Czech cuisine. What to try in Prague: national dishes and establishments

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The capital of the Czech Republic for guests is of interest not only for the sights and interesting places that the city is full of. Prague is known for its stunning architectural monuments that attract millions of tourists. The fabulous city is no less attractive for its unique cuisine. In our article we want to talk about what you need to try in Prague. Czech gastronomic delights are no less attractive than architecture.

Features of the capital

Prague has always been a city that is incredibly interesting to visit. The magnificent architecture and ancient streets attract tourists with their unique atmosphere. But no less interesting local cafes and restaurants. There are an incredible number of them in the city. Around every corner you can find a patisserie, a beer garden, a themed restaurant or a tasting room. In such establishments, you can have a very interesting, and most importantly, tasty time. Whattry in Prague? Cuisine from all regions is presented in the Czech capital, so the choice of dishes among tourists is very large. You don't need to go anywhere to taste the food typical of a certain region. In Prague you can find any gastronomic delights.

If you don't know what to try in Prague, we will help you figure it out. At first glance it seems that Czech cuisine is very diverse. But it is worth noting that it is dominated by fatty meat dishes. Of course, this makes the cuisine incredibly appetizing. But the choice of food is not so great. Usually in the menu of establishments there are different variations of soups, snacks, sausages. All this, of course, very tasty, fatty and heavy.

Czech soups

What to try in Prague? Pay attention to local soups. Here they are called voles. In the Czech Republic, soups in restaurants and cafes usually have a separate place. As a rule, they are at the very beginning of the list of dishes offered. Many soups are thick, so they are more like sauces. A thick consistency is obtained by adding mashed vegetables or semolina, as well as egg yolks and butter. Many Czech soups are pureed.

Onion soup

The most popular dishes are: onion soup, garlic soup, with smoked meats and mushrooms, sauerkraut soup, various pureed vegetable soups, as well as voles with cheese and goulash soups. Different regions may prepare the dish in different ways, so don't be surprised if the food differs in different establishments. Soup is served as you wish.either in a plate or in bread. The dish is prepared in the same way, just before serving it is poured into different containers. The taste of the soup does not change. It's just more interesting to eat from a bread plate. That's the difference.

What to try in Prague from first courses? Check out the onion soup. Here it is called garlic and has a characteristic garlic aroma. Previously, it was always served in bread, but now this tradition has been preserved only in restaurants in Prague. Garlic is cooked differently in different regions. Sometimes they put onions and cheese in it, and sometimes smoked meats and potatoes. Czechs like to eat such soups with the advent of cold weather, since the dish clearly has an antimicrobial effect.

Since the garlic is served in a rye bread roll, its consistency cannot be liquid, otherwise the liquid will leave the container. Therefore, most often the soup resembles a sauce. Of course, in everyday life, people have not used bread containers for a long time, but for tourists this form of serving soup is very relevant.

Goulash soup

What to try in Prague? The cuisine of the Czech Republic is very attractive to our tourists, because the dishes are different from ours, and at the same time they have an amazing taste. It doesn't matter if you like soups, but goulash soup is a must try. It should not be confused with meat goulash. These are completely different things. Preparing the dish is quite simple. Onions are fried in lard or butter. Then meat is added to it, usually beef. The products are stewed for five minutes, after which cumin, s alt, paprika and pepper are added. All this is filled with broth. After boiling the mass, add potatoes. In the soup, be sure to put flour fried in butter or lard. The soup is boiled for thirty minutes. The dish is served on the table with parsley and dill. Tourists note that the soup is very tasty and satisfying.

Dumplings

What to try in Prague? Even if you don't eat bread, check out the local dumplings. In the Czech Republic they replace the usual bread. They are steamed with potato or plain flour.

After they are cut and served as a side dish. They complement sauces, soups, fatty meat dishes well. Dumplings are usually dipped in sauces. There are a lot of recipes for their preparation. Very often they are cooked with meat, cabbage, onion, liver or other stuffing. They also make sweet dumplings with fruit, cheese and sugar.

Boar Knee

What to try in Prague? Food in the Czech Republic is not only tasty, but also satisfying. They love meat very much here, so they cook it in a variety of variations. Boar's knee is considered one of the most popular national dishes. What it is? This is a pork knuckle, which is pre-marinated in beer. The German version of the dish is very different in taste from the Czech one.

There are several options for preparing such a dish. The knuckle can first be boiled and then baked. And they can only bake. Many people like the second option. But this is a matter of taste. Sometimes the knuckle is served directly on the spit, but not all establishments do this. Please note that the dish has a decent weight. Weight of oneservings reaches 1-1, 5 kg. For one person, the dishes are too big, in our opinion. Usually, dumplings, sauces and stewed cabbage are also served with it. Unfortunately, not all establishments have such a dish, so you can first study the menu that is on the street in order not to go to the restaurant.

