Traditional Czech dishes. National dishes of the Czech Republic. Products as souvenirs from the Czech Republic
Czech cuisine has always been famous for its hearty and memorable dishes. But the only negative is that most of it is quite heavy. Because of this, not only guests of the country, but also the Czechs themselves always take with them something that helps digestion.
We are used to the fact that lunch should consist of at least three courses. But this does not apply to the Czech Republic. Here you should choose dishes one at a time. It’s not a fact that you will be able to eat even three times the dish. Portion sizes are quite large. It is customary to serve second courses with not one side dish, but two or several types of sauce.
In Czech cuisine, meat dishes and rather fatty dishes take precedence. The pork here is top notch that no one stands next to. Sausages and snacks (they are fried or marinated) are also in first place. Although a little fatty and heavy, it is infinitely tasty.
But first things first. Any Czech soup is called vole and comes with its own name. For example, Vole "Trencin". . The soup menu is usually served separately at the start of the meal. The soups are thick, almost like a sauce. The thickness of soups is achieved by adding semolina or pureed vegetables to them. Sometimes butter and chicken egg yolk are used. Approximately 2/3 of the first courses of Czech cuisine are pureed. In terms of popularity, the championship is held by:
- Garlic bentgrass.
- Onion bentgrass.
- Sauerkraut bentgrass from sauerkraut.
- Bentgrass with smoked products and mushrooms.
- Pureeed bentgrass.
- Soup - goulash with cheeses.
Soups are served both in regular bowls and in bread.
Of the second courses, the undisputed first place is, and will continue to be, occupied by the world-famous Boar's Knee. In Russian, this is pork knuckle. Boar Knee is baked in dark beer. It is served with three types of sauce as standard, and with more at the request of guests. In different restaurants everything is different: in some Veprevo Knee is also served with sauerkraut, in others without. The knuckle usually weighs 800 grams when finished. Minus bone - 700. Some restaurants order smaller sizes of raw materials so that one person can eat it entirely. Veprevo Knee is sold in restaurants and even on the street. Moreover, you don’t have to take it entirely, but ask for as much as you need.
Second place should be given to honey pork ribs. They are baked until crispy. This is usually done in a combi oven or on a grill. The ribs are served in the same way as the shank, with three or more types of sauce and pickled vegetables. The dish will weigh at least 700 grams in its pure form. You can feed three.
Next in popularity is Svichkova with sour cream. This, as an exception, is a beef dish. Svickova is served with dumplings, also a national Czech invention - small blocks of boiled potato dough. . The dish is also served with lemon wedges, whipped cream and lingonberry sauce.
Goulash is no less popular in the Czech Republic than in Hungary. There is certainly a difference. Moreover, there are hundreds of goulash recipes in the country. Beef, pork, rabbit, liver, assorted meats - whatever. But the leader is still beef goulash. Cumin, garlic, and pepper are usually added to it. The dish is again served with dumplings, which is not surprising - dumplings are served with almost all hot dishes and soups. Sauerkraut is also served with goulash.
Another dish that we can’t help but mention is baked duck. It is usually cooked whole with spices. Served with boiled potatoes, and again - with three or more types of sauces.
The Czechs do not neglect fish either. Residents of the Czech Republic love carp very much. It is served either baked or in the form of chops, or fish soup is prepared from it. A traditional dish for Christmas is carp baked in sour cream with potato salad.
Traditional side dishes in Czech cuisine are dumplings and sauerkraut. Dumplings can be ordered as a separate dish with sauces. They will be served bacon. Boiled potatoes are served as a side dish, also with fried raw smoked bacon and three types of sauce. Well, and stewed Sauerkraut cabbage, porridge and potato balls that are deep fried.
Among appetizers, Czechs prefer a cheese plate, fried cheese breaded in breadcrumbs. They use their own Hermelin cheese. Serve with sauces and cabbage. Another of the popular snacks is Utopentsy. These are marinated sausages or bacon, cooked with fried onions and peppers.
Fruit dumplings are popular desserts; plums, apricots and strawberries are added to them. Czechs also love strudel. There is another national dish, Trdlo. Trdlo is sold on all streets, on every corner. It is prepared from dough, fried on a grill on skewers in the form of a cylinder and sprinkled with sugar. .
Czech national cuisine cannot be called very diverse. But the dishes listed are worth trying.
