This week I completed my trip to Slovakia. I managed not only to ride the board perfectly, but also to take a course of Slovak cuisine in one of the mountain taverns in the Low Tatras near Chopok. Unfortunately, it was not possible to take pictures, since I was the only student and the cook was also alone, there were no free photographic hands :)
Here is the only thing that the camera lens has risen to:
Pstrukh in oil with wheat shovel
On the first day, three types of national soups were prepared:
- Garlic soup with melted cheese and croutons
- Slovak cabbage
- Venison goulash
On the second day, second courses were prepared
- Pstrukh in oil
- Slovak wheat dumplings
- Galushki with cheese and butter
- Lokshe with goose liver
And the last day was devoted to desserts:
- Cheesecake with apples and pears
- Grandma's strudel
- Pancakes with jam
I’ll make a reservation right away: what I’m writing about, you may not find in popular tourist places. I avoid such places of rest and food because I firmly believe that the most delicious and real food is where the local population eats. And these cafes, restaurants, taverns, kalibs and huts are located far from the tourist routes. Usually in small mountain villages and settlements where there are no hotels, monuments of world culture, bars, discos, etc. places for tourists.
Slovak cuisine is peasant cuisine. There are no frills in it: neither in components, nor in presentation, nor in technologies. Simple, fragrant, very satisfying and delicious food. The geographical location and historical events have had their impact, so Slovak cuisine is a symbiosis of Czech, German, Austrian cuisine. For example, a variety of traditional sausages and sausages, sauerkraut, game dishes, poultry, thick rich soups, pancakes and strudel for dessert ... However, it would not be true to say that Slovak food is devoid of identity. Wheat and potato dumplings, pstruh (read about it below), garlic and bean soups are very popular national Slovak dishes.
Soups
In almost all restaurants, the choice of soups is limited to 3-4 positions: Garlic soup, Kapustnyak, Homemade noodles and sometimes Flyachki. In larger restaurants, you can find different types of goulash: from venison, from beef, from lamb and pork ... goulash, by the way, they serve it very beautifully: in metal pots suspended over an alcohol burner: cubes of meat and potatoes, strips of carrots, onion lace in a thick aromatic dark brown “broth” gurgles slowly! It's just magical!
It is worth paying particular attention to garlic soup. Of course, if you have a romantic date on a snowy slope with someone very charming, then try this soup on another day. Fragrant, appetizing, “exhaust” is guaranteed to you. This is the only drawback of this soup. Other than that, it's just great! Light garlic broth with a subtle hint of lavrushka, thick threads of melting soft cheese, boiled egg halves and a large handful of wheat croutons! Trust me, it's worth a try! I am writing this now and I think that I will go and cook such a soup for the evening :)
Kapustnyak- this is something like a symbiosis of Russian cabbage soup from sauerkraut and meat hodgepodge. Incredibly thick, dense and rich soup. The combination of the acidity of sauerkraut and the sharpness of smoked meats gives an indescribable taste and aroma. The soup is very satisfying: cabbage, carrots, parsnips, some potatoes, a set of smoked meats, lavrushka, allspice ... Sometimes red beans are added instead of potatoes. This soup is for lovers of “so that the spoon stands”!
Main dishes
All sorts of meat are very widely represented on the Slovak table: pork, beef, lamb ... Poultry: chicken, turkey. Game: venison, wild boar meat, pheasants, partridges, hares…
Meat dishes are mostly stewed or fried. A wide variety of meat rolls with a variety of fillings. This is the influence of Austrian cuisine, I think. Many dishes are served in pots or on special cast-iron pans-trays. So, from the traditional Slovak dishes I can name: Veal stuffed with vegetables, Schnitzel in Zemplin style, Lamb leg in wine, Duck or goose baked in Slovak style ... And so on. Having tried many of them, I can’t single out any of them as something unusual and incredibly tasty. Good tasty juicy, but quite ordinary meat. But I must say that the variety of sauces here can be second only to France. The sauces here are quite liquid and smooth, homogeneous and invariably hot. Delicious!
Of the fish, the gastronomic symbol of Slovakia is in the lead - River trout or Pstrukh. This fish is served everywhere. I did not meet a single food point where there would not be several types of psstruha in the “eating sheet”. The most popular dishes are pstrukh in oil and pstrukh on the grill.
Pstrukh in oil- this is a gutted fish with a head stewed for a couple or poached with a lot of butter. No spices except salt are added so as not to interrupt the specific taste and aroma of river fish, which is very much appreciated. Pstruch on the grate- this is also a gutted fish with a head, salted and baked on charcoal. I liked the second option more, as I am a big fan of smoky food, and it seemed to me that the fish cooked this way was a little drier and more elastic than poached in oil.
