Czech RepublicWhat to eat in Czech Republic: top 10 dishes
Traveling to Czech Republic? These are the ten dishes it is best known for, from everyday staples to festive classics, with a short background and a tip on where and when to eat each one. Ranked by how widely they are known around the world.
01Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat combined with other ingredients, formed into the shape of a loaf, then baked or smoked. It may be hand-formed on a baking tray or pan-formed in a loaf pan.
Travel tip Not a specifically Czech specialty, but a similar baked minced-meat dish is a common home-cooked meal. Look for it in restaurants that serve traditional home-style food.
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02Buchteln
Buchteln (from Czech buchta, pl. buchty, also in German: pl., sing. Buchtel; also Wuchtel(n), Ofennudel(n), Rohrnudel(n)) are sweet rolls made of enriched yeast dough, filled with powidl, jam, ground poppy seeds or quark, brushed with butter and baked in a…
Travel tip Sold in bakeries and often served warm as a sweet main or dessert, sometimes with custard or vanilla sauce. Fresh from the oven is the best time to eat them.
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03Sour rye soup
Sour cereal soup is a Polish traditional soup made with various types of cereals such as rye, wheat and oats, which are fermented to create a sourdough-like soup base and stirred into a pot of stock which may contain meat such as boiled sausage and bacon,…
Travel tip A soup from the wider Central European tradition, usually eaten warm in colder months. Look for it in places serving rural or traditional cooking.
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04Trdelník
Trdelník is a kind of spit cake and variant of Kürtőskalács. It is made from dough that is wrapped around a stick, then baked and topped with sugar and walnut mix.
Travel tip Sold hot from street stalls in busy tourist areas, usually rolled in sugar and cinnamon and sometimes filled with ice cream or cream. Eat it while it is warm.
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05Powidl
A powidl (also porvidl, powidła, povidla, or powidel) is a plum butter, a type of fruit spread prepared from the prune plum, that is popular in Central Europe.
Travel tip Most often used as a filling for pastries and dumplings, or spread on bread at home. Try it in a bakery treat or a sweet dumpling dish.
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06Kolach
A kolach, from the Czech and Slovak koláč (plural koláče, diminutive koláčky, meaning "cake/pie"), is a type of sweet bread that holds a portion of fruit surrounded by puffy yeast dough.
Travel tip A bakery treat found across the country, often with different fillings such as fruit, poppy seed, or sweet cheese. Eat it with coffee as a snack or at breakfast.
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07Smažený sýr
Smažený sýr or vyprážaný syr – both meaning "fried cheese" – is a Czech and Slovak cheese-based dish that is widely consumed in both countries of the former state of Czechoslovakia.
Travel tip A very common pub and street food dish, often served with fries and tartar sauce, or in a bun. It is filling and goes well with beer.
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08Žemlovka
Žemlovka, žemľovka or Scheiterhaufen (in common language: zemlbába) is a sweet bread pudding made of apples and rohlíks or veka, soaked in sweet milk. Another variant uses pears instead of apples.
Travel tip A homestyle dessert or sweet main dish, usually served warm. Look for it on traditional restaurant menus or make it at home.
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09Fried bread
Fried bread is a slice of bread that has been fried. It is used as a substitute for toast in various dishes or meals. Various oils, butter, lard, bacon drippings, or ghee can be used.
Travel tip A simple, everyday dish, often eaten at breakfast or as a snack with garlic or eggs. Many pubs serve similar garlicky fried bread alongside beer.
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