Sweets have a complex, but unusually pleasant effect on the body. Women and children especially enjoy chocolate, buns and ice cream. They don't hide it. Men rejoice too, but prefer to do it secretly. We drink beer in public, and most often eat candy when no one is around.
Fatty cakes, colored pops and creamy eclairs reliably spoil the figure and are guaranteed to attract tooth decay. However, at first they cause puppy delight. A weak will and love of experimentation spoil your health, but improve your mood.
An infinite amount has been said about the dangers of flour and sweets, but no, no, and some British scientist will come out with a statement that everything said before is rumors, but in fact, glucose, fructose and lactose are quite easily digestible and are the main energy sources sources for organisms of all ages.
What a joy it is to find out this right on the eve of a family trip to Prague!
The head of the family, of course, has long been focused on the topic of Czech beer, and the rest of the team has no idea how to entertain themselves in Prague restaurants. And here I am right there with my stupid advice. Because “Guide in Prague” is always on topic and therefore is considered a professional know-it-all and a beacon.
Somewhere on the pages of my website I have already shared my experience and knowledge on the topic “Czech cuisine”.
But before that I was silent about sweets. Not because he wanted to hide it, but because he didn’t want to mix fasting with fasting. The topic of sweets asked to be separated into an independent dissertation.
Now the hour has struck.
So, where can you produce serotonin and train the pleasure hormone in Prague?
The ubiquitous English scientists who study issues of stimulating hematopoiesis love Prague confectionery shops. Being a sweet tooth, I often meet them with microscopes and dessert spoons in various parts of Prague.
Before I talk about popular sweets in the Czech Republic, I want to make a statement!
Czechs, as a rule, do not crack their Czech desserts immediately after beef goulash or pork knee. Czechs consume confectionery separately from everything else. Because they know that penguins become not so much from sweet calories, but from a crazy mix of everything with everything.
It is best to time the study of the sweet question in a cozy Prague cafe for a midday snack or afternoon snack.
And then it is more correct to transform the subtle flavor nuances of Czech desserts into a long sweet aftertaste rather than into heaviness and hiccups.
Strudel.
Czechs understand this word, but prefer to say “jablečný závin”. To say that strudel is a native Czech dessert is definitely being stupid. Strudel is a specialty that is considered, first of all, the dessert highlight of Vienna. And in the Austrian capital, of course, they do it superbly. However, the Czechs also cook strudel. And their results are excellent! And what is cooler, “great” or “excellent” is a question that cannot be properly answered.
I tried strudels in both Vienna and Prague. They differ. I can't explain it, but the taste and sensation are different.
In addition to apple filling, Czechs season their strudels with raisins, cottage cheese, strawberries, cherries and plums. They are most often served warmed, with whipped cream, sprinkled with almond flakes or cinnamon.
Pancakes. (Palačinky)
A tender hot and buttery pancake, in which aromatic jam, marmalade, preserves or some assorted fruit and berries, mixed with syrup, sour cream or something else, can be wrapped. Whipped cream or scoops of ice cream are right there on the plate. Or maybe both at the same time.
Cakes. (Dorty)
This is a very interesting topic! However, I cannot provide any details. Czechs love cakes just like all normal people in the whole world love them. They prepare their cakes diligently, conscientiously and in insane quantities. Czech cakes are delicious and beautiful. The most popular is, perhaps, the Czech honey cake.
Sweet dumplings.
I also wrote about dumplings. For Czechs, dumplings are like potatoes for Belarusians. One of the varieties of Czech desserts is sweet dumplings. These are something like dumplings with sweets inside, served in a deep bowl and drowned in something similar to jelly. Overall, not for everyone. But delicious!
Kalachi. (České koláče)
There's a small problem here. I have already explained that the Czech and Russian languages, despite all their similarities and Slavic root system, are still two big differences and all sorts of associations are fraught with unpredictability... So. Czechs imagine kalachi differently than Russians. Their koláč is almost a twin of our cheesecake. The Czechs have a great variety of these “cheesecakes” and they have all sorts of fillings. Curd, fruit and berry, jam, combined and all sorts of others. “Czech cheesecake” is a great accompaniment to a cup of hot tea.
