Page 196 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

194  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

The Flavours of Prague

While few visitors come to Prague for the food, there is far more
to contemporary Czech cuisine than the Central European norm
of meat, potatoes and dumplings. Czech food remains based
on seasonally available ingredients, while a simple, no-fuss
approach allows natural flavours to dominate most dishes.
The staples of Czech cooking are pork, beef, game and carp,
which tend to be served grilled or roasted, accompanied by a
light sauce and vegetables. They are also used in sour soups,
known as polévky. It is unlikely that you will leave Prague without Blueberries
tasting knedlíky (dumplings), either savoury or sweet.

lightly smoked meat usually The Prague favourite is Svičková,
eaten with bread at breakfast sliced, roast sirloin, served in
or with horseradish as a starter a cream sauce with dumplings
at suppertime. and sliced lemon. If cooked well,
Veal, occasionally served in it can be tender and delicious.
the form of breadcrumbed, Beef is also used in goulash and
fried Wiener schnitzel (smažený stews. Most of the beef served
řízek), is popular. in top restaurants is likely to be
Beef in the region has never imported. Czech lamb (jehněčí) is
been up to international not the best in the world, either,
standards, and needs to be though for a short period from
prepared well to be edible. mid-March to mid-May, there is
Atmospheric U Pinkasů cellar bar and Apple strudel Trdelník (sweet pastry) Český koláč (plum
restaurant (see p203) Honzova buchta Čokoládový řez jam bun)
Meat (fruit buns) (chocolate cake)
The Czech favourite is pork
(vepřové). It appears in countless
dishes, including soups, goulash
and sausages, or can be served Bublanina (apple
on its own, either grilled or crumble tart)
(more commonly) roasted and
served with sliced dumplings
and sweet-sour cabbage (Vepřo­
knedlozelo). It also appears in
other forms, notably as Prague
ham (Pražska šunka), a succulent, Selection of typical Czech cakes and pastries

Local Dishes and Specialities
Knedlíky (dumplings), either savoury (špekové) in soups or sweet
(ovocné) with fruits and berries, are perhaps Bohemia’s best-
known delicacy. Once a mere side dish, they have now
become a central feature of Czech cuisine, as Postmodern
chefs rediscover their charms and experiment with new
and different ways of cooking and serving them.
Other specialities of the region include Drštková
polévka, a remarkably good tripe soup, which –
although an acquired taste – has also seen some-
thing of a revival in recent years as better restaurants
add it to their menus. Duck and pheasant remain
Stuffed eggs popular in Prague and, with the city surrounded by Polévka s játrovými knedlíčky
fine hunting grounds, such game is always of top Soup with liver dumplings
quality. Pork, though, is the city’s (and the nation’s) is a common dish in the
most popular food, served roasted on the bone, with red cabbage. Czech Republic.

194-195_EW_Prague.indd 194 22/03/2017 12:30