Dishes of Slovak cuisine. Slovak cuisine: Pohutka should be washed down with Urpin. National cuisine of Slovakia
Slovakia often suffers undeserved insults from its “sister” the Czech Republic. It is mistakenly believed that Czech cuisine is excellent, and Slovak cuisine is, at best, a duplicate of Czech cuisine, and at worst, completely unworthy of attention. Of course, this is not the case, and real gourmets use any occasion, be it a holiday in Slovakia or a business visit, to once again enjoy the wonderful dishes of local cuisine.
The basis of Czech cuisine is simple and high-quality products typical of central Europe. These are vegetables and fruits, as well as meat and poultry. Spices are used in moderation. In Slovak cuisine, meat is king. Pork, chicken, less often beef and lamb, as well as game and poultry form the basis of the table.
Recipes of Slovak cuisine. Dishes for the holidays. National New Year's recipes.
First meal:
Main dishes:
- Baked goose with stewed cabbage and lokshe flatbreads
Dough dishes and desserts:
National drinks:
- Local wines “Tokaj”, “Vlašskiy Riesling”, “Račenska Frankovka”, “Limbashskiy Silvan”
Salads in Slovakia are simple and unpretentious, but tasty and healthy. Most often it is a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, sauerkraut, or potato salad. Sometimes sheep cheese is added to the food set - fresh or smoked.
For appetizers, all kinds of pates are often used - from game, meat and poultry. Paired with fresh bread, they are simply divine, especially after a long and intense day of tourism. Cheese is used as a filling for dishes, as an addition, or as the main note in culinary masterpieces. Trout stuffed with cheese and roasted on a spit. Cheese with bacon or ham, fried in breading. Dumplings with cheese, dumplings with cheese and bacon and much more form the classics of national cuisine.
The main focus is on soups, which are numerous in the local cookbook. You should come to tourism in Slovakia expecting the most unexpected discoveries, although many of the delights are familiar to us. So, the pea soup with smoked meats here is completely original and unlike anything else. An interesting variation is sauerkraut soup with smoked meats. Vegetable soup, mushroom soup are excellent and healthy, there is even garlic soup, which has a crazy aroma and taste. You can try cabbage soup made from sauerkraut, meat and sausage. The Slovak fish soup is also completely unique, made from carp, mackerel and trout. There is also potato and bean soup and, of course, cheese soup. In general, there is definitely no shortage of first courses and no shortage is expected.
The main course is usually served with meat delicacies prepared with taste and skill. We recommend taking the most tender schnitzels for the main course, which, according to gourmets, will be even tastier than Viennese ones. The famous Slovak, and not only Slovak, treat is “boar’s knee”, or simply baked pork leg. 
It's impossible to resist delicious envelopes stuffed with bacon, cheese, asparagus and other toppings. Local stews and goulash enjoy well-deserved fame and love. Here you can find goulash with meat, mushrooms and potato pancakes (“Spišská pohutka”), and stewed meat with vegetables. Especially beautiful Slovak trout from fast mountain streams. But they can also cook other types of fish here using proven methods. The main fish dish “pstruh” is fried trout, very tender, cooked with a minimum of spices. Fans of fish cuisine also recommend baked carp and fish fried with vegetables. Well, baked goose with dumplings or fried duck with sauerkraut are truly imperishable classics of world cuisine, so if you come on vacation to Slovakia, you are lucky enough to touch the treasures of international culinary art. Dumplings have been mentioned more than once in this article, and not by chance.
It is difficult to imagine any meal in Slovakia without these magnificent dishes. Dumplings with fruit, dumplings with cottage cheese, dumplings with liver, dumplings with cheese and many other fillings will make you fall in love with Slovak cuisine.
After a tiring holiday marathon, nothing makes you happier than a hot meatloaf. Any tourist will tell you this. Incredibly tasty dishes will quickly satisfy your hunger, give you strength, and you can once again set off towards adventures in Slovakia, which await you in the lap of stunning local nature or surrounded by the priceless architectural monuments of the country. 
