Bramborák means potato pancake and is a signature dish (or side) often seen at Czech fairs, markets, and festivals, but also in traditional Czech restaurants. They are very simple to prepare and will not glue you to the kitchen counter for long. Grated potatoes, crushed garlic, onion, milk, caraway, marjoram, flour, and eggs are mixed into a dough and, using a ladle, poured into a pan. Here they sit until golden brown and crisp on both sides and then go straight to your plate. They pair very well with a cold beer, gouláš, or both! Preparation: Grate the raw potatoes and put them in a mixing b ..read more

Both kyselice and zelňačka are traditional Czech soups featuring sauerkraut as the main ingredient and are very often used interchangeably. Zelňačka is the generic term, while kyselice is often used for the Wallachian variant of this soup. The soup’s color can be used as the decisive factor here, as kyselice ia usually brighter (almost white) due to added cream, while zelňačka is often of a reddish color due to the added paprika. In fact, there is no single recipe for kyselice or zelňačka, and every Czech family has its own. But you can rest assured that if you order one of these, it will be l ..read more

Utopenci translates, literally, to “drowned men.” Not exactly something you want to enjoy with your pint! However, this dish got it’s name because these sausages are filled with spices and then left to sit in a salty, sweet brine for a few weeks… The result is delicious, and can be found all over pubs in Czech Republic! The fillling for these sausage is often onions, garlic and herbs, but sometimes contains allspice and garlic. Preparation: Mix vinegar with water. Add all spices (except garlic) and bring to a boil. Cool the brine. Peel and slice lengthwise in half each sausage. Cut onions in ..read more

Vepřo Knedlo Zelo literally means: Pork, Dumplings, Sauerkraut… three things all Czechs love… and the reason why this is recognized as THE national dish. This dish generally uses pork neck, which is slow roasted in the oven with spices, onions, and garlic which results in melt-in-your-mouth pork, brasied and served with its braising liquid. The dumplings for this dish are often flour based, but can include potato and the sauerkraut is added at the end to cool off the dish and make it quintessntial eastern European! This dish goes great with a cold beer at your favourite local pub, or make it a ..read more

Similar to other traditional dishes, guláš came into existence in a neighboring country. Its roots can be traced to the 9th century. Around this time, the dish was more of a meat soup rather than the main course stew we know of in contemporary Czech cuisine. While upon crossing the border the consistency of the dish changes, the nature of it remains the same. Czech guláš lacks the original carrots and csipetke balls but is still loaded with big chunks of tender beef and onions spiced with paprika. And unlike Hungarians, the Czechs like their sauces and stews rich and thick, and therefore they ..read more

Roast duck with sauerkraut and a mixture of dumplings is a festive Czech dish, usually served on special family occasions or ordered in a restaurant as a treat. The whole sorcery, when it comes to the quality of the dish, lies in the right seasoning, the slow-roasting of the duck, and the right balance of sweetness and sourness in the red or white sauerkraut. The duck needs a good amount of garlic, onion, and other spices such as caraway. Again, expect nothing else than a mixture of delicious dumplings to complement this flavor-rich meal. And if the occasion is beyond special, for example afte ..read more

Even though not originally from Czechia, tatarák (or steak tartare) ranks very high when it comes to popularity among locals. This rather strange Czech food is basically raw beef (minced) served in a burger shape with some raw egg on top and a variety of mix-ins. You can either mix all the ingredients (salt, pepper, diced onion, garlic, paprika, ketchup, and mustard) in yourself or order a pre-mixed and ready-to-eat steak tartare. Tatarák is always served with fried bread and you are supposed to treat it as a spread. Preparation: Grind the meat or chop it finely with a knife. Shape it into a ..read more