The baked treat shaped as a human ear has been made in Štramberk according to a traditional recipe for almost 800 years.
A legend says that in 1241 wild raiders came to Štramberk from the east, destroying everything in their path and cutting off ears and hands to locals. The Štramberk people saved themselves in a fort quickly built on top of the Kotouč Hill and moreover, they managed to dig through the dam of a nearby pond at night and flood the enemy’s camp. All the Tatars drown and only a few bags of ears they were planning to bring home as a loot stay behind. To commemorate the famous victory, the local people organise a large fair on the day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and they make Štramberk ears from flour, sugar, honey and several aromatic spices. They taste like gingerbread, and they are shaped after they are pulled out of the oven; sometimes they are filled with various sweet stuffing and whipped cream, and above all, the people of Štramberk have been baking them for 800 years. This is undoubtedly the oldest product among all the products with protected geographical trademark.
