Czech cuisine
Czech cuisine is the result of both local gastronomic traditions and borrowed from neighboring peoples: it is hearty, replete with meat and first courses, which are prepared from natural products..
National cuisine of the Czech Republic
Soups play a special role in Czech cuisine: for example, garlic is prepared here - garlic soup and tsibulachka - onion soup with croutons and cheese. Sauces play an important role in local cooking - the Czechs make them from horseradish, tomatoes, cucumbers, sour cream, lingonberries, onions or garlic (as a rule, the basis is meat broth). As for meat, the main “guests” Czech table is chops and steaks, fried and stewed pork, poultry and game, stews and pâtés. Separately, mention should be made of dumplings - boiled pieces made from potato or flour dough: they are not eaten as an independent dish, but served as a side dish for meat.
Popular Czech dishes:
- “boar knee” (pork knee, which is flavored with mustard and horseradish, and then baked);
- “baked capra for garlic” (carp baked with garlic);
- “rozhvichi” (fried pork and onion dish);
- “panadel” (soup with beef and herbs);
- “husasezelim” (a dish of fried goose with red cabbage).
Where to taste the national cuisine?
Planning to visit a popular food restaurant? Book your table in advance. And if you plan to visit them on weekends and on Friday nights, keep in mind that good cafes and pubs are often crowded with people at this time..
You can have a snack in Prague at “V Zatisi” (guests are advised to try lamb chops and baked goose served with sauce), in Karlovy Vary - in “Chodovar” (this beer restaurant serves traditional Czech dishes, pampers guests with fresh beer, offers a 45-minute tour of the brewery located on the territory of the restaurant), in Brno - in “Pivovarska pivnice” (lovers of a foamy drink will be able to drink beer and have a snack on grilled sausages in this bar). Tip: since many establishments often impose additional fees (restaurant tax, service fees, couvert - fees for a basket of bread and spices or for a set of cutlery), those who do not want to overpay should choose restaurants without additional “paid service”.
Cooking courses in the Czech Republic
At the Prague Culinary Institute, those who wish are offered to take a course in culinary skills, where they will be introduced step by step to classic Czech cuisine and taught how to cook meat dishes and sauces. In addition, in Prague you can visit the culinary school “Chefparade”, where those who wish will be taught how to cook old Bohemian soup with cabbage and smoked meats, pork goulash with dumplings, fruit dumplings with cottage cheese and other dishes.
In the Czech Republic, you can come to the Pancake Week (January, February, Beroun and Prague), Gastronomic Festival “Gastrofest” (November, Ceske Budejovice), festival “Prague Food Festival” (May, Prague), Fish Festival (August, Brno).