20 Must Try Food In The Czech Republic -Traditional Czech Food

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The Czech Republic is known for its beautiful architecture, beer, and delicious Czech food!  Traditional Czech food is diverse with flavors you can’t find anywhere else in the world from the potato soup, traditional roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut, fruit dumplings and apple strudel.

If you are traveling to Prague you will most definitely find a few dishes to make your tastebuds singing in delight.

Czechia has a very traditional “meat and potatoes” cuisine, with dishes heavy on gravies and sauces. While I traveled to the Czech Republic in the summer – winter is perhaps the best time to try Czech food.

Their hearty soups will keep you all warm and fuzzy during the colder months so be prepared for your taste buds to do the happy dance. 

I had the opportunity to speak at TBEX – Travel Blog Exchange which is a travel blogging conference and the 2018 European conference was held in the Czech Republic which is where I got my first taste of traditional Czech food. 

If you are still on the fence about traveling to the Czech Republic keep reading  and I will discuss the following:

• What is the most popular food in the Czech Republic?
• What is traditional food in Prague?
• What is the typical Czech food?
• What are the classic Czech foods and where do you find them? 

Traditional Czech Food Is an Integral Part of The Culture

Food is often a window into exploring a new place, the dishes that locals chow down on for certain occasions can tell you a lot about local customs and culture.

Czech food has its own story to tell and I’ve rounded up the Best Traditional Czech Food into this guide of region-specific delicious dishes that will have you thinking there must be a black granny in the kitchen of every Czech restaurant.

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Food in the Czech Republic is not exactly known for being the healthiest, but I assure you everybody will probably find a meal they will absolutely fall in love with because traditional Czech food is not only savory but it is also mouthwatering. 

Whether it’s the potato soup, the traditional roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut, fruit-filled Czech dumplings, or the apple strudel you will find something you love.

The Czech Republic has become a culinary mecca and I assure you Czech food will have you licking your fingers and planning your next foodie adventure before you even return home.

I will say the Czech’s aren’t big on veggies! I mean getting a salad was harder than getting United States Congress to pass a bill but I guess I didn’t come this far for a salad.  

Make sure you reserve enough time to walk off those calories because Czech food is delicious, filling and addictive.

Here’s my guide to some of my favorite must-try drinks and traditional Czech dishes.

Typical Czech Food

1. Dumpling or Knedlíky

Now, lets to start off with the very basics of Czech food, there’s nothing more basic than a good ol’ knedlík, or dumpling.

In fact, Czech dumplings are great, because they can be both sweet and savory and are perfect for soaking up all of the delicious gravy that seems to be prepared for every Czech dish.

• The only cardinal rule is to NOT eat them with your hands or to spread butter on them!  Remember when in Rome do as the Romans.
• The most popular is the standard bread dumplings seen sliced on plates across the country.
• Czech dumplings are not the same dumplings we are accustomed to in the states which is what I assumed.  The base of these is generally slightly stale bread that is shaped and either boiled in a pot of water or steamed.

The dumpling looks fluffy and is often prepared as a side for dishes like guláš and svíčková, and they’re perfect for soaking up delicious gravy. 

Don’t eat the dumplings dry because this is considered a sin — not to mention they’re kind of bland on their own.

Fruit dumplings are great as well if you prefer sweet over savory and they can be made with any number of different fruits and then they are encased in soft doughy goodness and boiled until warm and soft. 

Once your individual dumplings are finished cooking, they’re then plated and served up with all kinds of delicious toppings.

The most traditional way is to slather them in melted butter or sprinkle them with sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. While on a food tour I was told to add both and create what could have been the possible meal I’ve ever eaten!

Click Here and Watch Me Grub On Traditional Czech Food

To The Meat of The Matter

2. Vepřo knedlo zelo (roasted pork)

After covering one of the basics of Traditional Czech food, it’s now important to get to the nitty-gritty: the meat!  Pork or beef in the Czech is usually roasted low and slow in the oven and served up with Czech dumplings. 

The star of Czech cuisine has got to be pork because the national Czech dish consists of roast pork, cabbage, and dumplings. This dish, which is found in every  “Czech kitchen” is really quite simple; however, when it’s done right, it is so good.   

