Comfort, relaxation, good food and drink – none of these experiences will be lacking on your holiday in the Czech Republic. Here you can dine well, and in all price categories. Awaiting you is both traditional Czech cuisine as well as international cuisine.
Specialities of Czech cuisine
Typical Czech specialties that should not be missed include potato soup, sirloin in cream, roast pork with dumplings and cabbage, crepes filled with fruit and ice cream, apple strudel or fruit dumplings sprinkled with sugar and curd cheese. Does nothing come to mind with these phrases? This is precisely the reason why you should come and taste them all for yourself!
Unique Czech side dishes
Dumplings
Dumplings of leavened flour or a mix of grated and mashed potatoes are the classic Czech side dish not found anywhere else.
Potato pancakes
A somewhat less traditional accompaniment to roast meat or goulash, these fried potato cakes will prove an instant hit.
Regional specialities – an invitation to a gastronomical tour
- Prague ham – smoked pork ham directly from the bone, with a unique taste!
- Pardubice gingerbread (pardubický perník) – the sweet from this east Bohemian town is known to children across the entire land
- Olomouc cheese (olomoucké tvarůžky) – mature cheese from low-fat curds with an unmistakable aroma. Some love it, others hate it. This phenomenon of Czech cuisine even has its own museum (www.tvaruzky.cz).
- Frgál – large round pastries of raised dough divided into sections with different fillings (fruit compotes, sweet curd-cheese, poppy seeds), a specialty of Moravian Wallachia.
The best beer in the world – a small country with a great tradition
Beer is universally regarded as the Czech national drink, further proven by the fact that the nation consumes the most litres of beer per capita in the world. Such brands as Budweiser Budvar or Pilsner Urquell are renowned around the globe, yet the Czech Republic brews a total of over 470 types of beer! Contributing to the popularity of beer is its exceptional price – a half-litre on draught costs between 0.70 and 1.20 euros.
Tips for the visitor
Here are several uniquely Czech pub snacks that should not be missed alongside a well-drawn pint!
Utopence (Drowned Man)
This rather gruesome name simply designates a frankfurter marinated in a special mixture of vinegar, onions and spices, particularly appropriate for the conclusion of an evening in the pub.
Nakládaný hermelín (Pickled Camembert)
The local version of Camembert cheese, preserved in vegetable oil along with a variety of spices, onions and pickled peppers.
Preclíky / Slané tyčinky (Hard pretzels and pretzel sticks)
Crisply baked and thoroughly salted, the ideal accompaniment to Bohemia’s liquid gold!
Czech and Moravian wines have made a name for themselves
Viticulture is most successful in the south of Moravia. White wines from this region have garnered awards at international competitions, and among the most popular varies are Veltlínské zelené, Müller-Thurgau or Muškát moravský. Nor have the Moravian red wines like Frankovka or Svatovavřinecké remained far behind. Wine shops offer wines of Moravian, Bohemian and international provenience, and can be found in every city. Nothing, though, can match the atmosphere of a genuine hillside wine cellar in south Moravia.
Points of interest
If you are a lover of meat and meat dishes, the Czech Republic is certainly for you.
Meat (poultry, pork, beef) is the cornerstone of the traditional Czech menu – yet vegetarians need have no fear, as many traditional dishes can be ordered with the meat left out, i.e. in the form of the sauce and the side dishes.
