5 Foods to Try in Czech Republic

Czechs love to eat! Although Czech Republic is most famous for its beer, a foodie can also expect to have some pleasant discoveries. Read on to find our favorite Czech foods that you simply can’t miss!

Pork Ribs

Although everybody likes to talk about pork knee (vepřové koleno), Czechs actually prefer pork ribs (vepřová žebírka). They are tastier, easier to eat and come in more manageable portions. Should you get scared by the size of the serving, you can easily split it between two people. By the way, don’t hesitate to ask for a second plate or to pack the leftovers after the meal. It’s totally normal in a country where portions are so huge that you can live on them for a day! As if the meat itself was not enough, the proper ribs come served with horseradish, mustard, hot peppers and baked bread. Prepare to get really really full!

Svíčková

For those new to Czech cuisine, svíčková may look strange. It’s beef served in a delicious gravy, with bread dumplings (houskové knedlíky) on the side to help you collect all the tasty sauce. Essentially, the gravy is the most important and savory part of the dish, and all the rest it there just to be dipped in it. Apart from svíčková, there are a lot of other “gravy dishes”, but svíčková is the most popular one.

Goulash

You’ve probably heard of this one, as this soup is insanely popular! In tourist places, it comes served in bread, but you’ll find that outside of Prague it’s served in a bowl or plate, just like normal soup. In this case, it’s usually called gulášovka. Goulash is all about proportions: if you have more water in it, you get a soup, with a little less it turns into meat in goulash gravy, and it’s served as a main course then with bread dumplings, same as svíčková.

Tatarák

This one is for the brave of heart indeed! Tatarák is finely minced raw beef, served with a fresh egg. Looks undercooked, er? Don’t worry, it’s prepared from very fresh high-quality meat with a proper certification, so you can safely eat it! It is usually served with baked bread and some vegetable siders, same as žebírka. One way of eating it is by spreading over slices of bread. Enjoy if you can!

Trdelnik

You will find this sweet pastry on seasonal fairs and in city centers. It is prepared on a stick over open fire and is crunchy on the outside, while tender and soft on the inside. It is usually dipped in sugar, cinnamon, and nuts to give it extra flavor. Last two years they’ve started putting ice-cream, whipped cream, and even coffee inside, but I recommend trying pure trdelnik first before experimenting with the fillings.