thick consistency, white color and rich mushroom aroma.

zelná polévka- sauerkraut soup. We can say that this is the cabbage soup of Czech cuisine. It is prepared simple or with the addition of milk (cream) and thickened flour fried in butter.

dršťková polévka- tripe soup. Thick, rich pork tripe soup, a traditional dish of Czech farmers. Generously seasoned with paprika, garlic and other spices (marjoram, caraway seeds, pepper).

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Main (second) dishes of Czech cuisine

Boar knee, svichkov, ribs in honey - for those who were lucky enough to visit the Czech Republic, only at the mention of these names will sweetly pinch in the side.

As the second course (hlavní chod), Czechs prefer meat and chicken dishes with side dishes. The first place in popularity is held by pork, followed by chicken, and in third place - by beef. Duck, turkey, goose, and pheasant dishes are also widespread. Fish is much less popular, although in large restaurants you will always find several dishes of trout, carp or cod. It is usually fried, baked in the oven, or grilled. The traditional Christmas dish is oven baked carp... It is baked with garlic sour cream or garlic cheese sauce.

Since the Czechs are meat-eaters, they cook meat dishes excellently. The meat is pre-marinated (in everyone's favorite Czech beer), abundantly sprinkled with spices and generously flavored with sauces of a wide variety of tastes - from spicy garlic and onion to sweet and sour fruit and berry.

The main methods of preparing second courses are stewing, frying and baking, including grilling (charcoal). Czechs prefer meat that is cut in large pieces, whole (such as baked duck or pork knuckle) or in smaller pieces for goulash. Minced meat dishes are not typical for Czech cuisine, with the exception of sausages and sausages (drowned sausages), which the Czechs themselves attribute rather not to main dishes, but to beer snacks.

When preparing main courses, they generously use condiments and spices- onion, garlic, mustard, horseradish, marjoram, paprika, cumin, ginger, thyme, sage, coriander, cardamom, basil, sage, dill.

And of course, it should be separately mentioned sauces... Sauces, or omáčky occupy a special place in Czech cuisine. They are served with main courses, appetizers, side dishes and dumplings. Czech sauces are mostly thick, with rich flavors and aromas. The traditions of their consumption date back to the Middle Ages. The basis for the preparation of ancient sauces was the frying of flour in fat, diluted, depending on the eaters' belonging to a particular class, with water, meat or vegetable broth, wine, milk, cream and even beer. Spices, roots and herbs were added to them. Since that time, the technology of making sauces has changed little.

Sauces traditional for Czech cuisine are: garlic, tomato, cucumber, dill, onion, mushroom, creamy, tomato, lingonberry, cranberry, blackberry. To improve the taste properties, butter, cream, milk, sour cream are added to them.

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Main second courses

Baked pork knee (Pečené vepřové koleno)

A dish with which most tourists associate the Czech Republic. The main dish of Czech cuisine is made from fresh pork shank - from the middle of the drumstick to the middle of the thigh. The shank can be baked in different ways. The conceptual difference of most recipes is in the absence or presence of a boiling stage. According to the traditional recipe, the shank is first boiled in broth or beer with the addition of various roots (celery, carrots), onions, garlic and spices, and then grilled. Served with sauerkraut or stewed cabbage, potatoes, pickled cucumbers, garlic and herbs.

Baked pork ribs in honey (Pečená vepřová žebírka v medu)

The highlight of this recipe is a special honey-based marinade. Before baking, the ribs are marinated for a long time, and then baked for a long time over low heat, which is why they practically melt in the mouth;

Vepřo-knedlo-zelo

Another old Czech dish of baked pork, dumplings (a special Czech "bread" side dish, but more about them later) and stewed sauerkraut. According to the glorious Czech tradition, it is poured abundantly with thick gravy.

Svíčková na smetaně

Stew of young beef or veal tenderloin with sauce. For this dish, the meat is selected especially carefully, and before cooking it is marinated in spices for 1-2 days. Sauce plays a key role in the taste of the finished dish. It is prepared on the basis of vegetables stewed in meat broth, which are then whipped until puree. For taste, add milk, cream or sour cream to the sauce. The addition of berry sauces or even jam from sour berries - cranberry, lingonberry, blackberry, gives a special piquancy to the dish. Well, a few slices of dumplings served with the dish will help you to soak all the sauce.