Throughout Slovakia, there are countless fish farms that grow the very Pstruch, carps and other freshwater fish.
Separately, I want to tell about cheese, vegetable and flour dishes. As a rule, these are hot snacks in the form of various flat cakes stuffed with various types of cheese and stewed vegetables, dumplings (potato and wheat), and dumplings with cheese and sauerkraut. From tortillas are very popular Langoshe: This is a large flatbread made from yeast dough, deep fried. It is served as a main dish and as an addition to broths and other light soups. In addition, there Potato cakes. These are not our pancakes at all, the dough is somewhat reminiscent of a steep pancake with the addition of ready-made mashed potatoes. They are fried in a dry frying pan until golden brown, and served with milk soups in the summer.
Knedley- this is another national dish of Slovakia. In general, knedl is a large palm-sized ellipsoid, formed from pure yeast dough or from dough with the addition of potatoes. Dumplings are again steamed and boiled. Them
straps- These are dumplings with sauerkraut. There are still Dumplings with cheese. It's kind of like homemade stuffed dumplings. They are boiled or steamed. Served with melted lard and fried cracklings.
In general, the choice of cheese in Slovakia is quite wide. Processed, soft and hard cheeses are usually made from cow's milk, and specific national varieties are made from sheep's milk. For example, parenitsu(soft cheese), Oshtepok(smoked cheese) and Brynza.
desserts
What can you say about sweet dishes? From authentic in Slovakia I can name fruit dumplings and Lokshe with cottage cheese and poppy seeds. Pureed cottage cheese is added to the dough for fruit dumplings, stuffed inside with berries and pieces of fruit. Then boiled for 6-8 minutes in boiling water, and served sprinkled with mashed cottage cheese, sugar and poured with melted butter. As for Lokshe, these are sweet potato pancakes stuffed with a mixture of cottage cheese and poppy seeds. Quite strange in taste, but quite edible and tasty. Such an unconventional combination for our cuisine :) In addition, there are a lot of ordinary wheat Pancakes with different jams and ice cream, variations apple strudel and Cottage cheese puddings and casseroles with berries and nuts.
About beer, wine and other drinks
I will say right away that beer I don't like it at all. And I don't drink. But one kind of dark draft beer made me reconsider my views on this masculine drink. This beer is called Sharish (Saris). Black-brown, thick, smelling of hops, with beige elastic and lush foam! It tastes like the same draft kvass from childhood (remember the huge yellow cans and aunts in white aprons?). There is practically no bitterness in it, there is no taste of burnt sugar and other side flavors at all, which is the sin of the vast majority of dark beers. If you suddenly find yourself in Slovakia, be sure to try it! Sharish is also light, but this is not the same at all. I won’t say anything about other varieties, because I’m not a connoisseur and not even an amateur.
About wine… Almost half of the Tokaj wine region is located in Slovakia. Yes, this is where they make famous Tokay. I tried dry Tokay, produced in Slovakia. Very mediocre semi-dry (at best) wine. Unaged, with a bright note of Muscat, soft, “smooth” wine of light amber color with a sweet aftertaste. In general, I did not like it. In general, I am not, again, not a big connoisseur of wines, but still I understand something. My summary: There are better white wines in Slovakia. For example, Muller Thurgau, Muskat Moravsky, Veltinske Zelene…
In general, there are several wine-growing regions in Slovakia: at the foot of the Low Tatras near Bratislava, the so-called wine road, which originates in Vainory and Racha. This is where the famous red wine Frankovka. Next comes Saint Yur and Limbach with his Limbashsky Silvan. Young wine burchak you can try in a place called Slovenian coffin. I warn you right away: do not overtaste the burchak! And don't ask why. Take my word for it :) And there are two wine regions: modra with its professional wine school, which is over 110 years old, and Pezinok, where every September the wine harvest festival takes place.
From strong drinks juniper tincture is poured here "Borovichka". In terms of aroma and taste, this liqueur is almost as good as a traditional English gin. "Slivovitz"- another drink that can be advised to gourmets in terms of alcohol. This pure plum distillate has a rich tradition in Slovakia. In addition to plums, such tinctures are also made from pears. But be careful: “Cream” and “Pear” with a strength of less than 52 degrees are rare!
Well, I seem to have written and told the main thing :) Summing up, I want to say that Slovak cuisine is full of healthy and tasty dishes, rich in traditions and open to new knowledge adopted from neighboring countries.