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It is impossible to fully understand the beauty of the Czech Republic without tasting traditional dishes - the national pride of the country. But when you enter any, even the most modest restaurant, you are overwhelmed by the huge selection of first and second courses, not to mention the variety of beer snacks, which would be enough for a separate menu.
By the way, if you decide to taste all the most delicious and famous dishes of Czech national cuisine, you will have to put up with a couple of extra centimeters on your hips and waist - the food here is very high in calories and filling; Czechs are very fond of meat (poultry, game, pork and beef), prepared in a variety of ways. And the portions in restaurants are so large that you can easily order one dish for two...all that remains is to decide what exactly to order?
We present the TOP 10 most famous and delicious dishes of traditional Czech cuisine, which are definitely worth trying.
The traditional delicious dish (Pečené vepřové koleno) is comparable to spaghetti in Italy or pilaf in Uzbekistan and is a real gastronomic brand. Fragrant, juicy, rosy, pork knee on the bone weighs almost a kilogram when finished and is usually ordered for 2-4 people. It is prepared in every restaurant and pub, but it is served in different ways: with horseradish, tomatoes, garlic and seasonings, not to mention numerous sauces and gravies.
A baked leg with mustard and horseradish with beer will cost 200 CZK. If you order only a knee, its cost will be 150-160 CZK.
Dumplings
Dumplings are the holy of holies of Czech national cuisine. Although, the most interesting thing is that initially this dish belonged to Austrian and German cuisines, but today it has become the national dish of the Czech Republic, its culinary symbol. Essentially, it is a long piece of dough (kneaded with flour or with the addition of potatoes) boiled in a large amount of water or steamed, which is then cut crosswise like a loaf and served as a side dish, for example, with the same baked knee. It is interesting that the dumplings themselves are insignificant and do not have a bright taste, but in combination with meat and sauces they perfectly absorb all the flavors of the main dish.
Well, if you pour the dumplings with sweet berry syrup and decorate them with fruit, you will get a delicious dessert. Dumplings are inexpensive - from 5 to 20 crowns.
Remember! Portions in the Czech Republic are generous, so do not rush to order everything at once; it is better to take second courses at the rate of one for 2-3 people.
Drowned people, klobasy, tlachenki
Beer snacks such as crackers, chips or nuts simply pale in comparison to the real Czech snack – delicious meat sausages! They are usually served grilled with a variety of sauces.
The most popular sausages that you should definitely try in the Czech Republic are:
Drowned meats, which look like utopenci on the menu, are quite vigorous pork chops soaked in a vinegar marinade; due to their bright taste, they are consumed only with beer.
Fried sausages, also known as klobasa, are a product with a less harsh taste; These delicious sausages are good on their own, but when combined with a foamy drink they become simply divine.
Tlachenka (and in Czech - tlacenka) is a meat dish reminiscent of strong jellied meat or brawn, made from pork legs, tongue or offal and eaten with vinegar. When serving, season with pepper, onion and vinegar.
Advice! In pubs and restaurants in the Czech Republic, food is always prepared in the morning and served only freshly prepared. Therefore, if you want to try the most famous dishes, it is better to go for a meal in the morning or closer to lunch, because... By evening, not a trace remains of the local delicacies of the first demand.
Please note: very often sausages are sold right on the streets of Prague. This is an old tradition, so the Czech capital is not at all surprised by the numerous chewing tourists looking at the sights with a sausage in one hand. Among the street assortment, it is worth trying Bavarian, Old Prague, Prague and Wenceslas sausages, the cost of which ranges from 50 to 80 CZK. The price includes dumplings or bread and sauces: mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup.
Vepro-knedlo-zelo
If you decide to taste local delicacies in good faith, you won’t get away with just one pork knee. Be sure to order such a hearty dish at the restaurant as Vepřo-knedlo-zelo, which is fried pork with stewed cabbage, served with dumplings.
Typically, portions of shoulder or loin are used for cooking, marinated in spices and first fried in a frying pan, and then baked in the oven. During the baking process, the pork is poured with broth and the resulting juice, so that the resulting meat is very tender and juicy, literally melting. Czechs generally love and skillfully cook pork, which is also much cheaper than lamb or beef. Well, stewed cabbage as a side dish is a classic of the genre, just like in Germany.