Duck leg

What to try in Prague from food? Be sure to pay attention to the duck leg with honey sauce. This dish is also considered national. Before cooking, the leg is soaked in beer for several hours. After it marinates, it is smeared with honey and baked. The dish is served on the table with bread and potato dumplings and stewed cabbage.

The meat is so tender that it just melts in your mouth. An interesting fact is that honey gives piquancy to taste, but does not give sweetness. Thanks to him, a delicious crust is obtained on the leg. The weight of such a dish is also impressive. It is not always possible for an untrained tourist to master it.

Baked cheese

What to try in Prague? Czech cuisine has its own characteristics. Not only meat, but also cheese is actively used here. Local cafes often serve breaded cheese. Most often, the Germelin variety is used for the dish. It is easy to prepare. Pieces of cheese no more than a centimeter thick are dipped in batter, and then rolled in breadcrumbs. The whole procedure is repeated several times. It is very important to process the cheese properly during the cooking process. It shouldn't leak. Prepared slices are fried in a pan or deep-fried. The dish is served hot. When cutting cheesecomes out appetizing. It is usually served with pickles, mayonnaise or tartare.

Veal ribs

What to try in Prague? Be sure to try the veal ribs in honey sauce. I must say that the Czechs use beer and honey literally for cooking every dish. Before cooking, the ribs are soaked in beer, and then generously smeared with honey and baked. The dish is served with sauces on the table.

Baked carp

There are a lot of water bodies in the Czech Republic, so river fish is a regular guest on the tables. In national cuisine, baked carp is considered a festive dish. It is usually prepared for Christmas. Carp is gutted and cleaned, and then rubbed with s alt and spices, after which they are poured with beer. After twenty minutes, the fish, along with the marinade, is transferred to a deep form and baked. A special sauce is prepared for carp. To do this, fry onions in oil in one pan, and carrots in another. Then the vegetables are mixed and seasoned with tomato paste, adding sugar. The resulting mass is stewed for five minutes. Then beer is added and cooked for another five minutes.

Sausages

Sausages and sausages are very popular in the Czech Republic. They are often served as snacks or with beer. Here they are boiled, marinated and fried. Most often served with mustard and horseradish. Usually, pork and poultry meat are used to make sausages, lamb, beef and rabbit meat are taken as a supplement.

Sauces and side dishes

The main dishes in the Czech Republic are usually served with potatoes, dumplings, stewed cabbage. By the way, potatoes are very popular here, so restaurants serve them in all possible forms.

Various gravies and sauces are one of the main components of the national cuisine. Here you can taste mushroom, creamy, fruit and other sauces.

Desserts

There are a lot of desserts in Czech cuisine. Many say that the most delicious sweet is the famous trdelnik. It is served not only in cafes, but is sold right on the street. Outwardly, the dessert resembles a thick tube. For its preparation, puff pastry is used, which is wound on tubes and baked. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sugar. Optionally, your straw will be filled with berries, fruits or ice cream.

Apple strudel is no less popular in the Czech Republic. Dessert is sold in any cafe and even on street stalls. It differs from Ukrainian and Polish pies in appearance and taste. Czech strudel is a puff pastry roll. For its preparation, nuts, apples, powdered sugar, cinnamon are used. Very often in cafes dessert is served with whipped cream and ice cream.

In Prague, you should try the famous waffles - payments. The recipe for their preparation is a national pride. Payments are two round wafers connected by filling. On sale you will find many types of them, which differ in size and taste.

Beer

Beer is the national pride of the country. In the Czech Republic, it is very tasty. The choice of varieties is incredibly large. What beer to try in Prague? Experts recommend paying attention to Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen and Velkopopovicky Kozel, Krusovice. Needless to say, the choice of drinksgreat in Prague. Here you can find beer for every taste.

Where to try beer in Prague? It is sold in every pub and other establishments. Be sure to visit the Prague Beer Museum. You will find more than thirty varieties in its beer collection. The restaurant menu is updated every week.

Also worth a visit is the Brewer's Club. This is a favorite place for all tourists. On the ground floor there is a shop with more than 200 items, and in the basement there is a pub.

There are a lot of places in Prague where you can have a good time and drink beer.

Where to taste national cuisine?

There are an incredible number of restaurants and cafes on the streets of Prague. If you want to eat delicious food without spending a lot of money, you should move a little away from the usual tourist districts, where the prices are too high. It is best to visit cafes where locals relax. The restaurant's menu is usually presented on the street at the entrance. This is very convenient and allows you to get acquainted with the prices and the range of dishes.

Experienced travelers recommend visiting U Fleck beer garden - this is a very old and at the same time expensive restaurant. The first mention of it dates back to 1499.

You can also visit the establishments of the Bohemia Bagel network. A very popular restaurant is Svata Klara. In the historic district of the city, you can visit U Basnika panve. The restaurant not only serves delicious food, but also impresses with its interiors in the style of past centuries.