The national cuisine of Slovakia was formed under the influence of Hungarian, German, Czech and Austrian cuisines, but, despite this, it has its own special flavor. The meals here are quite simple and satisfying. The brands of Slovak cuisine are meat, cheeses, dumplings, dumplings, wine and beer.
In Slovakia, you can taste delicious first courses with amazing aroma. It is worth trying cheese, meat, vegetable, mushroom and garlic soups and various broths.
Very widely used for cooking various dishes in this country and cheese. Here you will try “vyprazhanny cheese”, which is fresh cheese fried in breadcrumbs, dumplings with cheese or shepherd's dumplings with cheese.
Meat dishes in Slovakia are very similar to Czech, Hungarian and German dishes. Here you can try the baked boar's knee, Spisska Pohutka - excellent meat goulash with champignons and potato pancakes, baked goose with dumplings, pork wraps with cheese and asparagus, and various sausages.
Those with a sweet tooth should definitely try sweet pastries, which are very similar to Austrian ones. It is also worth enjoying pancakes with peaches, fried donuts, Bratislava walnut or poppy cones, Skalica trdelnik and delicious cakes: rum, spitz, veternik and Bratislava.
I recommend trying national cuisine in Bratislava at the Slovak Pub restaurant. It is located at Obchodná 613/62, 811 06 Bratislava - Staré Mesto. A very interesting and colorful place that is loved by the locals. The interior is original, there are several halls decorated in different styles, the waiters speak Russian and the prices here are quite affordable. Be sure to try garlic soup in bread, dumplings with cheese, ribs and cabbage. The restaurant is open daily from 10:00 to 02:00 at night.
You can have a great lunch with the family at Ludwig Restaurant and Café, located on Venturska 7. Here you can taste homemade cuisine. It is worth ordering venison with lingonberries and mushrooms, duck liver in wine sauce and various vegetable salads with goat cheese and nuts. The restaurant is open daily from 11:00 to 24:00.
You can drink delicious coffee and enjoy desserts in the Mayer cafe, which is located on the main square of Bratislava in the Old Town. The place is certainly touristy, but the cafe is very old and beautiful, both outside and inside. Delicious coffee is brewed here and wonderful desserts are served. The cafe is open daily from 9:30 to 23:00.
You can have a great dinner and spend a pleasant evening listening to the sound of the piano in the Roland restaurant. It is located in the center of Bratislava, not far from the Maximilian Fountain. It has an exquisite interior, around antiques and good cuisine. The restaurant is open daily from 11:00 to 01:00.
While in Bratislava, try to visit restaurants that are away from touristy places where locals dine, and remember the portions here are large, so you can often order one serving for two.
Slovak cuisine deservedly occupies a special place among the cuisines of other Slavic peoples. It is famous for its satiety, ease of preparation, abundance of spices and great ingenuity of local chefs and housewives. Slovaks are able to prepare a delicious lunch with everything that is in your fridge, and the specialties of this people are traditional dumplings, fragrant Spis pohutka, mouth-watering fried duck with sauerkraut, Lokshi potato cakes and, of course, various first courses and soups .
Cheese in Slovakia is one of the favorite products. They prepare special Slovak “Khalushki” with it, and even devoted a whole festival to cheese. It usually takes place at the height of summer. And the essence of the celebration lies in eating dumplings with cheese for speed. The locals love this holiday very much.
What no lunch in Slovakia can do without is soups. There are a great many of them: cheese, garlic, mushroom. After them, the Slovaks prefer something meaty: schnitzels, stews, goulash, various smoked meats and pates. Most of these dishes are prepared from chicken, beef, less often pork. They prefer not to scroll the meat, to use it exclusively natural and fresh, with sauces, fragrant dressings or in combination with sour sauerkraut.
A separate place in the national cuisine of Slovakia is occupied by flour products. They are less likely to look like our Russian sweets, and they are based on traditional homemade recipes. So, for example, "Guardians" are usually cooked on holidays. These are small bread pies that are made from a special dough with a small amount of salt. But “Wow for a couple” is stuffed with chocolate and is also served only on special occasions. Even in Slovakia they love apple biscuits.
Housewives passed down recipes from generation to generation, writing them down in a special book, preferring to keep them secret. So even today, many families are kept in such self-written cookbooks. However, young people rarely use them, preferring to spend less time cooking.
Traditionally, women cook in families, and men are in charge of frying meat, but more and more residents prefer fast food. The biggest family holidays are Christmas and Easter. It is customary for relatives and friends to gather for celebrations, prepare special dishes and say toasts.