The rest of the second courses

vepřový řízek - breaded fried pork chop... It is a Czech variety of schnitzel or escalope. The dish got into the national Czech cuisine under the influence of the close proximity to Germany and Austria-Hungary.

pečená vepřová játra - baked pork liver... It is prepared very quickly so that the inside of the liver remains soft pink. Served with fried onions and thick flour sauce.

Goulash with dumplings

hovězí guláš s knedlíkem - beef goulash with dumplings... A traditional recipe for a stew in a thick gravy. "Migrated" to Czech cuisine from Hungarian neighbors. And so that not a single drop of aromatic meat gravy is wasted, several pieces of potato or flour dumplings are attached to the dish. There are a great many recipes for making “correct” Czech goulash, the invariable ingredients in them are only pieces of juicy meat, onions and tomatoes (tomato paste). Everything else (garlic, pepper, paprika, ginger, coriander and other spices) is at the discretion of the cook.

Duck with dumplings

pečené kachna - roast duck or goose... Belongs to the category of festive Czech cuisine. Whole baked poultry is served with sauerkraut and dumplings. To obtain a crispy, aromatic crust, poultry can be smeared with honey or a specially prepared honey mixture with salt and spices.

Lamb with rosemary

jehněčí na rozmarýnu - lamb baked with rosemary... A delicious dish of mutton, rare on the Czech table. Fresh sprigs of rosemary add spice to the dish. For baking, various pieces of lamb can be taken - the vertebral part (hřbetu), ribs (žebírka), neck (krk) and leg (kýta). Various variations of the recipe allow for the use of garlic, olive oil, lemon, and even marmalade. Often sour berries (lingonberry, cranberry) sauce is served with the dish. Another variety of lamb dishes is bohemian meat... To prepare the dish, soft lamb is cut into rectangular pieces, fried and stewed with onions and potatoes.

tradiční smažený kapr - baked carp... One of the few fish dishes in Czech cuisine, which can be called the main Christmas dish of the country. Traditionally served with the festive table at Christmas. Karpov for this occasion are fattened up special - large and fat. The fish is baked under sour cream-beer sauce, with onions and lemon. The belly can start with sautéed onions, carrots, mushrooms. Before cooking, experienced housewives soak carp in beer for 1-2 days (always in dark beer). It is customary to carry Christmas carp scales in your wallet all year round - they are believed to attract money and wealth.

pečený pstruh - baked trout... Another of the few fish dishes in Czech cuisine. The fish is baked with lemon and spices - rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper. Bake fish different ways- grilled, charcoal, in foil.

Czech side dishes

Describing Czech side dishes(přílohy), the story can be divided into two parts - about dumplings and about everything else.

Indeed, almost no country in the world has a dish that even remotely resembles Czech dumplings(knedlík). He stands on a special step between bread and side dishes, replacing both the Czechs themselves at the same time. Although, if you make a small excursion into history, you may be surprised to find that dumplings are not an invention of Czech chefs. They came to the Czech Republic from Germany and Austria. And the very name of the dish has quite a German roots and comes from the German "knödel". However, knodels used in southern Germany and Tyrol and being siblings (or, more precisely, great-great-grandfathers) of Czech dumplings, failed to develop to the status of a "brand", and remained an unnoticeable phenomenon of regional significance on the culinary map of these countries. Czech dumplings received the official status of one of the main national symbols of the country, and every self-respecting Czech housewife knows at least three recipes for the most "correct" homemade dumplings: potato, flour (bread) and sweet.

So what is a classic Czech dumpling? This is where the biggest problem arises. There is absolutely no way to classify dumplings into "correct" and "wrong" - there are many options for their preparation, in each region (and what a region - in every family!) The recipe for dumplings is different and, of course, the most authentic and delicious.

All dumplings have one thing in common - steaming or in boiling water of a dough-like mass mixed from a variety of ingredients. The "dough" may include raw or boiled potato puree, flour, starch, an egg, pieces of stale bread or rolls soaked in milk. A variety of products can be added to this base: cottage cheese, corn or semolina, liver, bacon, cheese, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs. When sugar, fruits and berries are added to the dough, sweet dumplings are obtained, which are used in Czech cuisine as a dessert. They can be served with sweet sauces, ice cream, fruits, poppy seeds, nuts, and chocolate.

