Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There is no national tradition as to what is served on Christmas Day
(vánoce)
, but
meat is definitely back on the menu;
pečená kachna
(roast duck), served with gravy
and dumplings, is a widespread favourite. There are also
vánoční cukrovi
(Christmas
cookies)
,
baked according to traditional family recipes, and
vánočka,
Bohemia's an-
swer to Christmas cake, though it's actually made with bread dough, sweetened with
sugar, flavoured with lemon, nutmeg, raisins and almonds, and plaited; it is usually
served after the Christmas Eve dinner.
New Year's Eve
(Silvestr)
is also a big celebration. These days few people still pre-
pare the traditional New Year's Eve dinner of
vepřový ovar
(boiled pig's head) served
with grated horseradish and apple, but the day is still a big party day, with plates of
chlebičký
(small, open sandwiches),
brambůrky
(potato pancakes) and other snacks,
and bottles of š
ampaňské
or other sparkling wine on hand to toast the bells at mid-
night.
SPANISH BIRDS & MORAVIAN SPARROWS
Many Czech dishes have names that don't offer a clue as to what's in them, but certain
words will give you a hint: š
avle
(sabre; something on a skewer);
tajemství
(secret;
cheese inside rolled meat);
překvapení
(surprise; meat, capsicum and tomato paste rolled
into a potato pancake);
kapsa
(pocket; a filling inside rolled meat); and
bašta
(bastion;
meat in spicy sauce with a potato pancake).
Two strangely named dishes that are familiar to all Czechs are Š
panělský ptáčky
(Spanish birds; sausage and gherkin wrapped in a slice of veal, served with rice and
sauce) and
Moravský vrabec
(Moravian sparrow; a fist-sized piece of roast pork). But
even Czechs may have to ask about
Tajemství Petra Voka
(Peter Voka's mystery; carp
with sauce) and
Dech kopáče Ondřeje
(the breath of grave-digger Andrew; fillet of pork
filled with extremely smelly Olomouc cheese).
Etiquette
Although the vast majority of Prague's tourist-oriented restaurants have long since ad-
opted international manners, a dinner in a Czech home or a traditional eatery still de-
mands traditional local etiquette.
