Czech Food: a Fusion of Central European Cuisines
Traditional Czech food is not for the faint-hearted. An individual portion feeds the whole family and almost explodes with calories. On the bright side: Czech meals and Czech beer are a happy marriage. Traditional Czech food consists of pork or beef doused in a sauce and served with dumplings.
Meat is the mainstay of most dishes. Non-meat eaters no longer have a difficult time in Prague because almost all restaurants include vegetarian dishes. Czechs seem to be allergic to vegetables; only the smallest sliver of red pepper, the tiniest slice of tomato and half a gherkin accompany your main dish unless you order a salad as a main course.
Czech cuisine draws from German, Polish Hungarian and Austrian recipes. Almost every menu features goulash, grilled sausages, potato pancakes and roast pork with dumplings and cabbage. And finally, there is pivo! It is impossible to talk food without mentioning pivo (beer); bottom-fermented lager from the city of Plzeň (Pilsen) or one of the brews from the micro-breweries in Prague. Prague brims with beer garden where you can savour different types of beer. They each have their own distinctive flavour.
Wine, Absinthe and Becherovka
Czech wine is a distant second to Czech beer. Absinthe is a strong green drink with a alcohol percentage of 70%. It is strong but doesn't make you hallucinate. Becherovka is a herb bitter and said to be good for the stomach and therefore a perfect excuse to drink it. ...
Chlebicky – Czech Open-faced Sandwiches
Each chlebíček, open-faced sandwich is a single masterpiece, applied art at its best. They are easy to find: all delicatessen or delis whether in the centre or elsewhere in Prague have a large choice of chlebíčky. They are the ideal snack any time of day and cost next...
Street Food in Prague
Street food is not very popular in Prague. Prague office workers have luncheon vouchers partly paid for by their employer and partly by themselves add to this a multitude of very affordable restaurants and you will understand why street food is not very common in...
Prague Beer Capital of Europe
Beer capital of the world! When in Prague, you need only ONE word: pivo and perhaps one more: pivnice. These two words are your passport to understanding Czech: beer and beer garden. Prague and beer go hand in hand. The Czechs drink an average of 150 liters beer per...
11 November Goose Red Cabbage and St Martin Wine
If you are in Prague on 11 November and you like to eat goose, you are in luck! Goose is on the menu of almost all restaurants on this special day. It is also the day when the tasting and sale of Svatomartinske vino, St. Martin's wine, begins. A Beaujolais Primeur the...
Slivovitz Museum, Shop, Bar and Plum Brandy
R. Jelínek Slivovitz Museum in Prague where everything revolves around plum brandy, a specialty from Central Europe and in particular Bohemia and Moravia. The Slivovitz Museum takes you on a 55-minute interactive tour with 5D virtual reality, projections and exhibits....
Best of Czech Food: Snacks, Meals and Desserts
Czech food is not the paragon of healthy lifestyle but these ten Czech dishes are a must-try! Two pub snacks that you either like or loathe, but still worth ordering once. The classic Czech food is pork knuckle, but only for hungry carnivores as the portion is huge....
Kofola: Imitation Coca-Cola Popular in Communist Days
Kofola is still as popular as ever. This soft drink was the Communist answer to capitalist Coca-Cola. In Communist days, the real, Western style, Coca-Cola could only be bought in Tuzex shops. This was a problem for many Czechs because these shops did not accept local...
Gothic Basement Dining in Medieval Vaults
Gothic basement and vaults in Renaissance and Baroque buildings: a strange combination! It is an open secret; but the best restaurants and bars in Prague are in the basement, the cellar. Gothic basement dining in a cellar, may not sound very attractive. Just do it and...
Prague Christmas Markets Perfect Winter Escape
Prague Christmas markets are held in the city centre and in the suburbs from late November to early January. Main Christmas markets in the centre are at Old Town Square, Republiky (Republic) square and Wenceslas Square. Smaller markets, mainly local affairs, are...
Carp in a Bathtub and Carp Massacre at Christmas in Prague
Christmas Prague and carp are intrinsically connected. This makes the Christmas menu very easy for the Czech housewife. She never needs to think what to serve for dinner on Christmas Eve: carp and potato salad are always on the menu. In early December, large tubs full...
Burcak Wine: the First Wine of the Season
Burčák wine season kicks off when the leaves start falling. All over Prague and Czechia burčák wine stands appear. This is the first wine of the season, and the Czech answer to Beaujolais Nouveau. It is a partially fermented young Moravian wine and has a short...
Becherovka: Herbal Liquer from Karlovy Vary
Becherovka is a popular drink. This herbal bitter is produced in the spa town of Karlovy Vary. In some(tourist) restaurants and pubs in Prague a glass of Becherovka is put on your table and looks like a welcome drink. But, be aware, it will feature on your bill! Every...
Street Food in Prague
Street food is not very popular in Prague. Prague office workers have luncheon vouchers partly paid for by their employer and partly by themselves add to this a multitude of very affordable restaurants and you will understand why street food is not very common in...
Wine, Absinthe and Becherovka
Czech wine is a distant second to Czech beer. Absinthe is a strong green drink with a alcohol percentage of 70%. It is strong but doesn't make you hallucinate. Becherovka is a herb bitter and said to be good for the stomach and therefore a perfect excuse to drink it. ...
Chlebicky – Czech Open-faced Sandwiches
Each chlebíček, open-faced sandwich is a single masterpiece, applied art at its best. They are easy to find: all delicatessen or delis whether in the centre or elsewhere in Prague have a large choice of chlebíčky. They are the ideal snack any time of day and cost next...
Prague Beer Capital of Europe
Beer capital of the world! When in Prague, you need only ONE word: pivo and perhaps one more: pivnice. These two words are your passport to understanding Czech: beer and beer garden. Prague and beer go hand in hand. The Czechs drink an average of 150 liters beer per...