Got Anything Sweet?: Czech Pastries and Treats
Last week, I wrote about traditional Czech cuisine, from fried cheese to potato dumplings to street sausage--no, not a euphemism. This week, we shift from savory to (relatively) sweet.
Unlike neighboring Austria or Germany, Czech culture doesn't offer that much in the way of elaborate cakes and pastries. They certainly exist, but most traditional and widely available sweets are simpler, plainer, and usually focus on a few basic components. By far, the sweet treat tourists most associate with the Czech Republic is...
Trdelnik! I have *still* not eaten a trdelnik (any trdelnik?), but, by all accounts, they are declious. Available from stands and shops in all the tourist-y areas of Prague, trdelniks (Czech plural is trdelniky) are often treated to a coat of chocolate or Nutella on the inside, or sometimes served with ice cream or cooked apples. The dough is only lightly sweet, so that caramelized/burnt sugar and walnut coating on the outside provides most of the sweetness inherent of the pastry itself. However, the trdelnik is NOT an authentic Czech dessert.
Yes, in the Old City, every other shop seems to sell them, but I've yet to find any place outside that area that does. You don't find them where Praguers really live, and I imagine that is pretty much the case in all of Czechia. Older Czechs may not even know what these cakes are, and they certainly aren't part of the real Czech national culinary identity. So anyone who says that the trdelnik is THE pastry of Czechia never got out of the tourist district. Moreover, ranging in price from 40-60 Kc, (~$2-3 USD), trdelniky are definitely on the pricey side, and expensive food is *not* a Czech tradition. They're essentially a culinary tourist trap--certainly fun and delicious, but utterly inauthentic and quite expensive.
At restaurants with dessert menus, you are almost certain to find jablečný štrůdl--apple strudel. Similar to the version found in neighboring German-speaking countries, this traditional dessert is pastry wrapped around apples, often featuring raisins, as well--which is unfortunate, because raisins ruin everything. The pastry is traditionally flaky, but you can also find it in grocery stores with a doughier, heavier pastry and called a zavin . Either way, it's very common and delicious in its simplicity. The most common alternate fillings are sweetened cream cheese (tvarohový), sweetened poppy seed paste (makový), and apricots (meruňky). These four filling types are to be found in many Czech pastries, actually--so hopefully you like one or more of them. At restaurants, you may also find some form of chocolate cake (čokoládový dort), or maybe even dumplings filled with whole plums (švestkové knedlíky) or other fruit (ovocné).
As its name suggests, vánočka is a traditional Christmas (Vánoce) bread, though, as with many other sweet or elaborate pastries that are were originally holiday treats, you can find it well outside the Christmas season in bakeries and grocery stores. Vánočka has a sweetened, eggy dough--think a brioch--that is studded with raisins (bloody raisins again) and almonds, plaited (think challah), and then given an egg wash and a sprinkling of almonds and sugar on top. Quite dense, a slice of vánočka with some butter (maslo) is a nice way to start a weekend day with a cup of tea. Plus you can get a whole loaf for less than the price of one trdelnik. Just sayin'.
If you want something really cheap to go with your morning coffee or afternoon tea, you may want to try koblihy (singular kobliha). These are the Czech version of the classic Berliner--a jelly donut. I am not a jelly donut guy, so my experience with these has been limited and, honestly?, not that great. That said, they are super cheap--under 10 Kc--and it's very common to see Czech folks walking out of the supermarket across from my house eating the kobliha they just bought inside. In addition to jelly, you can also find them filled with chocolate, though the dough--rather dry and tasteless--is the real problem with these in my book. American style circular donuts are also pretty common here, though they are called, well, "donuts."
You'll also find Czech-style gingerbread (pernik, which is more common and can be found year-round, even in the cookie/biscuit aisle), croissants, chocolate filled pastries, cakes (especially honey, marble, and poppy seed), and even some cookies--though, be warned Americans: what "cookies" there are here are mainly British-style biscuits. More Hobnobs than Chips Ahoy. Indeed, except for a few particular brands, most cookies that Americans think of--chocolate chip being the most salient example--are nearly entirely absent from Czech stores.
Unlike neighboring Austria or Germany, Czech culture doesn't offer that much in the way of elaborate cakes and pastries. They certainly exist, but most traditional and widely available sweets are simpler, plainer, and usually focus on a few basic components. By far, the sweet treat tourists most associate with the Czech Republic is...
 |
| See my Christmas Markets video to see these lovelies being made. |
Trdelnik! I have *still* not eaten a trdelnik (any trdelnik?), but, by all accounts, they are declious. Available from stands and shops in all the tourist-y areas of Prague, trdelniks (Czech plural is trdelniky) are often treated to a coat of chocolate or Nutella on the inside, or sometimes served with ice cream or cooked apples. The dough is only lightly sweet, so that caramelized/burnt sugar and walnut coating on the outside provides most of the sweetness inherent of the pastry itself. However, the trdelnik is NOT an authentic Czech dessert.
 |
| The blue dot is my house. The red dots are where they sell trdelniky. Guess where the tourists hang out. |
Yes, in the Old City, every other shop seems to sell them, but I've yet to find any place outside that area that does. You don't find them where Praguers really live, and I imagine that is pretty much the case in all of Czechia. Older Czechs may not even know what these cakes are, and they certainly aren't part of the real Czech national culinary identity. So anyone who says that the trdelnik is THE pastry of Czechia never got out of the tourist district. Moreover, ranging in price from 40-60 Kc, (~$2-3 USD), trdelniky are definitely on the pricey side, and expensive food is *not* a Czech tradition. They're essentially a culinary tourist trap--certainly fun and delicious, but utterly inauthentic and quite expensive.
