Do You Know Czech Regional Specialties?

Wallachian ‘frgál’

Do you like sweet treats? Then you must try the real Wallachian ‘frgál’. It is typical for the Beskids. The huge pies, with a diameter up to 30 cm, have been baked here for centuries, following the same original recipe. They are made of a thin yeasted dough topped with delicious fillings. Traditionally, the filling is made from pears, cottage cheese, poppy seeds, plum butter or nuts. In summer, you might find a blueberry or raspberry version. You can also enjoy a ‘frgál’ during the traditional Karlov Gastro Festival in Velké Karlovice in Moravia in the autumn. There is even a competition for the best Wallachian frgál!

Štramberk Ears

The aroma of exotic spices, typical for the Štramberk ears, will literally enchant you. A legend says that wild Tatar raiders came to Štramberk in Moravia in the thirteenth century, destroying everything they passed by, cutting the inhabitants’ ears off. To commemorate that, the locals have been baking the Štramberk ears from flour, sugar, honey and a mix of different aromatic spices for about 800 years. The ears taste like gingerbread, and they are shaped after they are pulled out of the oven. In Štramberk, you can buy the regular ears, as well as ears stuffed with various treats, ice-cream or whipped cream.

Rolls from Hořice

In 1812, some injured soldiers returning from Napoleon’s invasion of Russia found a refuge in Hořice in East Bohemia. One of the soldiers was the personal chef of the French Emperor and he revealed the secret recipe for Napoleon’s favourite treat out of gratitude for surviving. The Hořice rolls secret recipe has been passed on since then and they are still hand-made there. The proper roll is made of two wafers, rubbed with melted butter and honey, sprinkled with a mixture of sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and nuts. Many sweetshops in Hořice sell this popular treat; moreover, you can walk along the special educational Roll Trail, or visit the Hořice Roll Festival in September!

Olomouc Cheese

‘Tvarůžky’ is a special Moravian ripened cheese made of skimmed milk. It has a pungent flavour and a strong cheese aroma and not everyone likes it. Unlike standard cheese, which has a high fat content, tvarůžky only contain about 0.5% of fat in dry matter! They are great if you are watching your weight. Tvarůžky has been made in Moravia at homes for many centuries until a factory was founded in Loštice near Olomouc at the end of the nineteenth century. The company still exists and you can now visit the interesting Loštice Cheese Museum as well as the unique Tvarůžky sweetshop. There is even an annual Tvarůžky Festival in Olomouc in April. There you can taste both savoury and sweet tvarůžky delicacies.

Třeboň Carp

The carp of Třeboň has been popular for more than a hundred years. At the end of the nineteenth century, carps from the Třeboň region in South Bohemia were exported to the markets in Germany and Vienna. And what makes the carps from South Bohemia so exceptional? Carp meat has a high-quality, low-fat content and specific flavour. The meat quality is influenced by breeding in quality clean water and the effects of natural and geographical conditions of the Třeboň region, as well as the breeding method based on natural diet. Therefore, the Třeboň Carp received the EU protected trademark in 2007. And where else to have a carp than in Třeboň! The local restaurants are famous for carp fries and carp served in a hundred different ways. Every autumn – specifically in October and November, it is harvesttime when the ponds are drained, and fishers take carps to fish storage ponds for further processing. Seeing the harvest in the autumn sleet with mulled wine and fish specialties is an experience of a lifetime!

Roasted Duck

When you hear Czech cuisine, you might think of goulash or sirloin with dumplings. However, both of those dishes came to the Czech kitchen from abroad. But there is one typical Czech dish. It is a roasted duck in caraway seeds with apples, usually served with cabbage and dumplings. This meal is a bit more difficult to digest but you shouldn’t miss it when travelling in the Czech Republic. You can get it in almost every restaurant serving traditional Czech food across the entire country!

Moravian Plum Brandy

The list of regional delicacies would be incomplete without slivovice or plum brandy. It is a phenomenon namely in East Moravia where the climate is favourable for growing special plum varieties. Almost everyone who has a tree in an orchard makes their own plum brandy and the recipes are passed on from fathers to sons. The phenomenon of homemade plum brandy distillation that has been the part of the local colour from the time immemorial can be explored at the permanent exposition in the Folk Distillery Museum in Vlčnov. However, if you are not planning to travel to Moravia, you can still visit the new Prague R. Jelínek Plum Brandy Museum in Malá Strana. You can look forward to interesting projections, real exhibits and a virtual reality show.