The Czechs obviously don't take Mad Cow Disease seriously.
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We largely ate international cuisine in the Czech Republic. There was plenty to choose from.
But I did try some Czech dishes at the Czech-centric restaurants, including:
Svíčková na smetaně — this dish is available at almost every restaurant in the Czech Republic – or so it seems. It features either pork or beef smothered in a cream based carrot gravy, served with knedlíky and sometimes chantilly cream—sweet, whipped cream— and/or cranberry compote.
Knedlíky are dense dumplings (steamed and sliced, bread-like in form) - one of the mainstays of Czech cuisine.
Pečená kachna — Roast duck served with knedlíky dumplings and braised red cabbage and/or sauerkraut.
Bramboračka — Potato soup made from potato, onion, carrot, root parsley and celeriac and spiced with caraway seed, garlic and marjoram. Sometimes served in a hollowed-out loaf of round bread instead of a bowl.
When I first saw this wordless "sign" advertising trdelnik I was very confused. I didn't know what I was looking at.
Trdelnik - When traveling through the Czech Republic or Slovakia, you will see vendors selling a cylindrical pastry called a trdelnik. These are sold hot with a dusting of cinnamon, sugar, and nuts. The trdelnik pastry is made by wrapping dough around a stick (wooden or metal) and roasting it over an open flame until it is golden brown. Usually, it is possible to watch part of the process of trdelnik making where you purchase your treat - the vendors often make and sell from aromatic open-air stalls along the street.
Becherovka - Becherovka is the national drink of the Czech Republic. We were introduced to it a few years ago by someone who had visited Prague. It is hard to find in the U.S. It is an herbal bitters made from a "secret recipe" using a wide variety of herbs and spices. They say that Becherovka was created by distillers in 1805 and today, only two people know the secret of the entire production process and may enter the "drogikamr" room—where, once a week, they mix the herbs and spices used in the drink. Becherovka tastes medicinal – sweet and spicy with a bitter aftertaste. At 70 proof, it packs a punch. It is usually served chilled, though some serve it with tonic water, making a drink called a beton (becherovka and tonic) which is Czech, German, French and Dutch for "concrete." In Prague Becherovka costs about half what we pay for it in the States. The brand is now owned by Pernod Ricard.
Pilsner-style lager was born in the Czech Republic. Czech beer has a history extending more than a millennium; the earliest known brewery existed in 993. Today, the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world. Pilsner style beer originated in Plzeň in the Czech Republic. The most popular beers in the Czech Republic are still pilsner-style lagers. Pilsner Urquell, the original pilsner, has the largest market share. Other popular brands include Budweiser Budvar (despite its name, it is not made by Anheuser-Busch), Staropramen, Krušovice, Starobrno, and Svijany.
We ate dinner at Mlynec hanging over the Vltava - fancy international cuisine with a Czech flare.
We ate outside at Delice Restaurant, which was then near our hotel (U Zeleneho Hroznu). Delice is seemingly now located in another part of town.
We also ate at Baracnicka Rychta, "a traditional Czech restaurant since 1926."
You can't leave the Czech Republic until you've tried "vafle na tyči," otherwise known as "waffles on a stick." This Liège-style waffle, served on a stick, is a popular Czech street sweet. However, the advertisement on the wall makes the waffle look a lot like the omnipresent orange roof tiles.
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