Ice cream. (Zmrzlinový pohár)
Ice cream and in Africa ice cream. However, the Czechs manage to turn this theme into a symphony of tastes, colors and shapes. In response to: “Garson, ice cream!” They bring not creme brulee on a stick, but a vase with a fountain. It's romantic, delicious and huge! Before ordering, weigh your strengths and most likely place one order for two.
Cafes are cafes, but in any store you can buy mountains of local sweets, chocolates, candied fruits and a host of other confectionery delights, the excessive consumption of which will certainly cause noble allergies and amazing classic constipation.
Prague amazes with the abundance of delicious desserts that will not leave even the most sophisticated gourmets indifferent. Numerous delicacies await those with a sweet tooth in restaurants, cafes, pastry shops and small retail shops located throughout the capital.
One of the most popular desserts is the famous apple strudel. The delicacy, despite its Austrian origin, is considered a national Czech dish. The name of the dessert means “tornado” in German. Strudel is a fragrant roll made from very thin dough with all kinds of fillings. Czech confectioners offer baked goods with fruits, berries, nuts, poppy seeds, cottage cheese or chocolate. Strudel can be served with ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup or vanilla sauce. Young mint leaves are often used for decoration. You can taste this delicacy in almost any restaurant serving national Czech cuisine.
Trdelnik
Cakes and desserts
In numerous Prague pastry shops, visitors will be offered cakes along with a cup of coffee. Rectangular or square cakes, like slices of cake, come in two main types - Dort and Fez. Dort consists of layers of sponge cake glued together with a cream or chocolate filling. Fez is a lower calorie cake, usually with fruit. The equivalents of eclairs in Prague are věneček (ring-shaped custard cake) and větrnik (larger round custard cake with cream). It is also worth trying the national Czech dessert – rakvička, which literally means “coffin”. The delicacy got its eerie name thanks to its oblong shape, reminiscent of such a gloomy object. The composition of the sweet is a piece of sugar, decorated with cream and syrup.
In hot weather, those with a sweet tooth will be delighted by the traditional Czech dessert “Hot Love” (“Horka laska”). This is how the Czechs romantically named vanilla ice cream with hot raspberries in their own juice.
Pancakes in Czech national cuisine are called executioners. They are served with ice cream, whipped cream or fruit, and topped with syrup, chocolate or jam.
And you can take home, as a sweet souvenir, oplatki - very thin round wafers, which are connected with chocolate and a variety of sweet fillings.
The price of desserts in Czech cafes, pastry shops and restaurants averages from 2 to 6 €, depending on the type of dessert, the class of the establishment and its location in the city.
Where to buy sweets
Try it delicious desserts and drink coffee, and if you want, even have lunch, you can go to the Louvre cafe (“ Cafe Louvre"). The establishment is considered one of the favorite places of the townspeople and is known for its famous visitors. At one time, K. Capek, F. Kafka, and even A. Einstein dined here.
Address: Narodni 22, Prague 1.
Prague sweets can also be tasted in the luxurious, pre-war style café Cukrárna Myšák (“ Cukrárna Myšák"). It got its name from the confectioner Frantisek Myszak. Desserts prepared according to his unique recipes can still be enjoyed in the confectionery today.
Address: Vodičkova 710/31, Prague 1.
You can enjoy delicious delicacies, as well as order cakes and holiday pastries at the Earhart Confectionery (“ Erhartova cukrárna»).
Address: Milady Horákové 56, Prague 7 or Vinohradská 125, Prague 3.
For those who want to visit a bohemian place for the intellectual and creative elite, the Slavia coffee shop is suitable (“ Kavarna Slavia"). This is quite an expensive establishment, where in addition to luxurious desserts, the visitor also enjoys a magnificent view of the historical Center Prague.
