Now that COVID-19 related entry restrictions for travelers to the Czech Republic have been suspended, I hope you’ve put Prague on your list of travel destinations for this year. And while you’re here, you will definitely want to try Czech food.
Comfort Food
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I would say that the best way to describe Czech food is comfort food. And while many consider it “heavy” in relation to the way many of us eat now, I prefer to think of it as what your mom or grandmother made for a big Sunday dinner way back when. Many of my tour clients describe Czech food as being similar to German food, but in reality it has more in common with Austrian food (though German and Austrian are quite similar, yet different). And don’t worry – there are lots of types of cuisine other than Czech now available in Prague if you get tired of meat and potatoes, but in this post we’ll stick to Czech cuisine.
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High on the Hog
Most classic Czech dishes are meat-based, with pork taking the top spot. In fact, the Czechs eat more pork per person than any nation on earth. They also drink more beer per capita than anyone else, and the two go well together. "Vepro-knedlo-zelo" (roasted pork, dumplings and cabbage) is a staple on most pub lunch menus. But second to pork is probably duck – roasted duck, cabbage and dumplings is a classic Czech dish. The dumplings served with duck might be either bread dumplings or potato dumplings or a mix of the two. The cabbage served with it might be white or red, with red being the most common. And sometimes you get a serving of both if you’re in a place that caters to hearty eaters.
Beef takes a Back Seat
Beef, on the other hand, isn’t quite as common, but Czech goulash (which is quite different from the Hungarian variety), is very common, as is “svíčková,” often described as roast beef in cream sauce or beef stroganoff on restaurant menus, but it is neither by a long shot. “Svíčková” actually refers to a cut of beef, also – usually filet mignon or sirloin. But the dish that shares the name with the cut is a marinated and then roasted piece of beef served in a root vegetable cream sauce with whipped cream, lemon, cranberries and bread dumplings. It’s a special meal. Unfortunately, though, most pubs and restaurants will prepare it with a lesser cut of meat and an overly-sweet sauce. A pricier, fine-dining establishment will probably prepare it with sirloin if they happen to serve this dish.
Dumplings Rule
When it comes to dumplings, they are a Czech staple, and as such, I dedicated an entire chapter to them in my Prague Restaurant Guide. As a general rule, bread dumplings are served with beef, whereas either bread or potato dumplings (or both) are served with pork, poultry and rabbit (potato is slightly more common with these dishes). Potato dumplings are (almost) never served with beef (I have to add “almost” because I have found one place that serves potato dumplings with goulash – a sacrilege to most Czechs). But this place serves a lot of tourists, so maybe that’s why.
There are many kinds of dumplings in addition to bread and potato. There are bacon dumplings (špekové knedlíky), “Karlovy Vary” dumplings and fruit dumplings (“ovocné knedlíky”) - pictured in the top banner of this blog post. Stuffed with seasonal fruit and sprinkled with Danish cheese, sugar and melted butter, fruit dumplings are actually a sweet dish that is served as a meal – think pancakes or waffles with maple syrup at brunch. Strawberries and apricots are the most common fruits found in fruit dumplings, and when they’re in season, the dumplings made with them are just delicious.
Also, potato dumplings should not be confused with what are translated into English as potato pancakes, pictured below. But, no, they ("bramborák") are not served with apple sauce as is traditional in the U.S. and elsewhere. Rather they are garlicky and are served with sour cream or on their own. And they are delicious!
Don't Eat Your Vegetables
If you like a lot of vegetables or salad or other greens with your meal, you will be a bit out of luck when it comes to traditional Czech food. Other than cabbage, almost no other vegetables make an appearance except for a sprig of parsley on the side of your plate and maybe a slice of cucumber. And not even every meal comes with cabbage – usually only duck or pork do. Svickova and goulash are not served with any vegetables at all, and ordering a vegetable – or anything other than a potato or a potato dish other than dumplings – is not common in traditional Czech cuisine. But some nicer restaurants now serve sides of cabbage (or even sautéed spinach!). But in a typical Czech pub, ordering a vegetable side is almost frowned upon (and is usually not offered).
Soups and Broths - Common Starters
The most common appetizer to go with a traditional meal is soup – usually a chicken or beef broth with noodles. Liver dumpling soup is also quite common. There are other appetizers, too, but soup is the most traditional. Some soups, such as a creamy cabbage soup (“zelňačka”) and goulash soup, are heavier. Other appetizers might include various sausages, but in homes, soup is served before the main meal of the day, which is lunch.
Czech Beer
As you might have heard, Czech beer is famous, and famously good. This is a nation of beer drinkers and beer experts and brewers, and no Czech meal would be complete without a delicious Pilsner to wash it down. There are many famous Czech beer brands, large and small, but that's a subject for another post, as are Czech desserts!
My Prague Restaurant Guide
I hope you've enjoyed this brief introduction to Czech food, and I hope you enjoy some delicious meals when you're in Prague. If you'd like to know more about both Czech cuisine and where to eat in Prague, check out my Prague Restaurant Guide. It's available on Amazon and on this website in both paperback and Kindle versions (the Kindle versions will work on your smartphone or tablet - you don't need a Kindle in order to enjoy it). And if you'd like to try your hand at cooking some Czech dishes at home, below are a couple of cookbooks I recommend.
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