You can order this legendary dish from the Strahov Monastery for just 140 crowns.
Czech soups
It’s a real crime to be in the Czech Republic and not try the local soups – polevki. The first courses here are very satisfying, rich, and delicious. They can rightfully be considered the property of the country. Liquid transparent soups are not about the Czechs, no. Thick first courses are respected here, and to create the appropriate consistency, vegetable purees, semolina or flour mash are usually added. An unusual ingredient used in soups that adds an interesting flavor is roasted yeast.
Note! Often soups are served in a bread roll - be sure to try it, it’s very beautiful, but most importantly - delicious!
The most popular first courses in the Czech Republic are:
Česnečka – aromatic and incredibly tasty soup with garlic and smoked meats,
Pivní polévka – an original soup with beer, served with cheese croutons,
Bramboračka – famous potato and mushroom soup; by the way, this is what is traditionally served in bread,
Kulajda – thick stew with mushrooms and potatoes, flavored with sour cream, served with a boiled egg.
A serving of Czech soup costs from 40 CZK and above.
Goulash
It would seem, what makes a traditional Hungarian dish on the list of the most popular dishes of Czech cuisine? In fact, the Czechs have long borrowed it for themselves and really love and respect it. In catering establishments you can find a variety of variations of goulash - it is prepared from traditional beef and pork, but also from veal, rabbit, lamb and cold cuts. There are Szegedinsky, rural, hunting, Slovak, Hungarian and other types of goulash. We recommend trying one of its variations in authentic Czech establishments - this is not a tourist dish, so it is easiest to find it in restaurants aimed at local residents.
The cost of 200 grams of, for example, Pilsner beef goulash with dumplings is 100-120 CZK.
Fried carp
Despite the fact that the Czechs are ardent fans of pork in any form, fish is also respected here. It is especially recommended to try the fried carp (on the menu - pečený kapr) - this particular dish is an obligatory element of the Christmas festive table. You should also not refuse baked trout - Pečený pstruh.
1 fish costs 110-150 CZK.
Olomouc cheesecakes
Cheese is loved in the Czech Republic, especially as a beer snack. Be sure to try the soft Hermelin cheese, reminiscent of Camembert with its white mold, as well as varieties such as Pivni Syr and Zlata Niva.
But the most important cheese dish to be tasted first is the breaded and fried Olomuki cheeses. Olomuka cheese itself is made only in the Czech Republic and has a specific unpleasant odor, which, however, completely disappears when fried. Olamuk cheese cheeses harmonize especially well with beer and regular rye bread with onions.
A serving of fried cheese (150 g) with Tatar sauce will cost 120-150 CZK.
Trdlo
You can taste trdelnik, or trdlo, also known as “fool,” mainly only on the street. This sweet pastry is made from rich yeast dough, which is rolled onto a metal rolling pin and fried on the grill or in the oven. The finished trdlo is removed from the rolling pin and sprinkled with sugar, poppy seeds, chopped nuts or aromatic coconut flakes.
It is interesting that similar pastries, albeit under different names, are baked and sold on the streets of Hungary and Slovakia.
One Trdlo costs 45-50 CZK, and if you add Nutella to its taste, then 60 CZK.
Strudel
Despite the fact that the Czech Republic has many national desserts (vanochki, kolache, etc.), the leader in taste and demand is the good old German-Austrian strudel, which you can recognize in the menu by the word “závin”.
They prepare it here at the highest level, wrapping a variety of fillings in thinly rolled unleavened dough: fruits, berries, cottage cheese, etc.
Dumplings
These are Czech dumplings made from wheat or potato flour, boiled in water and formed into balls, then cut into slices and served hot.
Goulash
A very popular dish in bars. It has many variations, but the most common is to cut the beef into large pieces and pour a thick, slightly spicy sauce over it. Usually goulash is served with raw chopped onions and horseradish. (It should be noted that the name of the dish comes from the Hungarian word “gulyás”, which is more reminiscent of soup.
Czech goulash is more similar to the Hungarian dish perkelt.) One type of goulash is savory goulash, which, as the name suggests, is prepared with seasonings, but is not as spicy. Szegedin goulash is made with pork, not beef, and cabbage.
Beef Goulash
A classic Czech dish served with sliced bread (Czech: houskovy) dumplings. Fresh onions and peppers are usually served as a garnish.
