Sweet Delicacies of Czech Cuisine

‘Indiánek’, ‘Špička’, and Other Traditional Desserts

Whipped egg white mousse, chocolate, and a sponge base. That’s a proper Czech indiánek (‘little Indian’). But where does it come from? A dessert known as an Indianer rose to fame in Vienna in the early nineteenth century, when it was served by an Indian magician after theatre performances. Unlike the Czech dessert, however, it contained whipped cream, not whipped egg whites. What about špička? Parisian cream and eggnog. What else is there to say… The traditional desserts originate from Austro-Hungarian cuisine. For that reason, they are not lacking in butter, sugar, and other goodies. You should also definitely try the Czech version of French profiteroles, known by the name větrník. Our Czech versions are much bigger and filled with caramel and icing. And what about popular macarons? Here in the Czech Republic, we have laskonky! Once again, it is a bigger version. They are also gluten-free, and instead of almond flour, they are made from whipped egg whites and grated coconut.

We also have our special crêpes in Czechia! Unlike the French version, the Czech crêpe is thicker and fried in oil. It is then smeared with fruit jam or sweetened special Czech cottage cheese, rolled and sprinkled with sugar. Perfect for breakfast, yummy!
 
You should also try traditional Czech kolache (pies) when visiting Czechia. They are baked for many festive occasions, from weddings to church ales, and are among the best that Czech food tourism has to offer. Sweet round and flat loaves of yeast dough are baked all over Czechia in different variations but always filled with different fillings (be sure to try the poppy seed, cottage cheese or plum butter kolache). They usually differ in size and toppings. In some places you will find on the kolache almonds, on others crumble, in Czech Silesia they are decorated with delicate stumps made of butter, sugar and flour.

Sweet Foods with Protected Designation of Origin

Hořické trubičky (Hořice Tubes): The tradition of making hořické trubičky in Eastern Bohemia dates back more than 200 years. The dessert consists of thin tubes interlaced with sugar, cinnamon, honey, and ground nuts. We recommend complementing them with fresh whipped cream and dipping them in high-quality melted chocolate. In supermarkets, you can also treat yourself to the more popular packaged version, which are pre-filled with cream.

Valašský frgál: Come and try this large leavened fruit pie from the area of the Moravian Beskids in the east of the country. It is traditionally filled with cream cheese, poppy seeds, and plum and pear jams.

Karlovarské oplatky (Karlovy Vary Wafers): Are you heading for the spas? Specifically to Karlovy Vary? Then you mustn’t miss Karlovy Vary spa wafers. You can choose from a number of flavours, the most traditional being hazelnut or cocoa.

Štramberské uši (Štramberk Ears): These delicate honey pastries moulded into the shape of human ears have been produced according to a traditional recipe in the Moravian town of Štramberk and the surrounding area for almost 800 years. They are not shaped into the characteristic cones until after they have been taken out of the oven.

Christmas Biscuits

Around the Advent season, kitchens in almost every household are transformed into confectionery shops. How many kinds of biscuits do you have? This is a traditional question asked by everyone who is looking forward to Christmas. And it is fair to say that the more the kinds of Christmas biscuits the better. Recipes are inherited and handed down in every family. The most popular are linecké cukroví (Linz pastries), delicate pastries stuck together with jam; vanilla crescents made from ground walnuts; and gingerbread. Christmas biscuits simply cannot be absent from Czech Advent cuisine. These small and non-perishable pastries melt in your mouth.

Where Should You Go for a Sweet Journey?

Hořické trubičky with perfect chocolate are not only served in Hořice, but also in such places as Kutná Hora in the café Na Kozím plácku. You can also try fine desserts in a new guise in Prague at the confectioneries cukrárně Myšák, IF Café, Cukrář Skála, or in the cafés Louvre or Slavia. Valašské frgály can be found, for example, in the restaurant and café Lanterna in Velké Karlovice. As a main course (or a dessert) in virtually every restaurant, you can order leavened ducat cakes with vanilla cream; steamed fruit leavened dumplings topped with sugar, grated cream cheese, and melted butter; or traditional potato cones with poppy seeds (or as potato gnocchi with ground poppy seeds and sugar).