So, what do Czechs eat to satisfy their sweet teeth? This is, of course, not an exhaustive list, but...
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| Everything goes better with ice cream. |
At restaurants with dessert menus, you are almost certain to find jablečný štrůdl--apple strudel. Similar to the version found in neighboring German-speaking countries, this traditional dessert is pastry wrapped around apples, often featuring raisins, as well--which is unfortunate, because raisins ruin everything. The pastry is traditionally flaky, but you can also find it in grocery stores with a doughier, heavier pastry and called a zavin . Either way, it's very common and delicious in its simplicity. The most common alternate fillings are sweetened cream cheese (tvarohový), sweetened poppy seed paste (makový), and apricots (meruňky). These four filling types are to be found in many Czech pastries, actually--so hopefully you like one or more of them. At restaurants, you may also find some form of chocolate cake (čokoládový dort), or maybe even dumplings filled with whole plums (švestkové knedlíky) or other fruit (ovocné).
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| I may have to stop writing to go eat one of these... |
More of a cafe/bakery treat, koláče (singular koláč--often translated into English as "kolach" because "č" makes a "ch" sound) are probably the most widely known of the Czech/Central European pastries. Originally served at weddings and festivals, they are now available pretty much everywhere and always. Soft, lightly sweetened dough is formed into a circle with raised sides, and then fillings are added. In addition to the usual suspects from above, you can also find plum, strawberry, and other fruits, depending on the season. They are often, but not always, topped with a bit of crumble. My favorite is definitely the cheese variety, but I had a pumpkin one at a Czech bakery and coffee shop outside of Pittsburgh that was delicious and a great blend of the Czech and the American. If you want koláče in the States, Western Pennsylvania, pats of Ohio, and oddly enough parts of Texas all have sizable Czech immigrant populations that brought their distinctive pastry with them. Texans sometimes use a meat filling in their koláče--because Texas. But real Czech koláče are sweet, not savory. There are plenty of recipes online if you want to try your hand at bringing a bit of Prague into your kitchen. Best part? These tasty beauties will cost you less than a dollar many places.
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| Vánočka--not just for Christmas anymore. |
As its name suggests, vánočka is a traditional Christmas (Vánoce) bread, though, as with many other sweet or elaborate pastries that are were originally holiday treats, you can find it well outside the Christmas season in bakeries and grocery stores. Vánočka has a sweetened, eggy dough--think a brioch--that is studded with raisins (bloody raisins again) and almonds, plaited (think challah), and then given an egg wash and a sprinkling of almonds and sugar on top. Quite dense, a slice of vánočka with some butter (maslo) is a nice way to start a weekend day with a cup of tea. Plus you can get a whole loaf for less than the price of one trdelnik. Just sayin'.
 |
| Koblihy, kobliha, life goes on... |
If you want something really cheap to go with your morning coffee or afternoon tea, you may want to try koblihy (singular kobliha). These are the Czech version of the classic Berliner--a jelly donut. I am not a jelly donut guy, so my experience with these has been limited and, honestly?, not that great. That said, they are super cheap--under 10 Kc--and it's very common to see Czech folks walking out of the supermarket across from my house eating the kobliha they just bought inside. In addition to jelly, you can also find them filled with chocolate, though the dough--rather dry and tasteless--is the real problem with these in my book. American style circular donuts are also pretty common here, though they are called, well, "donuts."
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| Pekařství is bakery. Know that word and its forms well, for it will lead you home. |
You'll also find Czech-style gingerbread (pernik, which is more common and can be found year-round, even in the cookie/biscuit aisle), croissants, chocolate filled pastries, cakes (especially honey, marble, and poppy seed), and even some cookies--though, be warned Americans: what "cookies" there are here are mainly British-style biscuits. More Hobnobs than Chips Ahoy. Indeed, except for a few particular brands, most cookies that Americans think of--chocolate chip being the most salient example--are nearly entirely absent from Czech stores.
There is, in addition to all the sweets listed above, a pretty wide range of savory pastries and breads, including one in particular which is certainly my favorite:
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| Where have you been all my life? |
The Anglický rohlík ("English roll") takes the rohlik, a very cheap (like, 2 Kc cheap), but blah Czech roll and elevates it to the stratosphere by the addition of cheese and English bacon (Anglická slanina), creating a tasty, fatty, salty roll-cum-sandwich. The addition of the other ingredients does raise the price, of course, but not by much--expect to pay around 15 Kc (about $.75 USD) for one at any grocery store. If you need a quick breakfast on the go or a savory snack, this is definitely my choice.
What breads or pastries did I miss? What should I try to find? Let me know in the comments! Next week, I give into my most American self as we raid the snack food aisle!
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