Pork goulash
The main dish of Czech cuisine. It is served in the same way as beef goulash, except for the meat: it is made from pork.
Utopians
A delicacy served with beer. These are sausages that are marinated with vinegar, vegetable oil, onion, red pepper and various spices. Such preparations are usually made in beer stores themselves or at home.
Svichkova with sour cream
Beef tenderloin in cream. The method of preparing a home-cooked meal is different from a meal served in a bar. But even the quality and taste depend on the bar. But as a rule, the tenderloin is marinated and then fried with root vegetables and onions. When the meat is ready, you need to take out the vegetables and “stavu” (meat juice) and wipe them. The sauce is made from cream and flour.
The meat is sliced and served with sauce, bread dumplings, a lemon wedge with whipped cream and cranberry sauce. Although the name comes from a specific type of meat, the word “svickova” can also be applied to the sauce and served with other meats, such as venison or rabbit.
Svičkova with sour cream is often called the sweet brother of Czech goulash. This is beef tenderloin that is fried in a pot and served with a creamy sauce. Carrots add sweetness to it. Serve cranberries and whipped cream on the side.
Fried pork with dumplings and cabbage
This is truly traditional food in the Czech Republic. The base of this dish is pork, which is served with dumplings and sauerkraut. Of course, it may seem bland and greasy, but it is one of the most favorite dishes among Czechs, and in Prague you can find it in many restaurants.
Fruit dumplings
There are many variations of this dish. Bread and potato dumplings are also very popular. Bread ones are often served with gravy, in which the dumpling can be dipped. Potato dumplings are served as an additional dish to fried or smoked meat. Špekove dumplings are made from fatty bacon and are no longer so popular.
Fruit dumplings are filled with a variety of fruits, but the most common are plums, apricots and blueberries. Served with cottage cheese or poppy seeds. Despite the fact that the dish is sweet, it is often eaten instead of the first course.
Kalach
These are delicious Czech pies filled with fruit, jam or cottage cheese.
Smazak
Fried cheese (smažený sýr). It is rolled in breadcrumbs, fried and served with salad.
Fried champignons
Mushrooms are rolled in breadcrumbs and fried.
Payments
One of the Czechs' favorite dishes. It looks like a big round waffle. They must be served piping hot. There are otlatki with chocolate or nut filling, there are many options.
Houska
This is a Czech bun. It is made from wheat flour, water, yeast and salt. Sprinkle poppy seeds, cumin or salt on top. Such a delicious, sweetish yeast bun with egg can be found in almost every Eastern European country. Typically it is a braided bun with or without raisins. Czechs and Bohemians call it “houska”.
For Jews this is challah. This bun is similar to a French brioche. It is incredibly delicious on its own, with butter or fried. Leftover buns can be used to make bread pudding or doughnuts.
Baked kahna
This is Bohemian roast duck. Served with bread dumplings and stewed red cabbage. In the past, duck or goose dishes were too expensive to afford to eat every day, so this dish was only served on special days.
Biftek
This is a medium rare steak. If you want to order your steak well done, be sure to say "done." It is usually served with French fries and sometimes an egg.
Fried chicken cutlets
Cutlets rolled in breadcrumbs. They are very similar to Wiener schnitzel, but Czech cuisine usually does not use cheese. This dish is usually served with cold potato salad or boiled potatoes.
Chicken breast
Served with any side dish, but most often with potato pancakes (grated and fried in the form of pancakes).
Roasted rabbit
Roasted rabbit is a very popular dish, although it is not often found in restaurants. This lean meat can be prepared in different ways: in a creamy sauce, fried with garlic, or cooked without seasoning with vegetables and onions.
Czech dishes have many ways of preparation. If you like the dish itself, but don't like the sauce, just order it without the sauce (“imposs omachki”).
In the Czech menu you can find the following names:
- Směs – for example, “Kuřecí směs”. This means that the meat is cut into small pieces.
- Prsa – chicken breasts.
- Piquant, Ďábelský, Pálivý – the dish is served with hot sauce.
The Czech Republic is a country of wonderful castles and aromatic hearty dishes: meat and potatoes, cabbage and spices, soups and, of course, amazingly delicious desserts!
If you visit Prague, then spend time tasting local sweets - you won’t regret it. Some you can then cook for your family or order in a Czech restaurant, while some are “found” only in the Czech Republic.
