Slovak Cuisine

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Slovak Cuisine

Slovak Cuisine, (photo: Bryndzové halušky)

Slovak Cuisine, (photo: Pork in natural way)

How is Slovak Food?

The real Slovak cuisine consists of honest, plain, filling farmer's food.

Visit any village pub or simple town restaurant outside of Bratislava and you will never become disappointed; you will be served a dish without pretensions.

It is good to enter hungry for you will surely exit the place filled.

Slovak food is true and honest, and that is the kind of food which is very hard to find still in Europe!

Slovak Speciality

In which other country do they serve huge portions of sauerkraut soup - kapustnica with mushroom and homemade sausage for less than 1 euro?

It will be served spilling over the edge of the plate, not because the waitress is so clumsy, but because she wants to give you as much as possible.

Other great soups we would like to advice are bean soup, or a less heavy one, garlic soup. If you are lucky you might even find home-made tripe soup.

After your soup you might feel sorry you ordered a main dish as well. Even the main dish itself would do, without the soup. Again (for a maximum of 3 euro) you will find your plate well filled, usually with a pork steak baked in breadcrumbs or smoked ham and served with cooked or baked potatoes.

Take your little travel dictionary with you because not all dishes are translated on the menu.

Halušky and Bryndza

There are real Slovak meals that have survived through the ages, the so-called poor-man's dishes, of which the taste might remind you of times long gone by.

There is the famous bryndzové halušky: little balls of potato and flour under a layer of sheep cheese called bryndza and topped with greaves.

It is the cheapest but best dish you can get in Slovakia; do not leave the country without having tried it.

Other Specialities

There is goulash as well, either with pork and sauerkraut or with beef and lots of paprika powder; these are served with slices of warm white sticky bread.

Try the zabíjačka, available according to the time of year; three kinds of fresh sausage made right after the slaughter of the pig.

And of course you would have to drink beer with it. Beer is served in half liters for much less than 1 euro, and is of the best quality; compare Slovak beer with dark bread, it has body, substance.

Visiting Slovakia in September and October, you will find yourself in the months of the goose. Especially in West-Slovakia they would serve you goose, husacina, with potato pancakes and red cabbage. You should drink must, burčiak, with it, the very first wine which strongly ferments still.

Wines are getting better each year. Wine has a tradition of many centuries here, but it lost much of its quality when the vineyards were collectivized under socialism. Nowadays its quality is back where it belongs, and throughout the south of Slovakia - from the Small Carpathians in the west to the Tokaj region in the east - you could visit wine cellars and taverns for tasting.

Come and Try

We could tell you much more about the Slovak cuisine, but best would be to try it out yourself. Don't be afraid, hygiene norms are very high in Slovakia, vegetables and meat are still from the country and do really taste and prices are very friendly.

Bratislava of course is a different story. Although - next to all other continental or oriental food - there is still typical Slovak food to be found here, you will have to pay more for much smaller portions.

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