Depending on the recipe, the dumpling dough can be yeast-free or yeast-free.

The beauty of dumplings lies in the fact that, having an indistinct taste in itself, due to their consistency, they perfectly absorb all the flavors of the main dish. Therefore, they are perfect with thick soups and various sauces for which Czech cuisine is famous.

Traditional side dishes in Czech cuisine one can distinguish:

• bramborová kaše- mashed potatoes. Perfect with meat dishes with thick sauces and fish;
• bramborové hranolky- classic French fries. The Czechs are generally very fond of potato side dishes, so you can find potatoes in a variety of varieties on the menu. - boiled, baked, with fried bacon, garlic, dill, etc.;
• krokety - croquettes... Deep-fried mashed potato balls. They can be in the form of small sticks, roses and others;
• dušené zelí(stewed cabbage) and dušené kysané zelí(stewed sauerkraut) - made from sauerkraut. Another popular Czech side dish. Served both independently with the main courses, and as part of complex side dishes. Ideally combined with pork knuckle, drowned fish, baked ribs and other traditional Czech dishes. It can be prepared from white and red cabbage, with the addition of bay leaves, caraway seeds, cranberries, lingonberries, carrots, apples;
• fazolové lusky- boiled or stewed green beans.

Beer snacks

A story about Czech cuisine would be incomplete without mentioning traditional beer snacks. The consumption of beer in the Czech Republic is a centuries-old national tradition, which is supported by millions of tourists who come to the country with pleasure. In every drinking establishment you will find an impressive list of snacks that can quickly kill the hungry worm and, from the best side, emphasize the taste advantages of numerous types of beer - dark, semi-dark, ruby, light, bitter, sour, smoked, wheat and many, many others.

Any correct beer snack has two purposes: to emphasize the unique taste of the foamy drink and to induce thirst, leading to the order of the next glass. Considering the second, the bulk of Czech beer snacks are distinguished by an abundance of salt and all kinds of spices.

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Main snack dishes

Pickled hermelin (nakládaný hermelín)

Translated from Czech, Hermelín means "ermine". This is the name of a variety of soft fatty cheese made from cow's milk, with a white mold on the surface. Hermelin is similar in taste to French Camembert. Served as an appetizer for white wine. Served pickled as a beer snack. To do this, the cheese is soaked for two weeks in a special marinade based on vegetable (rapeseed) oil with the addition of spices - onions, garlic, allspice and black pepper, chili, bay leaves, thyme and pickled hot pepper "feferonky" (pálivé feferonky). As a hot appetizer, hermeline is served fried in deep-fried bread crumbs ( smažený hermelín) or grilled ( grilovaný hermelín). When cooked, all facets of the taste and aroma of cheese are revealed. Outside, the cheese is covered with a delicious crispy crust, and inside it has a delicate flowing content that literally melts in your mouth. Served with garlic, cucumber-dill, cranberry or lingonberry sauce.

Drowned (utopenci)

Drowned men - translated from Czech as "drowned men". Fatty meat sausages (marinated in a sour marinade for about two weeks) with an original serving - each sausage is cut lengthwise, slices of tomato, pickled onion, sweet pepper, pickled cucumber, pickled peppers, etc. are inserted into the cut. Sprinkled generously with fresh herbs on top.

Beef tartare with toasted bread (hovězý tatarák s topinkami)

Tartar with crispbread

It is a variant of the famous Tatar snack made from raw ground beef with egg yolk. Served with crispy bread and spices - red and black peppers, garlic, pickled onions, olives and various sauces. It is better to try tartare in proven places, with guaranteed meat quality. Remember that the minced meat is completely raw and has not been cooked in any way.

Olomouc cheeses (olomoucké tvarůžky)

A kind of Czech appetizer "for an amateur". It is a kind of ripening curd cheese. They have a pungent specific smell and taste. Recommended to be served with butter toast. Those who dare to try this old "delicacy" of Czech peasants from the village of Loshtice, in the vicinity of Olomouc (they began to produce it there as early as the 15th century), say that if you ignore the smell, then the taste and delicate consistency of cheese is something It resembles a smoked halibut.