Strudel
Amazingly delicious thin dough roll with a variety of fillings: apples (classic!), cherries, plums, strawberries, cottage cheese, raisins - the most pleasant flavors. And on top - cinnamon and powdered sugar or almond flakes. Amazing! If interested, read on.
Strudel in the Czech Republic is served with whipped cream, ice cream or cream sauce.
Trdelnik
Fragrant tubes of delicious yeast dough, rolled in a mixture of sugar, vanilla sugar, nuts and cinnamon. They are baked on special “skewers” over an open fire. Not a single holiday in Prague passes without this delicacy. As a rule, the tubes are hollow, but you can find options with fillings: whipped cream, plum, apple jam, chocolate spread, cream. This dessert also has a second name -.
Sweet dumplings
Dumplings are dearly loved by all residents of the Czech Republic. And if hearty dumplings made from potatoes or flour are served with meat and beer, then sweet dumplings are a completely independent dessert. They are made from semolina, dough or cottage cheese with sugar, vanillin and delicious fillings: berries, fruits and dried fruits, jams and preserves. One of the most popular desserts is blueberry dumplings. Here you will find several recipes for this dish.
Plum dumplings (Szilvásgombóc)
Potato dough stuffed with plums- nourishing, unusual and tasty. The dumplings are boiled in salted water and then covered with a delicious “shell” of breadcrumbs and sugar. Dumplings are served with jam or cream (usually sour cream or butter).
Fruit roll (Kolache)
There is even a festival in the Czech Republic called the Kolache Festival, during which you can enjoy a wide variety of kalachi and kalachi. They are made from yeast dough and filled with berries, fruits or the most delicate cream cheese. This delicacy is sprinkled with powdered sugar or poppy seeds, and sometimes both.
Palanchiki (Palačinky)
Sweet pancakes, which are filled with ice cream, marmalade, jam, cream or fruit. This delicious beauty is topped with syrup or melted chocolate. Sometimes they are also flavored with powdered sugar and almond flakes.
Vánočka
This delicacy is prepared for Christmas. This sweet braided dough, to which dried apricots, almonds, raisins and other dried fruits are added. It is cut into pieces and generously spread with jam, jam, chocolate spread, butter or jam.
Cakes
In the Czech Republic they love cakes: honey (medovník), cottage cheese, orange, chocolate, nut. Cakes are baked from both biscuit dough and puff pastry. Fruit and berry fillings vary depending on the season.
Cakes are often served with sauces (fruit, chocolate, cream).
In almost every establishment of national cuisine you can find variations on the theme of famous cakes: “curd cheesecake” or “homemade tiramisu”.
Ice cream with fruits (Zmrzlinový pohár)
A multi-story ice cream structure with a wide variety of fruits, chocolate pieces and wafers (or cookies). Often this beauty is filled with fruit syrup or melted chocolate. This dessert is served in a rather tall glass goblet, so you can safely take one serving for two.
"Horká láska" - "ardent love." This is also ice cream, in this version - with raspberries or strawberries and hot red berry syrup - romantic and very tasty!
Round waffles (Oplatky)
An ideal option for tea drinking (or coffee drinking) are thin round waffles with filling, which are served hot. The filling can be chocolate, whipped cream, pieces of fruit. The dessert is similar to the famous “Viennese waffles”.
- If you see the inscription “Čerstvé ovoce” (“stale vegetables”) next to the name of a cake or dessert with ice cream, do not be confused: it means “fresh fruit”;
- The honey cake now beloved by the Czechs appeared in the Czech Republic only in the 90s of the twentieth century: “meadovnik” from Russia and “marlenka” from Armenia. These are the most popular types of honey cake in this country;
- There are sweet buns in the Czech Republic baked in the shape of a rope rolled into a loop, in memory of Judas who hanged himself. They are called “Judas”.
As a rule, Czechs do not eat desserts after meals, but as a separate midday snack with a cup of tea or coffee. This is not surprising: the portions in Czech establishments (and in Czech housewives) are so large that it is simply impossible to fit in a hearty sweet treat. Therefore, it is worth setting aside an hour to relax alone with pancakes, strudel or pie - what a taste, what an aroma! Impossible to resist! Enjoy your tea!