Address: Národní 1012/2, 110 00 Praha-Staré Město.
The Imperial Cafe will delight tourists with excellent service, aromatic pastries and delicious desserts (“ Cafe Imperial"). Moreover, food is served here at quite reasonable prices.
Address: Na Poříčí 15, Prague 1.
Conclusion
Despite the incredibly wide selection of establishments specializing in the preparation of all kinds of sweets, there is no shortage of visitors. After all, it is impossible to feel the mood of Prague and immerse yourself in its secrets without trying the delicious delicacies. A cozy cafe, a cup of coffee, an exquisite dessert - perhaps this is the soul of the city.
And with it comes the time to prepare traditional holiday sweets. In the Czech Republic they begin to bake them from the end of November and continue until the holiday itself. It's hard to find a person who doesn't like aromatic Czech Christmas cookies, vanilla bagels or chocolate gingerbread. The selection of goodies is really rich. You can see this at every one in the Czech Republic.
However, it’s nice not only to try different types Czech treats for Christmas, but also try to bake something yourself. Of course, before cooking you will have to choose the most from a great variety of offers. best recipes. The delicious dessert is an essential part of the Christmas menu, which, in addition to cookies, includes dishes such as potato salad, baked carp and much more.
Czech Christmas sweets recipes
There are a lot of traditional Czech recipes for making sweets for Christmas. We will offer you the most popular ones.
Photo: Christmas Stollen (ggpht.com)
Vánoční štola / Christmas stollen
Christmas curd stollen is a very popular sweet that is baked for the holiday. It is a large cupcake with a lot of raisins, nuts and candied fruits.
Ingredients:
- 500 g flour
- 150 g sugar
- 1 packet of baking powder
- vanilla sugar
- 250 g cottage cheese
- 150 g butter
- 2 eggs
- 60 g candied fruits
- 60 g raisins soaked in 40 ml rum
- 60 g almonds or hazelnuts
- Zest from ¼ lemon
- Melted butter for greasing (about 150 g)
- Powdered sugar.
If you want to cook a large stollen, then you will need 2 times more of all the ingredients.
Cooking method:
First, mix the sifted flour with sugar, vanillin and baking powder. Add cottage cheese, softened butter, eggs, raisins soaked in rum, chopped nuts, candied fruits and grated lemon zest to the mixture.
Knead the dough well and give it an oblong shape. You can divide the dough into two pieces and make two small stollen. Place the dough on a baking sheet covered with foil or special paper, grease the stollen with oil and bake for about 45-50 minutes at 180°C. During baking, you need to generously grease the stollen with oil 4 times. Remove the finished stollen from the oven and brush again with melted butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. If possible, leave the sweetness to rest until the next day.
Photo: Vanilla bagels (sladkevanoce.cz)
Vanilkové rohlíčky / Vanilla bagels
Vanilla Bagels - Another Classic Czech recipe, without which it is already difficult to imagine Catholic Christmas. Bagels are very easy to prepare.
Ingredients:
- 180 g flour
- 60 g ground walnuts or almonds
- pinch of cinnamon
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 140 g butter
- 1 yolk
- 2 packets of vanilla sugar
- 100 g icing sugar for sprinkling
Cooking method:
Leave the butter for two hours at room temperature, then cut it into small pieces, mix with sugar and yolk, add ground nuts, half a packet of vanilla sugar, cinnamon and flour. Make a homogeneous dough, wrap it in foil and refrigerate for 2 hours.
After this, make bagels from the dough and place them on a baking sheet, previously greased with oil or covered with special baking paper. Bake the bagels at 180°C until they are golden brown. While still warm, sprinkle them with powdered sugar mixed with vanilla. Bagels can be refrigerated for at least two weeks.
Photo: Coconut cookies (rajce.idnes.cz)
Kokosové cukroví / Coconut cookies
One of the favorite Czech Christmas sweets is delicious coconut cookies.