Classic snack dishes which you will surely find in any Czech pub or restaurant:

• tlačenka - tlachenka... This name hides the brawn, well-known to all, from pork shank and meat offal. Served with pickled onions, horseradish, mustard and white sauces;
• grilované klobásky - grilled sausages... Delicious grilled meat sausages with a crispy crust. Served with various hot sauces and mustard. For a crispier crust, they can be cut crosswise on one or both sides;
• tatarský biftek z lososa - raw salmon tartare... Served on a lettuce salad with toasted toast, lemon, pepper and salt;
• pivni sýr obložený - beer cheese... Bread with an original snack made from beer cheese, salted sprat, onions, butter and a drop of beer.

Taking into account the culture of mass consumption of beer, in every drinking establishment you will be offered fried toast(topinky) with various fillings (minced meat or fish, cheese, anchovies, bacon, garlic, onions), and meat(masové prkénko) or cheesy(sýrové prkénko) assorted.

Salads

Despite their love for hearty meat and potato dishes, Czechs don't forget about lighter snacks. Although, also with a touch of local culinary flavor. For example, one of the most popular Czech salads is potato - bramborový salát... In addition to boiled potatoes, it includes carrots, celery and parsley root, red onions, pickled cucumbers, bacon cracklings and other ingredients of the hostess's choice. This salad is often served on the Christmas table. The "poorer" option includes, in addition to potatoes, onions, herbs and mustard dressing with vinegar or wine (served warm). Another vivid example of Czech gastronomic addictions is Vlash salad ( vlašský salát) from potatoes, green peas and a set of meat ingredients - sausage, ham, veal, tongue, etc. (a Czech analogue of Olivier salad). A kind of echo of the common history with Austria-Hungary is a salad of sweet pickled peppers, onions, celery root and smoked meats.

Desserts, pies

As a rule, travelers returning from the Czech Republic rarely mention local desserts. And completely in vain! Of course, this is largely due to the fact that the bulk of tourists, absorbed in tasting varieties and brands of Czech beer, lean on beer snacks. Naturally, in this situation, the majority is no longer up to desserts. However, sweet lovers will discover a striking variety of Czech desserts and pastries, which have a distinctly Austrian flavor and distinct Slavic roots.

We will not dwell on the popular international desserts that can be found in any country in the world - tiramisu, cheesecake, napoleon or brownie. In the Czech Republic, they also know how to cook, and the degree of this skill depends on the particular institution. We will talk about unique Czech desserts, which you are unlikely to be able to find outside the country.

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Trdelnik, trdlo

The most common street baked goods in the Czech Republic. Trdelnik tents can be found on every corner, and you can accurately determine their location by the breathtaking smell of cinnamon, vanilla and fresh baking that spreads throughout the area. They are hollow tubes made of butter yeast dough rolled on a rolling pin, sprinkled with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, sometimes with crushed nuts, poppy seeds or coconut flakes, coated with honey, chocolate or hot caramel. They are baked over an open fire. It is impossible to imagine a single folk festival, fair or street festival in the Czech Republic without trdelniks. It is interesting that the Slovak village of Skalica (and the cook of the Hungarian writer Josef Gwadani, who worked there in the 18th century) and the old Cesky Krumlov are arguing for the right to be called the creators of the most popular Czech delicacy. Supporters of the latest version claim that trdelniki was invented by a city baker who decided to sell his products at a large fair. In those years, by tradition, every merchant or artisan, in order to draw attention to the product, put pretty girls-relatives behind the counter. The baker's daughter was not particularly beautiful, but she perfectly spun. To draw attention to his product, the baker decided to put the girl to bake the dough tubes, winding them on a wooden spindle and sprinkling them with sugar and cinnamon right in front of the admiring customers. Considering the fate of the new delicacy, we can say that the baker's idea was a resounding success, and his marketing move turned out to be extremely successful. By the way, trdlo in Czech means "blockhead" or "fool".

We have already described the dumplings in detail in the section about. Sweet dumplings are distinguished by a richer dough, cottage cheese, soft cheese, vanillin, cinnamon, lemon and orange peel, candied fruits, nuts, fruits and berries are added to them. Served with sour cream, butter or custard cream, sprinkled with butter, chocolate, jam or jam. A popular variety of sweet dumplings are szilvás gombóc(Hungarian) or knedlíky se švestkami - dumplings with plums... They are round balls of potato or curd dough stuffed with plums or other sweet and sour fruits. They are boiled in boiling water and then rolled in breadcrumbs, powdered sugar, coconut, poppy seeds or crushed nuts.