In contrast to fast food in Slovakia, there are many restaurants of national cuisine - kolibs. They are also called robber huts. This name appeared a long time ago, when robbers set up inns in the most picturesque places. Any traveler who was provided with shelter and food could stay there. Now it is in kolibs that you can try all the variety of Slovak dishes and feel the hospitality of this people.
Note that the Slovaks are a very sincere people with rich traditions and a language very similar to Russian. At the same time, their national dishes are not inferior to the leading European cuisines. If you are lucky enough to be in Slovakia, be sure to try dumplings, homemade game and garlic soup in a bread pot.
Slovak cuisine is born from a combination of milk, potatoes, cabbage and their various derivatives. And of course, we must not forget about the meat.
Below we have collected for you five main symbols of the Slovak national cuisine.
1. Lard with cracklings
One of the simplest "aperitifs" before a meal is lard sandwiches. A mixture of fat rendered from pork or goose fat and cracklings (as well as spices, garlic or onions) is an absolutely simple, but very tasty thing. It is usually served in small bowls for spreading on bread. Each chef has his own "secret recipe", so the appetizer is worth trying in different establishments. What you should not do is deliberately refuse the sample under the pretext of "fat content" - believe me, it's delicious.
Lard with cracklings
depositphotos(с)ajafoto
2. Garlic vole
Polevka - stew - is one of the main dishes in Slovak cuisine. It can be anything - meat, vegetable, cereal, but one of the simplest and most elegant is the "chesnakov's vole". In its main composition - broth, flour, cream, spices and, in fact, garlic. And then there may be variations - from mushrooms and potatoes to fennel.
garlic vole
depositphotos(с)vankad
3. Dumplings
This dish can be found in Slovak establishments in several variations at once. The most famous ones are with cheese, which is the Slovak equivalent of sushi for the Japanese, pizza for the Italians or fish and chips for the British. They are made from potato dough mixed with sheep cheese and served with fried lard, washed down with buttermilk or yogurt. Fans of dumplings with feta cheese annually come to the mountain fortress Turetska at the foot of Velka Fatra for the world championship in their preparation and eating. But for our taste, the most magical dumplings are strapachki (a mixture of dumplings, sauerkraut and fried cubes of smoked lard).
depositphotos(с)phb.cz
4. Roast duck with stewed cabbage
The menu of almost any Slovak institution with national cuisine cannot do without roast duck with cabbage. Cabbage to the bird can go sauerkraut, fried, stewed - white or red. Another variation on the theme is stuffed duck with cabbage. The basis of minced meat is rice, walnuts and spices are added to it. A frequent companion of a bird with cabbage is dumplings, ordinary or potato. By the way, Branislav Krizan, the chef of the Matyšák hotel in Bratislava, advises: in order for the duck to turn golden, when frying, it should be watered not with the juice from the roasting meat, but with milk.
Roast duck with dumplings and stewed cabbage
depositphotos(с)ajafoto
5. Skalitsky trdelnik
And for dessert - trdelnik, dough tubes baked on a trdlo (wooden skewer) over an open fire and sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon. Skalitsky trdelnik is a pastry with walnuts, which are made according to the traditional recipe of the monastery cuisine. In October 2007, Skalica trdelnik became the first Slovak food product to receive the EU Protective Label. By the way, every year in Skalitz is held
Since ancient times, the national Slovak cuisine has been formed under the influence of Austrian, German and Hungarian. The resulting dishes turned out to be quite simple to prepare. The main ingredients in this country are meat, dumplings, cheese and dumplings.
The most popular dishes in Slovakia are Spisska pohutka - traditional meat goulash with mushrooms and potato pancakes. No less popular here is the “baked boar knee”. Under such an intricate name is meant the usual fried pork leg. In the menu of local restaurants in Slovakia you can also find dishes such as:
- Baked goose with dumplings
- Roast duck with sauerkraut
- Pork wraps
The hallmark of the traditional cuisine of Slovakia are first courses, which are dominated by vegetable soups, mushroom soup, meat, cheese and garlic. All of them have an amazing flavor that immediately makes you want to eat every last spoonful.
With great respect, local residents also treat Slovak cheeses. The most popular among all are parenitsy and shtepki. Do not disdain local residents and flour confectionery. Tell me, can you deny yourself the pleasure of trying local donuts fried with garlic or Slovak pancakes stuffed with peaches? "Viennese strudel" is considered one of the national dishes of Slovakia, which was borrowed from neighboring Austria.
The most popular drink in Slovakia is beer. Despite the fact that it is not particularly popular outside the country, in terms of taste sensations it is in no way inferior to Czech. Slovak wine will also be a great addition to a dinner party. Of the strong drinks, juniper vodka "Borovichka" and plum vodka deserve special attention.
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