National cuisine of Slovakia for gourmets

Slovakia is a small country in Central Europe, a land of magnificent castles and amazingly beautiful nature. Not less amazing are diverse and invariably mouth-watering Slovak dishes, most of which contain dairy products and potatoes. Slovak cuisine was influenced by Austria and Poland. Very popular are fresh and smoked sheep cheese, bryndza, and cottage cheese. “Bryndzové halušky” is traditional dumplings made from potato-cottage cheese dough with finely chopped fried bacon. This dish is usually washed down with yogurt.

Slovak lunches and dinners often begin with soups. “Kapustnica” is a soup made from sauerkraut with onions, dried mushrooms, and sausage pieces complemented with sour cream. Garlic soup melting in the mouth has a tender creamy texture. Sometimes it is served in an edible bread bowl. Delicious bean soup is cooked in a salty chicken or beef broth and eaten with buttered bread. Slovak goulash is beef, pork or venison stew with potatoes, tomato paste, paprika, and garlic.

Slovak meatballs are molded from minced meat and potato dough and served with fried onions and steamed cabbage. In Slovakia, the most common types of meat are beef, chicken and pork, sometimes venison and rabbit meat. Slovaks like bryndza, as well as semi-firm smoked cheese “Parenica” produced in strips woven into spirals. "Oštiepok" is smoked sheep milk cheese. "Korbáčik" is another type of cheese woven into braids. Also, locals often eat fried breaded cheese. All Slovak cheeses are made from sheep's and less often from cow's milk. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Fortunately for those with a sweet tooth, Slovakia is the birthplace of many desserts. "Trdelník" known since the end of the 18th century is a sweet dough cylinder prepared by wrapping the dough around a stick and frying it on the fire. Walls inside the cylinder are covered with chocolate, and outside it is coated with sugar and cinnamon. Sweet white bread "Žemlovka" is baked with eggs and fruit. Slovaks also like strudels, typically walnut and apple. Sour cherry strudel contains poppy seeds, butter, and brown sugar.

Poppy is used quite often in Slovakia, here you can find a variety of pastries with poppy seeds, it is even added to ice cream. The crescent-shaped “Bratislava rolls” are also filled with it. Besides poppy, there is also a nut filling. Pastries usually contain jam, nuts or cottage cheese. Slovaks drink wine from southern regions and local beer with salty crackers. Šljivovica plum brandy and Borovička Juniper brandy are very popular. When it comes to soft drinks, Slovaks like coffee of different types, mineral water extracted from many sources of the country, and Kofola - Slovak cola. Its manufacturer produces carbonated grape drink "vineja" invented in the 70's.

On Christmas and New Year holidays, it is customary to eat gingerbread, mayonnaise-filled potato salad with carrots and pickles, dumplings with poppy seeds, pastries with vanilla, nuts and apricot jam, as well as carp whose scales are traditionally put under a tablecloth to attract money. Slovaks drink mulled wine and punch, often putting on the table plates for deceased family members. Sometimes the head of a family draws a honey cross on the forehead of each relative to attract happiness. Nuts are scattered around the corners, symbolizing wealth. Traditionally, each family member should eat a clove of garlic to spend the next year in good health.

In Slovakia, there is a decent amount of great restaurants, bars, and cafes. “Modrá Hviezda” (“Blue Star”) gourmet restaurant in Bratislava is famous for its fine Slovak cuisine. Here you can try a rabbit in red wine, fried cheese, and other traditional specialties. Nitra has cozy Gio Cafe serving delicious desserts, homemade cakes, Italian ice cream, and coffee. Med Malina is a small but popular restaurant in Košice where you can have a good meal and try hot beer.