You’ll think it came straight out of your grandma’s kitchen – even if your grandma isn’t Czech! It consists of succulent and juicy slow roasted pork, served up with a gravy made from its own juices. 

As if that wasn’t hearty enough, it’s often accompanied by white cabbage, which for those of you who don’t know, is very much like the German sauerkraut, but a bit less sour and even slightly creamy.

The whole thing is then topped off with potato dumplings that provide something other than your fingers to soak up that extra gravy. 

3. Svíčková

The next dish you will want to try with your newly improved Czech culinary skills is the Svíčková. Svíčková refers to beef sirloin, a quality cut of beef that is served covered in a savory vegetable cream sauce and topped with whipped cream.

Yes, whipped cream and cranberry sauce sitting on top of this all this deliciousness.  

It is served up with fluffy, white bread dumplings and a slice of lemon, just to add a little bit tang.

Most Czechs don’t prepare this dish regularly because of the sheer length of time it takes to prepare this meal. 

The sauce alone is enough of a reason to add this dish to your shortlist of things to try while deciding what food in the Czech Republic you should be trying.  

Remember that since Czech dishes take so long to cook, most restaurants will cook up large batches each day, so you can have your favorites served up fresh and without the wait!

Y’all know gravy taste better the next day anyway.

Think all Czech food are mainly beef/pork and potatoes? Trust me, they eat birds, too! In fact, one of the local favorites is the roasted duck or goose. 

 The roasted duck or goose is often prepared for special occasions like Christmas or some sort of celebration. 

Street Food in the Czech Republic

4. Sausages (KLOBÁSY)

Sausages (klobásy, in Czech) are on every corner in the Czech Republic.  Similar to hot dog stands in most major metropolitan cities in the United States. 

 Sausage stands are very popular in Prague.  I kinda consider myself a sausage connoisseur and OMG these were the best sausages I have ever eaten. 

These stands are great for tourist who have been out drinking beer all night and is need of a late night snack to soak up the alcohol.

There are a variety of sausages based on the type of meat and seasoning you prefer, but the sausages are typically served up on white buns with every topping you can think of from — ketchup, hot sauce, sauerkraut, and mustard.

There’s no better way to feel like a local than by grabbing a bite to eat at the nearest sausage stand.

5. Pastry (TRDELNÍK)

Prague’s most famous pastry did not originate in the Czech Republic. Trdelník was originally known as Kurtsoskalacs and came from Transylvania but it is now a staple in the Czech Republic.

 These rolled pastries are dusted in cinnamon sugar or left plain and glazed with butter. Unlike most street food on this list, trdelník can be found throughout the city, in shop windows, and on street corners.

Fine Dining in the Czech Republic

Olomouc is one of the best-kept secrets in Czechia. It’s history and sight mimic that of Prague but without all of the crowds. Olomouc (pronounced OH-la-Mootz), the historic capital of Moravia in the east of the Czech Republic. 

While in Olomouc I stayed at Long Story Short which is a Luxury Hostel and the owner Eva who is by far the sweetest person I’ve ever met suggested I checked out Entree Restaurant. 

Entree is the epitome of fine dining and can hold its own to any Michelin Star restaurant in Europe. (Check out my next post because it will be all about the beautiful town of Olomouc).

The restaurant has stunning interiors, polite and courteous staff and a wine list to die for are just a few reasons why Entree should be on your “to do” list.   If you are visiting Moravia,it’s worth the detour. Michelin beware!

I love the open kitchen which allows guests to watch the chef perform his magic. The modern cuisine is from the hands of chef Přemek Forejt.

The menu is divided into 4 parts – garden, water, land, and sky, and draws mainly on fresh and seasonal ingredients.

The garden has purely vegetarian meals, the water is represented by fish and seafood meals, the land offers quality meats and heavenly desserts.

Cuisine at Long Story Short

Entree is not the only 5-star restaurant in Olomouc.  As I mentioned earlier while visiting Olomouc I stayed at a hostel and not just any ole hostel but Long Story Short is a luxury hostel that prepares the most amazing Czech Cuisine.

Long Story Short was once an old fortress in the City of Olomouc and is for anyone who is looking for a break from the ordinary. You’ll find the hostel in the brick building Podkova (Horseshoe) from the 17^th century. 

