Czech Food with Bizarre Names

People are creative critters who like coming up with all kinds of crazy names. This can be seen when they name food. When we have a closer look at Czech food, there are a lot of things to eat which sound quite bizarre. Here are some examples.

Volské oko

Volské oko can be translated as the oxen eye. That does sound a bit strange. What could that be? It’s a fried egg. When you think about it, a fried egg does look like an eye. The egg yellow represents the pupil. The egg white resembles the rest of the eye. This meal is very popular in Czechia. No wonder – it’s fast, easy to make, and visually appealing. After all, cattle are known for having beautiful eyes.

Utopenec

This is probably the most bizarre one. Utopenec translates as a drowned man. You don’t have to be worried. It’s not food for cannibals. Utopenec is a pickled sausage. It’s typically served with bread. The name comes from „drowning“ the sausage in a sweet and sour, flavorful brine, which can have pieces of onion, pepper, or cabbage in it.

Španělský ptáček

Španělský ptáček means the Spanish bird. This meal is a meat roll prepared from beef. Inside, you can find an egg, a pickled cucumber, bacon, and a piece of sausage. All of these are wrapped inside. The pattern of the filling resembles a colorful bird. This meal is typically served with brown sauce and rice or dumplings. It’s served as a main course and is a typical example of popular Czech comfort food. The question is: What is Spanish about this meal? There are some theories about that. Maybe it’s so good that the eater will fly high in the sky after tasting it. Maybe they will fly as far as Spain. There is another comfort food example named after a bird – moravský vrabec. This dish could be translated as the Moravian sparrow. In this case, it’s also not a bird, but pork.

Kočičí jazýčky

This name could be translated as cat tongues. They are delicious! Cat lovers don’t have to be worried. A box of cat tongues might be a nice gift for them. Kočičí jazýčky are pieces of smooth milk chocolate. Each piece is shaped like a cat’s tongue. They are long, thin, and delicate. Some people like using them as decorations for desserts they make, such as pudding or ice cream.

Rakvička

This word translates as a little coffin. You may ask why someone would want to eat a coffin. Simply because it’s a nice dessert that goes well with your coffee. The dessert is simple. It’s a sponge cookie with whipped cream on top. The sponge cookie is shaped like a coffin – thus the strange, Halloween-party-like name. This dessert is very sweet. It’s a staple in traditional sweet shops, which you can visit all over the Czech Republic.

What do you think? Which food sounds the craziest? Would you like a drowned man or a coffin? If you come to study in the Czech Republic, you will have many opportunities to taste them.