Food in the Czech Republic

Nowadays people have many options when it comes to dining. Let’s have a look at Czech dishes and food popular in the Czech Republic. Unlike in other countries, in the Czech Republic the most important meal of the day is usually lunch. A lot of Czech restaurants offer special lunch menus. You can pick from several dishes for a special price. It’s definitely worth trying. You can get a nutritious meal for a good value.

Soup

Traditionally, Czech meals start with a soup. There are many kinds. Garlic soup, chicken broth, beef broth with liver dumplings, or potato soup. Potato soup is very thick and nutritious and can also be eaten as a main course. It has potatoes (thus the name potato soup), root veggies like carrots, parsley, and celery. Mushrooms are another important ingredient of the classical potato soup. Restaurants offer the soup of the day together with their special lunch menu.

Meat and Side Dishes

Czech cuisine can be quite fatty. There is a lot of meat. Probably the most typical meat is pork. If you could think of a typical Czech side dish that makes a perfect match for the meat, this would be dumplings. They are flat and perfect for eating with sauce. They soak in the flavor. Dumplings are served with meat dishes like goulash. One of the favorite Czech dishes is sirloin with dumplings served with cream sauce. You can also try potato dumplings. They have a slightly yellow color and go really well with spinach and meat. Sometimes restaurants serve both types of dumplings within one dish. This way you can try both.

Other popular side dishes are rice or potatoes. You should definitely try potato pancakes. It’s a question whether this dish is really Czech. It’s popular in other countries as well. The important thing is that it’s good and Czech diners love it. It’s made of grated potatoes. Potato pancakes go very well with beer. Some restaurants serve potato pancakes in a miniature size as a side dish. Some people order them together with their goulash instead of dumplings. Sometimes full-sized potato pancakes are served with a mixture of meat and vegetables tucked inside.

Food for Vegetarians

And what about options for vegetarians? Try fried cheese. Its surface is crunchy like a schnitzel and the inside is gooey and cheesy. It’s served with boiled potatoes or French fries. A lot of people eat tartar sauce with their fried cheese. Others prefer ketchup. Instead of fried cheese, you can order fried cauliflower or fried mushrooms. Of course Czech restaurants offer other vegetarian options, like pasta, Italian gnocchi, or salads. Fried cheese is a staple in the vegetarian section of the menu in Czech restaurants.

Sweet Main Courses

Some people might be surprised by the fact that some Czech main courses are sweet. Fruit dumplings are very popular. They are dumplings filled with fruit. There are strawberry dumplings, apricot dumplings, blueberry dumplings, or plum dumplings. They are typically served with grated cheese and sugar. If you don’t trust the idea of having a sweet dish as your main lunch or dinner course, you can order a portion of these dumplings with your friends and share them as dessert. Another example of a sweet dish eaten as a main course is pasta with poppy seeds and powdered sugar. When it comes to food, there are many options in the Czech Republic. There is always something to please your taste buds.