Bakery based on yeast dough of various shapes with fillings of fruits, berries, nuts, raisins, dried apricots or cream cheese. Examples include: kalach(koláč) - a small round bun and vanochka(vánočka) - elongated braid.

Závin - Czech strudel... It is practically a copy of the Austrian strudel. It is baked in the form of a roll of thin puff pastry stuffed with apples, berries, cottage cheese, poppy seeds, chocolate. Czech confectioners serve strudel with whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate or vanilla sauce, garnished with berries and young leaves of mint or lemon balm.

Věneček- a small choux pastry in the form of a ring. Is the Czech equivalent eclairs... Its larger "brother" - vetrnik... Starts with whipped cream, custard, butter or protein cream, poured with glaze, garnished with whipped cream, nuts or berries. Another of its varieties is an oblong eclair, which seems to be named by a lover of black humor. "Rakvička" - coffin.

Palačinky- sweet thin pancakes... Czech pastry chefs turn out to be especially delicate and delicate. Served with ice cream, whipped cream, marmalade, syrup, jam or melted chocolate. Sprinkle with berries, almonds, powdered sugar.

Oplatky- thin round waffles with filling... Derived from the word "poplatek" - payment. This name was most likely due to the external similarity with coins. They are baked with a relief pattern on the surface and have a pleasant golden yellowish color. Started with chocolate, nougat, whipped cream, pieces of fruit. The taste is reminiscent of the famous Viennese waffles. Karlovy Vary, where they appeared on the tables of local housewives as early as the end of the 18th century, is the birthplace of paychecks.

Perník - gingerbread... They are baked according to old recipes in various regions of the Czech Republic. The most famous - Pardubice gingerbread(Pardubický perník) in the shape of a heart and Štramber ears(Štramberské uši), baked in the form of thin gingerbread dough.

Street food and Czech fast food

Prague, like almost all of the Czech Republic, is a place actively visited by tourists from all over the world. Therefore, she cannot do without brisk street trading. In addition to the already described trdelnikov, popular street food in the Czech Republic is hot dogs (párek), fried sausages with cauldron garnishes - potatoes with pasta and stewed cabbage. A kind of Czech shawarma is bramborák - ham, bacon, salami with herbs and vegetables wrapped in a potato pancake. In the central squares, spits with the famous boar knee and even a whole carcass of piglets tease with their seductive aromas. An unusual appearance attracts hungry (and even not so) buyers of a spiral of deep-fried potatoes, strung on wooden mini-skewers - such a kind of chips. Well, the undisputed leader in the maddening aroma - smoked Prosciutto di Praga(famous old Prague ham). In terms of its taste, it is in no way inferior to Italian prosciutto or Balkan prosciutto. The smell of fried cheese (grease) and langos (from the Hungarian lángos - fiery) - fried crispy flatbread with cheese, garlic sauce or sour cream tries to compete with him.

Fast food in the Czech Republic also has its own national flavor. In addition to traditional McDonald's, Burger King and KFC, it is represented by the well-known European brand Nordsee (perhaps the best fast food with seafood dishes), national counterparts of McDonald's Fasty's, Bageterie Boulevard and Express Sandwich (Czech analogue of Subway). The menu of international chains takes into account The Czechs have a keen interest in meat, so you can find dishes with a national flavor there.For example, in McDonald's, visitors are offered a Maestro Bohemia burger made from Czech beef and a large portion of bacon. Local eateries offer a wide variety of choices Khlebichkov- Czech version of sandwiches, the most popular of which are breads with ham, cheese, various smoked meats and salmon. For taste, lettuce leaves, herbs, beer cheese, mayonnaise sauce, butter are often added to the bread.

Going to the Czech Republic, we studied the Internet in search of various information, including about different Czech dishes that should be tried in Prague.

Most often it is advised to try pork knee, dumplings, thick soups, shanks, goulash, ribs, pastries and beer. But, of course, do not forget that although Czech food is very tasty, it is very difficult for the Russian stomach. Especially it is necessary to be careful for people with sick stomachs, so as not to spoil their vacation.

And I also want to draw your attention when you make an order in a restaurant - look not only at the price, but also at the weight, because in the Czech Republic, the portions of some dishes can be large and only two people can beat them.

Here is a list of Czech dishes that we compiled before our trip to the Czech Republic.