Ingredients:
- 200 g flour
- 200 g butter
- 80 g powdered sugar
- 200 g coconut flakes
- 1 egg
- jam
- chocolate for melting.
Cooking method:
Mix sifted flour with sugar and coconut. Add the egg and softened butter, cut into pieces. Knead the dough and make cookies of any shape. You can make it in the form of oblong bars. Place the dough on a baking tray covered with baking paper. The sweetness should be baked at 180°C for about 10 minutes. Connect the chilled cookie halves with jam and dip one side into melted chocolate. Leave the cookies to sit for a week.
Merry Christmas!
The sweet-sounding name of the capital of the Czech Republic, “Prague,” makes the hearts of hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions, of people who have visited there beat faster. And their minds immediately begin to draw in their memory the main attractions of the city: Wenceslas Square, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, Orloj Astronomical Clock, Old New Synagogue, Old Jewish Cemetery, etc. Well, what happens to their stomach?! Perhaps the most vivid memories of Prague are associated with it, or rather with traditional dishes Czech cuisine!
It’s not for nothing that Prague is considered the gastronomic capital of Europe. Even in medieval times, a special culture of feasting was presented here, which has survived to this day.
Don't believe me?! Try any Prague restaurant (with Czech cuisine, of course)! The successful layout of the city allows you to find food establishments for every taste and budget in every district. However, there is a certain pattern in prices and yield of dishes: approx. tourist routes prices are higher and portions are smaller!
Great! We’ve decided on the establishment, let’s look at the menu and find out.
What is a must-try in Prague? Czech cuisine
Absolutely all restaurants and bars offer their visitors two types of menus:
1. "Napojovy listek"(napojovylistek): a kind of “beer card”, since the emphasis of this menu is on the traditional Czech drink;
2. "Jidelni listek"(jidelnylistek): a collection of the most colorful national Czech dishes.
Czech soup “Bramborachka”
As for Bramboracka soup, it has the status of the most unusual Czech dish. For a relatively small price, you will be offered to eat not only potato soup with smoked meats or mushrooms, but also the dishes in which it will be served. Since a fresh loaf of bread will serve as a bowl for soup.
Yes Yes! This same soup in bread is Bramborachka! Czech soup “Cibulachka”
The following first courses are also in great demand: “tsibulachka” (cheese and onion soup);
Czech soup “Zelnyachka”
Also “zelnyachka” (sauerkraut soup),
Czech goulash soup "Gulyashova vole"
And “goulashova vole” (meat goulash soup).
Czech soup "Drštkova" - tripe soup
However, of course, the most famous Czech soup is drstkova. In ancient times, such a dish could save an entire low-income family from starvation. Since “drštkova” is prepared on the basis of inexpensive meat by-products, namely pork or beef tripe and bones. And to give it an “appetizing look,” cooks skillfully season the soup with spices and pepper.
After such a first course, the feeling of fullness will not leave you for a long time!
The recipe for vole "drštkova" is of cultural value for Prague. Therefore, not a single holiday in a Czech family is complete without national soup.
Main course
Do you love meat as a real Czech loves it?! A butcher's shop is second only to a beer pub. favorite place local residents Prague. They go there every day, even several times! This is due to the fact that the Czechs prepare all their national hot dishes from various types meat (beef, pork, lamb, poultry, etc.).
Meat
Baked boar's knee
Probably, in every establishment in Prague the signature dish is baked young boar shank (Baked boar's knee). A standard portion of such a spicy dish with pork knuckle seasoned with mustard will weigh about two kg. Therefore, for a meat tasting, you’d better invite a few friends or take it home and eat it later!
Baked pork ribs with honey
In addition, you can find the classic combination of pork ribs with honey by ordering the dish “Pecene veprove zebirka v medu” in a restaurant. Czech chefs pay special attention to the “zhebirka” to ensure that the pork is juicy and tender.