Seeing Prague at Christmas is like feeling the spirit and immersing yourself in the magic of the holiday itself. Temples illuminated at night, trees and establishments in glowing garlands of iridescent lights. The main forest beauty of the city flaunts on the Old Town Square. Under numerous fir trees there are nativity scenes - scenes with biblical scenes about the birth of the baby Jesus. Street musicians perform Christmas songs while dancing. Passers-by and tourists gladly take up the merry baton and dance their hearts out right on the sidewalk.
Numerous fair towns spring up in the city squares. Their fairy-tale towers invite you to buy souvenirs as souvenirs of Prague or taste delicious treats. The aroma of rich soups, stews, and goulash is such that it is simply beyond your strength to pass by. Perhaps only the magical fragrance of fresh baked goods can overcome their fragrant call. Honey gingerbread, vanilla bagels, cookies with nuts in honey, famous strudels with apples... And, of course, Czech trdelnik, the recipe for which has always been passed down in families by word of mouth. The famous holiday dessert is a twisted tube of sweet pastry baked over an open fire.
A sweet tube with a special meaning
Although, by the way, Hungarians and Romanians also lay claim to trdelnik, you will not taste such a crunchy, delicious delicacy anywhere else except in the Czech Republic.
Trdelniki is a must-have attribute of almost all Czech holidays. And these are not just sweet buns for snacking. The process of their preparation is filled with special meaning. The Christmas table and Christmas Eve are never complete without them. They are given “for good luck” to children at baptism and to young women who have known the happiness of motherhood. And the twisted, spiral shape of the product itself symbolizes the victory of St. George the Victorious in the battle with the Serpent.
Trdlo- another name for this sugar tube. This is exactly what the Czechs call the baking dish itself, and at the same time naughty children who are as active as a spindle.
Trdlo can be served with various fillings - chocolate paste, fruit jam or whipped cream, jam or honey. And if you fill the trdlo with cold ice cream, you will get a simply delicious treat for a warm summer day or evening. They eat twisted tubes and just empty ones. But this does not make them any less tasty, because the secret of the success of the famous trdlo lies in the dough itself - tender, melting in the mouth and very tasty.
Cooking traditions
Tradelniks are traditionally baked on a large spit - a wooden spit made of noble beech or, more often, a metal one in the shape of a cylinder. A roller-spit is quickly wrapped overlapping thin strands of yeast dough in a spiral and constantly twisted over the coals to form a golden brown crust. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, crushed nuts, cinnamon, and pour over hot caramel or honey. The whole ritual must be performed by beautiful female hands. And this is also a tradition. Usually, during preparation, a lot of people gather around to watch the sacred action taking place. And, of course, beautiful girls - bakers in national costumes. The spectacle is really worth it.
You can buy trdelnik in Prague not only during fairs and festivals. You can also taste it on ordinary days - near Charles Bridge, on Wenceslas or Old Town Square - wherever there are tourist markets. Guests of the city love this crispy sweet.
Trdelnik and Trdlofest
Well, if you suddenly want a holiday in the middle of everyday life, you can go to Trdlofest and there enjoy the world’s longest sweet straw. Of course, to do this you will have to visit neighboring Slovakia, the birthplace of the original annual festival. But it’s not very far, in a town right on the border with the Czech Republic. Trdlofest is a celebration of wine, music, ancient traditions and, of course, Skalick trdelnik. The length of the “maxitrdelnik” at one of the holidays reached more than two meters. And this is not the limit - they confidently say in Skalitsa. And they are looking forward to the next festival.
The Czechs themselves also traditionally compete every year. But already in the size of the baked dessert. And the largest trdelnik is always proudly displayed on Old Town Square to the delight of tourists and city residents.
How to touch ancient traditions
But what to do if a trip to Prague is not expected in the near future, but you really want to eat? There is an exit. Prepare your own aromatic trdelnik, the recipe at home, because in its essence now it is not much different from the street version. And it turns out no worse.
Ingredients for preparing Czech Trdlo - recipe at home:
2 eggs;
butter - 4 tbsp. spoons - 80 gr.;
half a glass of warmed milk - 250 ml;
yeast (preferably dry) - 1 tbsp. low heaped spoon - 12 g;
flour - about 2 cups - 350 gr.;
sugar - a little more than 2 tbsp. spoon - 50 g;
salt - about a third of a teaspoon, a pinch,
vegetable oil for lubrication (about 4 teaspoons);
100 - 200 gr. any nuts (optional);
a little cinnamon (for sprinkling);
filling (jam, melted chocolate, whipped cream or anything else), in our case chocolate Nutella.