Soups(Polévky)

Czech soups are usually puree soups. They add butter, egg yolks, smoked meats. Fried in oil yeast is added to some types of soups, which gives a spicy unusual taste.

Sauerkraut soup - Zelňačka

Garlic soup - Česnečka (garlic)

Scar soup - Drštková

Potato soup with mushrooms in a bread bowl - Bramboračka

Soup made with sour milk - K oprovka (koprovka)

Liver meatball soup - Novězí polévka s játrovými knedlíčky

Beer soup with cheese croutons - Pivní polévka

Onion soup with croutons and pieces of cheese - Cibulačka

Main dishes

The main course is often meat. Restaurants offer schnitzel, pork, goulash, beef in sauce. But be sure to try the popular baked pork knuckle “Vepršov's knee”.

The most popular side dish is dumplings, a boiled dough product with gravy. Therefore, it is not necessary to order bread if you decide to try the dumplings, although most likely the bread will still be brought.

Also in the Czech Republic, potatoes (potato salad, mashed potatoes, French fries), rice, stewed vegetables, and sauerkraut are popular. We really liked the Czech salads - Shopski, Vlašski, Brno.

Hot dishes(Přílohy)

Oven-baked pork knuckle with horseradish and mustard - Pečené vepřové koleno The weight of the dish is usually about 2.5 kg, so it is advisable to order this dish for several people.

Baked pork with dumplings and stewed cabbage - Vepřo-knedlo-zelo.

Baked pork ribs in honey - Pečená vepřová žebírka v medu

Meat platter (pork, duck, smoked neck, sausages) with cabbage, dumplings and flatbreads - Staročeská Bašta

Meatloaf with mushroom sauce - Vepřová panenka s houbovou omáčkou

Pork goulash with bread or potato dumplings - Vepřový guláš.

Barbecue of several types of meat with vegetables - Královský meč (Královsky sword).

Baked pork liver - Pečená vepřová játra

Beef cooked according to traditional Czech in sour cream sauce. Served with a slice of lemon, tender cream, berry jam (usually lingonberry) and dumplings - Svíčková na smetaně (sour cream sour cream).

Beef goulash with dumplings and gravy - Pivovarský guláš (brewer's gulash).

Beef steak in oil and spices - Rumpsteak s bylinkovým máslem

Stewed leg of a ram - Dušená jehněčí kýta (smoked ember whale).

Young lamb with garnish - Jehněčí s jáhlovou kaší

Duck baked according to the traditional recipe with apples and oranges - Pečená kachna s pomerančem a jablky (baked kakhna with orange and apples).

Baked trout - Pečený pstruh (baked pstrug).

Fried carp - Tradiční smažený kapr (Tradiční smažený kapr)

Popular Czech side dishes

Deep-Fried Potato Dough Balls - Krokety (croquettes)

Bread dumplings - H ouskové knedlíky

Potato dumplings - B ramborové knedlíky

Deep-fried potato and parmesan mixture - Rosti (rosti)

Boiled potatoes - V ařené brambory

W arena potatoes - O pékané brambory

Mashed potatoes - B ramborová kaše

French fries - B ramborové hranolky

Crispy toasts and croutons - Topinky, tousty

desserts(moučníky)

Apple strudel - J ablečný závin

Blueberry dumplings - B orůvkové knedlíky

Butter bun from vanilla dough in the form of a tube - Trdlo (trdlo)

Hot thin waffles with filling - Oplatky (payment)

Ice cream with fruits, sweet sauce, waffles and chocolate - Zmrzlinový pohár s čerstvým ovocem (zmrzlinový pohár s čerstvým ovocem)

Ice cream with hot raspberry syrup - Horka laska

Sweet pancakes with ice cream topped with raspberry syrup - Zmrzlinové palačinky s horkými malinami a šlehačkou

Tiramisu with fruit - Domácí tiramisy zdobený čerstvým ovocem

From this list, we have not tried everything, but we tried not to get better.

But in fact, there is a huge amount of national dishes in the Czech Republic, it can take a long time to list their names. No one will be hungry!

Dumplings

These are Czech dumplings made from wheat or potato flour, boiled in water and shaped into balls, then cut into slices and served hot.

Goulash

A very popular dish in bars. It has many options, but the most common is to chop the beef into large chunks and pour over a thick, slightly spicy sauce. Usually goulash is served with raw chopped onions and horseradish. (It should be noted that the name of the dish comes from the Hungarian word "gulyás", which is more like soup.

