Slovak Cuisine

Slovak cuisine is unique. True Slovak food and recipes are really only available in Slovakia itself, all other versions are not really authentic. Slovak cuisine was greatly influenced by the food of two neighbouring countries - Hungary and Austria and to add to the spice of life,  the dishes vary from one region to the next.

The Slovak dishes use items such as pork, poultry, cabbage, wheat and potato flour, cheese from cows and sheep, potatoes, onions and garlic. Although rice does not grow in Slovakia, it is widely-used and incorporated in Slovakian homes and restaurants. Beans, corn on the cob, lentils, parsley,  carrots and other vegetables are often used to create soup dishes and other dishes in all Slovakia.  Fruit like apples, plums, apricots, peaches, plums and cherries are offered as a side dish alongside the main meal in Slovakia.

Pork, beef and chicken are the three most popular meats used in Slovakian food. Meat from wild animals such as rabbit and venison are widely used in Slovak restaurants and also appear now and again in private Slovakian households. Lamb, duck or goose are not quite so popular in Slovaka cuisine but Goose Feasts (husacie hody) are held in some restaurants in Slovakia. Slovensky Grob is one the most famous restaurants offering Goose Feasts. Bread is well-known in Slovakia. Black bread (rye bread) is a direct influence from Austria and many Slovaks eat bread for breakfast or for lunch with soup and very frequently for their evening meal.

Eating habits in Slovakia

Gulash Soup Skalicky Trdelnik Slanina, Klobasa Bryndzove Halusky

Most Slovaks eat breakfast very early and tuck into different types of Slovakian bread with butter, ham, cheese, boiled or fried eggs, salami, vegetables, sausages and either jam or honey to round the meal off. Some people prefer cereals of various choices or yoghurt.  The main meal of the day is lunch, eaten at about mid-day. Many restaurants in Slovakia offer a daily menu where there is a choice between dishes served between 11 a.m. to 2,30 in the afternoon. A typical Slovakian lunch consists of soup and the main course. The main course is usually meat, pasta or a sweet dish.

Traditional Slovakian Food

Traditional Slovakian food includes the unique dishes such as

• Bryndzove halushky - potato dumplings with sheep cheese (bryndza) and roasted bacon
• Zemiakové placky - potato pancakes fried in oil with garlic and flour
• Granadír - pasta with potato
• Fried cheese - cheese fried in bread crumbs
• Schnitzel - Wiener schnitzel
• Lokse - potato pancake

Sweet Slovakia Food

Sweet dishes in Slovak cuisine include especially the following dishes:

• Pancakes
• Dolky - smaller and thicker variety of pancake
  
• Ryzovy nákyp - sweet baked rise cake
• Zemlovka - white bread baked with fruit and eggs
• Parene buchty - steamed dumplings filled with jam with sweet toping
• Siroke rezance - pasta
• Perky - Jam-filled pasta with a sweet topping
  
• Sisky - fried dumplings

Slovakian soup dishes

Traditional Slovakain soup dishesinclude:

• Kapustnica - soup made of sour cabbage and smoked pork sausage, variations can be by adding mushrooms or plums
• Bean soup - beans and various root vegetables such as carrots and parsley
  
• Garlic soup - usually cooked in chicken broth
• Goulash soup - using beef, paprika, marjoram and potatoes

Specialities

When visiting Slovakia, be on the look out for our unique Slovakian dishes:

• Bryndza - special type of traditional Slovak cheese
• other cheeses - parenica, ostiepok, korbacik
• Treska v majoneze is a salad containing cod, mayonnaise and various vegetables
• Valassky Trdelnik - Wives hollow cake
• Jaternica - blood sausage from slaughtered pig and rice
• Klobasa - sausage from pork with salt, garlic (cesnak) and pepper
• Fish dishes - trout and carp

Slovak drinks

The Slovak people have a few best-loved drinks including (naturally) beer, wine and traditional Slovak slivovica. Beer is hugely popular amongst old and young alike. There is a huge range to choose from and each region produces its own variety. The most popular Slovak beers include Zlaty Bazant, Corgon, Saris, Smadny mnich or Topvar - bottled or draught.

Wine is a very popular drink in Slovakia. The grapes from which the wine is made grow in the southern  areas of the country. Tokaj is probably the best-known label. Slivovica (made from plums) and Borovicka (made from juniper berries) are traditional alcoholic drinks always popular in Slovakia.

Vinea is a traditional soft drink made from grape juice with no aromatic or synthetic colouring additives, stabilized by pasteurization. Kofola is a traditional Slovak cola drink and is also very popular among Slovak people. In the past kofola was only available draught. Nowadays you can buy both drinks bottled or draught in bars, pubs and some restaurants.

Slovakia is rich in mineral water springs. There are a lot of mineral water springs in Slovakia. Bottled mineral water is sold in different bottle sizes; available sparkling or non sparkling mineral water. Mineral water is a popular soft drink in Slovakia.

Coffee is also a very popular drink in Slovakia. Slovak people drink different types of coffee including Turkish style coffee, Nescafe, espresso or cappuccino. Drinking coffee is also a cultural event. Slovak people go out for coffee just as they go out for beer.