An important part of discovering a new culture is tasting that culture’s cuisine – or at least that’s what we tell ourselves to justify eating a lot of delicious food. But no matter your reasoning, we’re sure that right after you settle in the apartment you’ve found through Flatio, you’ll be eager to get out and have something yummy to eat. When you sit down in some cosy Czech restaurant, the question arises, however – what should you order? This article about Czech cuisine and common Czech meals can help you find the answer!
Traditional Czech cuisine
In the Czech Republic, meals usually consist of at least two basic courses: the soup and the main dish. Soups and sauces based on stewed meats and vegetables (sometimes mixed with cream) are very prominent in the traditional cuisine, and most Czech dishes include meat. But if you’re vegetarian, don’t despair – sweet main courses are also quite popular in this country, and these are, obviously, meat-free!
Famous Czech meals
Here are some of the most well-known Czech national meals – if you come to this country, you simply have to taste them!
- Vepřo knedlo zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut) – not the lightest of meals, but you’ll hardly find a dish that‘s more authentically Czech. Plus, it’s delicious!
- Svíčková na smetaně (Beef in root vegetable sauce with dumplings) – this is an iconic meal and well worth the hype. The combination of boiled bread dumplings (typical for Czech cuisine), perfectly tender slices of beef and a slightly sweet sauce made of carrots and parsnips is simply heavenly!
- Řízek (Schnitzel) – This dish is, of course, influenced by Austrian and German cuisine, so it‘s not unique to Czechia, but it’s very popular here. Usually, it’s made of pork, but you’ll often find chicken as well. The typical side dish is potato salad.
Czech dish - Fried cheese
This dish, while perhaps not as internationally famous, deserves a section of its own. It doesn’t have the same traditional status as the meals above, but it’s a very common street food and especially among students (and vegetarians!), it has acquired an iconic status. Basically, it’s deep-fried cheese (typically Edam, but you’ll find other types as well) served with tartar sauce and potato fries. Calorific? Yes, definitely – but so good!
Czech dishes - List
Intrigued by the dishes above, but want to know what else is out there? Here is a list of other common Czech meals which you should try:
- Česnečka (Garlic soup) – perfect hangover cure, trust us!
- Guláš (Beef goulash) – similar to the Hungarian version, but usually thicker and heartier.
- Šišky s mákem (Potato cones with poppy seeds) – one of the sweet main courses we mentioned above. Usually served with melted butter and powdered sugar, sometimes also with plum jam. Delicious!
- Kulajda (Mushroom and potato soup) – perfectly indulgent. Comes with a generous portion of dill and a poached egg.
- Vepřové koleno (Pork knuckle) – this is an enormous dish, so before you try it, find some friends to share it with!
- Ovocné knedlíky (Boiled fruit dumplings) – another sweet main course. Basically, its bread dumplings filled with fruit (usually plums, apricots or strawberries).
And many more – but we will leave these for you to discover!