Czech goulash is more like the Hungarian perkelt dish.) One type of goulash is spicy goulash, which, as the name implies, is cooked with spices, but it is not as spicy. Segedin goulash is made from pork, not beef, and cabbage.

Beef Goulash

A classic Czech dish served with sliced ​​bread (Czech houskovy) dumplings. Fresh onions and peppers are usually served as a side dish.

Pork goulash

The main dish of Czech cuisine. It is served in the same way as beef goulash, with the exception of meat: it is made from pork.

Drowned

A delicacy served with beer. These are sausages marinated with vinegar, vegetable oil, onions, red peppers and various spices. Such blanks are usually made in the beer shops themselves or at home.

Svichkova on sour cream

Beef tenderloin in cream. The way of preparing homemade food and food served at the bar is different. But even the quality and taste depends on the bar. But as a rule, the tenderloin is marinated and then fried with root vegetables and onions. When the meat is ready, you need to take out the vegetables and shtava (meat juice) and rub them. The sauce is made from cream and flour.

The meat is cut into slices and served with sauce, bread dumplings, lemon wedge with whipped cream and cranberry sauce. Despite the fact that the name comes from a certain type of meat, the word "svichkova" can be attributed to the sauce and served with other meat, such as venison or rabbit.

Svichkova on sour cream is often called the sweet brother of Czech goulash. This is a beef tenderloin that is fried in a pot and served with a creamy sauce. Carrots give it sweetness. Garnish with cranberries and whipped cream.

Fried pork with dumplings and cabbage

This is a truly traditional Czech food. This dish is based on pork served with dumplings and sauerkraut. Of course, it may seem bland and fatty, but it is one of the most favorite dishes among Czechs, and in Prague it can be found in many restaurants.

Fruit dumplings

There are many variations of this dish. Bread and potato dumplings are also very popular. Breads are often served with a gravy in which the dumplings can be dipped. Potato dumplings are served as an additional dish to fried or smoked meat. Shpekove dumplings are made from fatty bacon and are no longer so popular.

Fruit dumplings are filled with various fruits, but most often they are plums, apricots and blueberries. Served with cottage cheese or poppy seeds. Although the dish is sweet, it is often eaten instead of the first course.

Kalach

These are delicious Czech pies filled with fruit, jam or cottage cheese.

Smazhak

Fried cheese (smažený sýr). It is rolled in breadcrumbs, fried and served with salad.

Fried mushrooms

Mushrooms are rolled in breadcrumbs and fried.

Payments

One of the Czechs' favorite dishes. It looks like a big round waffle. They must be served without fail in the heat of the heat. There are payments with chocolate or nut filling, there are many options.

Hawska

This is a Czech bun. It is made from wheat flour, water, yeast and salt. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, cumin or salt on top. Such a delicious, sweetish yeast bun with an egg is found in almost every Eastern European country. Typically, this is a braided bun with or without raisins. Czechs and residents of Bohemia call it "khoouska".

For Jews, it is "challah". This bun looks like a French brioche. It tastes incredibly delicious on its own, with butter or fried. Leftover buns can be used to make bread pudding or poppy seeds.

Kakhna baked

This is bohemian roast duck. Served with bread dumplings and stewed red cabbage. In the past, duck or goose dishes were too expensive to eat every day, so this dish was only served on special days.

Biftek

This is a medium-rare steak. If you want to order a fried steak, don't forget to say “baked”. It is usually served with French fries and sometimes an egg.

Fried chicken cutlets

Bread cutlets. They are very similar to Viennese schnitzel, but cheese is usually not used in Czech cuisine. This dish is usually served with cold potato salad or boiled potatoes.

Chicken breast

Served with any side dish, but most often with potato pancakes (grated and fried in the form of pancakes).

Fried rabbit

Fried rabbit is a very popular dish, although it is not often found in restaurants. Such lean meat can be cooked in different ways: in a creamy sauce, fried with garlic, or cooked without seasoning with vegetables and onions.

Czech dishes can be prepared in many ways. If you like the dish itself, but don't like the sauce, just order it without the sauce ("de omachki").