Svichkova
Don't like pork?! Try svickova in creamy sauce! A hot dish of beef tenderloin, previously stewed in sour cream and cream, served with dumplings. Soft “svichkova” just melts in your mouth!
Roast duck
Dietary poultry is also a favorite on the Czech dinner table. But duck dishes lead in the number of orders in Prague establishments. For example, “Pecena kachna” (baked duck with fruit or sauerkraut) with dumplings.
Fish
Baked fish
In general, Prague is a river city, that’s why traditional dishes from river fish(carp, trout). Czechs love to experiment with fish when preparing it. different ways. But the most successful culinary experiment: baked carp with garlic and horseradish, as well as baked trout (“Peceny pstruh” - baked pstruh).
Side dishes
Any main dish must be “set off” with an appropriate side dish. Czech cuisine does not ignore this rule. In addition, the menu includes both side dishes that are familiar all over the world and native Czech ones.
The choice of additions to a hot dish is huge: vegetables, cereals, dumplings, etc. Prague restaurateurs are ready to satisfy the culinary wishes of any gourmet. A creative approach to preparing food turns an ordinary side dish into practically an independent dish. One such example is baked mashed potatoes with lard.
I'd like to talk a little about dumplings! Small balls of flour or potatoes with fruit can radically change the main dish for the better. There is no point in trying them separately; they will seem tasteless to you. But in combination with fish or meat, or with a sophisticated sauce, it’s a completely different matter!
Sauces
The final touch to any dish is the addition of sauce or gravy. The Czech name for the sauce is “omachka”, and it is prepared from completely different products (mushrooms, cream, fruits). That's why Czech sauce They can also be sour, sweet, bitter, etc.
Snacks
In most cases, snacks offered in establishments refer to beer. Each type of beer has a specific type of snack. Thus, the “snacks” category can occupy an impressive part of the menu. After all, what is Czech beer without a good snack?!
Undoubtedly, the hot Hermelin appetizer is ideal for young Czech beer. Fried soft blue cheese is a great replacement for “boring” snacks!
Well, after a piece of peppered brawn with spicy sauce, your hand will reach for a glass of beer!
Dessert
And for dessert in Prague they serve aromatic apple strudel (roll) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yes, what kind of pancakes do they bake here?! You can choose absolutely any filling!
A beautiful crystal chandelier? An epic painting of Prague Castle? A four-foot Moser vase? No. None of this will be a suitable gift if you want to bring your colleagues, classmates or friends from the chess team a cheap and cheerful souvenir from Prague. But what about classic Czech sweets: candies or chocolate bars? This is a completely different matter - they are inexpensive, funny and truly Czech! Not exactly something you could give to your “other half” on Valentine’s Day, of course, but it will bring a lot of pleasure to any other person!
It is necessary to mention that you can make a very big mistake with your choice. Not all classic Czech sweets taste good or, more importantly, have any historical background. Because, let's be honest, story sells. Even gifts. You want to buy a candy or chocolate bar with a rich history; something that became the root cause of the appearance of debut holes in your mouth, drilled without anesthesia in that post-communist era, when it was customary for the whole school to go to the dentist (however, this is a completely different story). You want some kind of sweetness that you grew up with. Some of those mentioned in this list:
Antiperle: Truly Czech, originally from the 60s. Tic-Tacs, those delicious menthol drops, take about 6 weeks to make. Seriously. Drops of menthol sugar slowly drip and lie in layers on a single sugar crystal, and, after 6 weeks, we have a 4-millimeter menthol tablet. They are sold in cool retro packaging, and it is very difficult not to start using it as a maracas: it is inevitable, everyone starts playing with it once the packaging comes into their hands. Look in Tecko stores or less specialized stores.
Haslerky: These licorice-herbal caramels take us straight back to the 20s, although their recipe was invented even earlier, in 1877. They were named after Mr. Karel Hasler, the famous composer, actor and gravelly-voiced cabaret singer, who struck a deal with the manufacturer of these supposedly medicinal candies. If you love licorice, you'll be over the moon buying this.