Blending the original history of the building with a contemporary touch, we used heaps of raw materials like wood, stone and metal.  The hostel currently offers accommodation in several private and dorm rooms, all together it is 56 beds.

The private rooms offer complex comfort with a private bathroom. Bigger dorm rooms, which include an original layout of the sleeping zones, do not include private bathroom, but this is compensated by the well equipped shared bathrooms for ladies and gentlemen.

The reception area, which is simultaneously a common room and a cafe, is the heart of the hostel.

Long Story Short is perfect combination of both Modern decor and healthier options while still highlighting the Moravian culture.

The food is prepared right off the grill and Eva, the owner has one of the country’s top chefs preparing all of the food at Long Story Short.

The Cooking Bar serves food based on Moravian heritage and all of the deliciousness you can ever imagine from seasonal toasts, salads, soups, beef, pork and small bites along with their extensive cocktail menu.

Back in the old days, the hostel used to be a military bakery and Long Story Short is honoring tradition by preparing fresh pastries, cakes, and other Czech desserts in the same kitchen as the military cooks who once prepared dishes for the soldiers.

Cheese in The Czech Republic

Eva also introduced me something called Stinky Cheese or The syrečky cheese — which is aged under hunks of meat.

This cheese is so much part of this region’s identity that when the European Union tried to forbid the product, the Czech government negotiated for special permission to continue to rot their milk in the time-honored Olomouc tradition.

Olomouc is the perfect alternative to the trendy and overcrowded Prague. Just two hours away from Prague by express train so if you are visiting the Czech Republic take the trip to Olomouc and indulge in some must-try Czech food.

What to Drink in The Czech Republic

Beer is the national sport in the Czech Republic, so it belongs to this list without saying that I must talk about how to order a beer.  

The home of the original pilsner and the original Budweiser (exported to the U.S. as “Czechvar”), the Czech Republic is a beer drinker’s paradise, and the Czechs take their beer drinking seriously.

Beer is enjoyed with lunch, dinner, or by itself, and it is not uncommon to see people drinking beer drank with breakfast.  When visiting the Czech Republic it is essential to know just how to order a beer.

The Czech word for beer is “pivo,” so if you want to keep ordering simply saying “Pivo, prosim,” or “Beer, please,” will be all you need to say. This will bring you a delicious 10-degree lager, the most common beer in the Czech Republic.

It’s confusing, but a 10 degree is usually about 4.5 percent alcohol while a 12 degree is about 5 percent. Unless you specify, the beer you are ordering will be brought in a large 0.5-liter glass. Saying “Male Pivo, prosim” will get you a smaller 0.33-liter beer.

Beer will come all night until you stop it. At most places, a tab will be started on a scrap of paper at your table, and when it comes time to pay, your waiter will tabulate your scrap and you will owe what they tell you.

Be sure to tip, though the common tip is not much. If the tab is under 100 crowns, between 5 and 10 crowns will be plenty.

Insider Tips For Drinking Beer in the Czech

• Most pubs serve one of the major microbrews in the country: Staropramen, Gambrinus, Pilsner Urquell, Budvar, etc. A better beer experience may be had at a pub that serves less common brands. Do some research ahead of time to find out which beers to search for and which to stay away from.
• Be careful. It is remarkably easy to spend an entire evening drinking beer and not realize it until you stand up.

This brings us to the end of my list of the best traditional Czech food. Hopefully, by this point, you’ve got at least a handle on the types of Czech food. Dishes in the Czech Republic convey heart, realness, love of authenticity, and great food.

“Cheers and bon appetit!” 

DO YOU NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE WHEN TRAVELING TO THE CZECH?

CZECH REPUBLIC TRAVEL INSURANCE

YES! Travel Insurance is important no matter where you are traveling to because accidents happen and you should always travel with insurance.

I got extremely sick in the Czech Republic and that was the one time I decided to forego travel insurance and I racked up thousands of dollars in medical bills and they wanted their money before I would even be seen by the ER Doctors. 

PLEASE GET TRAVEL INSURANCE!

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Have you been to the Czech Republic?  What are some of your favorite traditional Czech food? I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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