In the Czech menu, you can find the following names:

• Směs - for example, "Kuřecí směs". This means that the meat is cut into small pieces.
• Prsa - chicken breasts.
• Piquant, Ďábelský, Pálivý - the dish is served with a spicy sauce.

Czech cuisine has always been famous for its dense and memorable dishes. But, the only drawback is that for the most part it is quite heavy. Because of this, not only guests of the country, but also the Czechs themselves always take with them something that helps digestion.

We are used to the fact that lunch should consist of at least three courses. But this does not apply to the Czech Republic. Here you should choose the dishes one at a time. It is not a fact that you will be able to eat even three times the dish. The portions are large enough. For the second courses, it is customary to serve not one side dish, but two or several types of sauce.

In Czech cuisine, dominance is held by meat dishes, rather fatty dishes. The pork here is the top, with which no one stands next. Sausages and snacks (fried or pickled) also come first. Although it is fatty and heavy, it is infinitely tasty.

But first things first. Any Czech soup is called a vole and has its own name attached to it. For example Vole "Trencin". ... The soup menu is usually served separately at the start of the meal. The soups are thick, almost like a sauce. The thickening of soups is achieved by adding semolina or puréed vegetables. Sometimes butter and chicken egg yolk are used. Approximately 2/3 of the first courses of Czech cuisine are just mashed. In terms of popularity, the championship is held by:

1. Garlic bent.
2. Onion bent.
3. Sauerkraut sauerkraut bent.
4. Pollevica with smoked foods and mushrooms.
5. Blackberry bent from puréed vegetables.
6. Soup - goulash with cheeses.

Soups are served both in regular bowls and in bread.

Of the second courses, the indisputable first place is, and will be, the world famous Boar Knee. Speaking in Russian, this is a pork knuckle. Boar Knee is baked in dark beer. It is served with three types of sauce as standard, and with more at the request of guests. In various restaurants, everything is different: in some, Veprevo Koleno is also served with sauerkraut, in others without. The shank, in the main, when finished, weighs 800 grams. Minus bone - 700. Some restaurants order smaller raw materials so that one person could eat it whole. Boar Knee is sold in restaurants and even on the street. Moreover, you can not take it entirely, but ask for as much as you need.

Second place should be given to honey pork ribs. They are baked until crisp. This is usually done in a combi steamer or on the grill. The ribs are served in the same way as the shank, with three or more types of sauce and pickled vegetables. The dish will weigh at least 700 grams neat. You can feed three.

Next in popularity is Svichkova with sour cream. This is, as an exception, a beef dish. Svichkova is served with dumplings, also a national Czech invention - small sticks of boiled potato dough. ... Lemon wedges, whipped cream and lingonberry sauce are also served with the dish.

Goulash in the Czech Republic is no less popular than in Hungary. There is definitely a difference. Moreover, there are hundreds of recipes for goulash in the country. Beef, pork, rabbit, liver, assorted - whatever. But the leader is still beef goulash. Caraway seeds, garlic, pepper are usually added to it. The dish is served again with dumplings, which is not surprising - dumplings are served with almost all hot dishes and soups. Sauerkraut is also served with goulash.

Another dish that cannot be ignored is baked duck. Usually it is cooked whole with spices. Served with boiled potatoes, and again - with three or more types of sauces.

Czechs do not neglect fish either. The inhabitants of the Czech Republic are very fond of carp. It is served either baked, or in the form of chops, or it is made from it. A traditional Christmas dish is carp baked in sour cream with potato salad.

Traditional side dishes in Czech cuisine are dumplings and sauerkraut. Dumplings can be ordered as a separate dish with sauces. Bacon will be served with them. Boiled potatoes are served as a side dish, too, with fried raw smoked bacon and three types of sauce. Well, and Sauerkraut stew, porridge and potato balls, which are deep-fried.

Among the appetizers, the Czechs prefer a cheese plate, fried cheese breaded in breadcrumbs. Use their Hermelin cheese. Serve with sauces and cabbage. Another of the popular snacks of Utopenets. These are marinated sausages or bacon cooked with fried onions and peppers.

Fruit dumplings are popular desserts; plums, apricots and strawberries are added to them. Czechs also love strudel. There is another national dish Trdlo. Trdlo for sale on all streets, on every corner. It is prepared from dough, fried on the grill on skewers in the form of a cylinder, sprinkled with sugar. ...

Czech national cuisine is not very diverse. But the listed dishes are worth trying.

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