Lentilky: Almost the same as Smarties, only cheaper. Oh yes: they melt very much in your hands. Issued different sizes and shapes, but our goal is classic: long, thin cardboard packaging weighing less than 50 grams.
Pedro: It's actually very difficult to describe the taste of this pink fruity gum, which used to cost exactly 1 Czechoslovakian crown. The first word that comes to mind is “bubble gum”: a taste consisting of 99% sugar with notes of fruit, preservatives and additives. To be honest, this looks more like a triumph for the chemical industry than an organic product. Therefore, it becomes even strange that the product retains its taste for about five minutes. In the '90s, manufacturers started putting various pictures or even transfer tattoos into the wrappers, so now they're even cooler than they used to be, and it's actually worth giving Pedro a chance (and don't worry - the lifespan of the tattoo is commensurate with the lifespan of the taste). chewing gum).
Piknik,Jesenka,Pikao: Very similar, but at the same time so different. This trinity is so good that Jen (editor's note: husband of the author of this article - Zuzi) included them in the list of sinful pleasures, where they are, without a doubt, the most sinful. What are they? Piknik – condensed milk; Jesenka – condensed cream; Pikao – condensed cocoa milk. They come in cans, but for a true gourmet experience, buy them in tubes (which come in two sizes) and suck the contents straight from there. Holy saints! You can practically feel this wonderful cream clogging your arteries... but you don't care at all. Because you are in a sugar coma. The defibrillator must be purchased separately.
Tatranky: Originally a six-layer wafer with a nut, chocolate or peanut filling and a chocolate coating was part of the school lunchbox when we were growing up: always a ham and cheese sandwich and a Tatranky as dessert. While still popular these days, the bars are much smaller than they used to be (even thinner by one layer!). But we still love them. A little trick: you can press a little on the packaging to understand whether they are old or fresh (old ones are tougher, fresh ones are softer and, of course, taste better). Jen thinks Horalky waffles are also worth touching and trying (they are usually displayed in stores next to Tatranky).
Sojove rezy: This candy bar has divided the people in two: some are ready to pray for it, others are shaking their heads negatively. While we clearly belong to the second group, in this case we can hardly be objective judges. It is similar in structure to halva, but it is not quite halva: you may think that the taste is similar to coconut, and then a moment later you will think that it is not. It's love or hate at first bite.
Chocolate bars, such as Margot,Koko,Kofila,Banany v cokolade, Deli, Tatiana– a few words about them: the first one tastes like Sojove rezy in chocolate glaze, so the attitude towards the above determines the attitude towards Margot. Koko– the Czech answer to the Bounty coconut bar. Kofila is a specific bar, and although we're not particularly fond of it, we buy Kofila because of its packaging. It has remained virtually unchanged since it was invented by Mr. Zdenek Rikl in 1921. Banany v cokolade- This is a banana marshmallow in dark chocolate glaze, loved by many, perhaps for the reason that real bananas were a luxury and exotic during communism. Deli very similar to the Milky Way bar in size and texture, but it has more different flavors (like nutty). Tatiana started out as something like a box of chocolates you'd give your grandma for her birthday... only to receive it from her cousin as a gift for her own birthday. I do not know why. It is delicious. Today you can buy this sweet made from praline, nougat and hazelnuts in the form of a bar. It's cheap and tastes incredibly delicious.
And as a bonus - ice cream!
Misa: Of course, you probably won't pack this as a souvenir in your suitcase, but it's worth a try. You can always give a verbal description upon your return, right? This ice cream, made from cottage cheese with a dark chocolate coating, is incredibly delicious. These days it comes in apricot and strawberry flavours, but it was the above that was always found in the fridge when we were kids.
Of course, there are plenty of other sweets, for example, Atlasky, Bonpari, Milena, Ledove kastany, which are worth trying, but let all of the above be the beginning of your efforts. And then the selection process gives you pleasure.
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