Meat (maso) is an ever-present on Czech menus. The most common types of meat to appear on your plate will be pork (vepřové), poultry (drůbež) and beef (hovězí). Less common are lamb (skopové), game (zvěřina) and fish (ryba).
Beef is normally served with various kinds of sauces (omáčky). Sauces are one of the signature components of Czech cooking and diners can choose from tomato (rajská), horseradish (křenová), mushroom (houbová) and dill (koprová) to name but a few. A sauce is also an important component in one of the most characteristic of all Czech dishes: Sirloin in cream sauce (svíčková na smetaně). It takes great skill to produce good sirloin and is a test for even the best cooks – so why not try to prepare it yourself? Beef layered with strips of bacon are steamed with chopped vegetables and spices until soft. The steamed vegetables are then passed through a sieve, and this sauce is then loosened by adding cream. Serve with dumplings, a slice of lemon and cranberries. The success of combining beef, sauce and dumplings is seen in a number of other dishes such as Znojmo roast (Znojemská pečeně) in a spicy sauce with finely chopped Znojmo gherkins.
Although dieticians do not have a favourable opinion of pork, this type of meat is an integral part of Czech cuisine. Other typical Czech dishes are pork with dumplings and sauerkraut (vepřo knedlo zelo) and roast pork with dumplings, sauerkraut and gravy. A dish served on special occasions is pork schnitzel (smažený vepřový řízek) fried in breadcrumbs and served with potato salad. Smoked meat (uzené maso) is served cold as a starter or as a main meal with potato dumplings and a sauce. Sausages and alike aren’t exactly diet food, but many Czechs could not imagine mealtimes without them. Salami or ham with bread or rolls is a common breakfast, snack or cold dinner.
Old Bohemian dishes are proof that poultry was popular with our ancestors – dishes such as roast duck or goose (pečená kachna/husa) with sauerkraut. Chicken (kuřecí) forms a regular meal in Czech households and is prepared in traditional and more exotic ways.
If you are fortunate enough to discover Rabbit with garlic (králík na česneku) or with cream sauce (se smetanovou omáčkou), be sure to try it. Game dishes, such as roast venison or venison goulash, are also recommended.
It would seem that those who like fish do not have much to choose from in a Czech restaurant, but even in this area there are several Czech specialities. Carp (kapr) is traditional Christmas food, but you can eat it at any other time of year should you wish. It can come fried, or prepared in several other ways. As far as other freshwater fish are concerned, you won’t be disappointed with dishes made with trout (pstruh), eel (úhoř) and pike (štika).