So, step by step preparation
1. The whites of two eggs should be separated from the yolks. Yolks will be needed to prepare the dough, and whites will be needed to lubricate it.
2. Place the dough. To do this, pour yeast (a tablespoon) into a bowl, add sugar (a tablespoon - half the norm), yolks, and pour in a partial glass of slightly warmed milk. Place in a warm place for literally 10 minutes to rise so that the yeast becomes active. The top can be covered with additional cloth or thin cling film.
3. Melt the butter in a water bath or low heat. Be sure to let the oil cool; never use it hot.
4. When the dough rises and the yeast rises to the surface in the form of a cap, carefully pour in the liquid butter. Mix everything well.
5. Sift the flour, enrich it with oxygen, make it light and airy. Throw a pinch of salt into it. In the Czech Republic, coarse flour is used to bake trdelniki. To get closer to the ideal in our conditions, it can be replaced with semolina. But even from ordinary wheat flour (highest grade), a Czech tube is no less tasty.
6. Slowly add flour to the yeast dough, stirring constantly to avoid the formation of lumps. Knead the dough until it becomes soft, elastic and no longer sticky.
7. Place the kneaded dough for about forty-five minutes in a warm place without access to drafts. Cover the bowl with the dough with a clean cotton towel. It should be well spaced and grow in volume by one and a half to two times.
8. While the dough is proofing and gaining strength, we do not waste time. You need to prepare the nuts, grind them or grind them in a blender. Then add the remaining sugar and, if desired, cinnamon. In general, additives can be very diverse: vanilla, almonds, walnuts, coconut flakes and others. It all depends only on the personal preferences and imagination of the pastry chef.
9. Prepare molds - the basis for baking sweet tubes. To do this, you will need cylinders - wooden blanks or, best of all, metal confectionery cones. If you don’t have anything suitable at all, you can also use cardboard paper towel tubes. But the cardboard will need to be wrapped in foil before baking. Then lubricate the cylinders with butter (or vegetable) oil. So that after cooking it is easier to remove them, and the finished product has a pleasant creamy taste.
10. Finally, the dough has risen. It should be kneaded and rolled into thin strips, about one and a half centimeters in circumference - flagella. Wrap the resulting strips of dough around our improvised molds - trdlo - in a spiral, with a slight overlap.
11. Lightly beat the whites separated from the yolks and brush the dough on the cylinders with them. Roll the dough in a sweet breading - a mixture of nut crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. To make rolling easier, you can simply sprinkle the sugar mixture on the table.
12. Well, that's half the job done. All that remains is to place the dough pieces, for example, on the sides of a large baking dish and place them in a preheated oven.
13. It is better to bake trdelniki at a temperature of no more than 180 degrees. The tubes must be placed slightly apart from each other to prevent sticking. Their delicate dough should not dry out. And the surface should be covered with a uniform blush and acquire a crispy crust. You need to turn the molds on the other side at least once - about 10 minutes after the start of baking. Then bake for another 10 or 15 minutes - you need to look at the size of the product. It usually takes no more than fifteen minutes to prepare small rounds in total.
14. Carefully remove the browned tubes from the base. Sprinkle the top generously with powdered sugar. In the Czech Republic they are always eaten hot, piping hot. We will also not break long-standing traditions. Let’s just add a little twist of our own: additionally brush the inside of the slightly cooled trdelniki with softened chocolate Nutella.
15. Our amazingly aromatic, crispy Czech dessert with chocolate notes is ready. You can serve it with coffee, always strong and tasty, like in Prague, or with tea. Or you can specially prepare a hot wine drink with spices and honey and it will be like finding yourself right at a Prague fair. Bon appetit!
... You can admire evening Prague and its lights endlessly. Wandering around the squares, having a leisurely conversation, eating trdelnik melting in your mouth, photos of which, like photos of wonderful moments, will always remind you of your meeting with Prague. And then go to a cafe for a while to try delicious ice cream with raspberry syrup, drink mulled wine and again go for a walk along the magical streets of the city. Anyone who has visited Prague at least once will make a wish to return here again.