What makes holidays in Slovakia so attractive is its novelty: the country has often remained behind the scenes of the tourism industry, although travelers are no less interested in it than the famous European powers. And the kitchen plays a significant role here, because a delicious meal serves as a full part of an unforgettable vacation. It is made like this by pork sautéed in breadcrumbs, baked turkey, juicy beef tenderloin steak, chicken cooked with spices and sauerkraut, melt-in-your-mouth fish casserole, chicken stewed in its own juices, fried eggs with oyster mushrooms in smoked lard, stuffed chicken with paprika, dumplings with cheese and many other good dishes.
Desserts in Slovakia are simple and varied. First of all, these are pancakes with peaches or chocolate. Pancakes can have other fillings - fruit, berries, cottage cheese, cream, with condensed milk, or simply with peaches - the most popular ones. Fruit jelly cake has ruined the diets of thousands of visitors to the country. And gingerbread and biscuit cookies will appeal to little ones with a sweet tooth. An unusual and colorful sweet dish - donuts fried with butter and garlic. And, of course, the incomparable, fabulous strudel is an airy roll with apples and nuts, with the most delicate taste and a disarmingly appetizing appearance, in front of which all appeals to willpower are meaningless.
Slovakia has a huge selection of drinks. The country is famous for its wines, alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee. In addition, hot chocolate is very popular here. Local beer enjoys a good reputation, and tourism in Slovakia is an excellent opportunity to try a foamy drink brewed according to centuries-old recipes. It’s worth trying, or even purchasing, Tokaji wines. Various liqueurs, fruit liqueurs and liqueurs are in use - slivovitz, hrushovitz, borovichka, meadovina, and since the Czech Republic is nearby, even Becherovka. There is also an extensive selection of brandies, herbal infusions and sweet wines.
This week I completed my trip to Slovakia. We managed not only to have a great time on the board, but also to take a course in Slovak cuisine in one of the mountain taverns in the Low Tatras near Chopok. Unfortunately, it was not possible to take photographs, since I was the only student and there was also only one cook, there were no free photographic hands :)
This is the only thing that the camera lens caught:
Pstruch in oil with wheat kedla
On the first day, three types of national soups were prepared:
- Garlic soup with melted cheese and croutons
- Slovak cabbage
- Venison goulash
On the second day, the main dishes were prepared
- Pstruh in oil
- Slovak wheat dumplings
- Dumplings with cheese and butter
- Loksha with goose liver
And the last day was dedicated to desserts:
- Cheesecake with apples and pears
- Grandma's strudel
- Nalistniki with jam
Let me make a reservation right away: what I’m writing about, you may not find in popular tourist places. I avoid such places of recreation and food because I firmly believe that the most delicious and most authentic food is where the local population eats. And these cafes, restaurants, taverns, kalibas and huts are located far from tourist routes. Usually in small mountain villages and towns, where there are no hotels, world cultural monuments, bars, discos, etc. places for tourists.
Slovak cuisine is peasant cuisine. There are no frills in it: neither in components, nor in presentation, nor in technology. Simple, aromatic, very filling and tasty food. Geographical location and historical events have had their influence, so Slovak cuisine is a symbiosis of Czech, German, Austrian cuisine. For example, a variety of traditional sausages and frankfurters, sauerkraut, game dishes, poultry, thick rich soups, pancakes and strudel for dessert... However, it would be untrue to say that Slovak food is devoid of originality. Wheat and potato dumplings, pstruch (read about it below), garlic and bean soups are very popular national Slovak dishes.
Soups
In almost all restaurants, the choice of soups is limited to 3-4 items: Garlic soup, Kapusnyak, Homemade noodles and sometimes Flyachki. In more restaurants you can find different versions of goulash: from venison, beef, lamb and pork... Goulash, By the way, they are served very beautifully: in metal pots suspended over an alcohol burner: cubes of meat and potatoes, strips of carrots, onion laces in a thick, aromatic dark brown “brew” slowly gurgling! It's simply magical!
It is worth paying special attention to Garlic soup. Of course, if you have a romantic date on a snowy slope with someone very charming, then try this soup another day. A fragrant, appetizing “exhaust” is guaranteed to you. This is the only drawback of this soup. Otherwise it's just wonderful! A light garlic broth with a subtle hint of bay leaf, thick threads of melting soft cheese, half a boiled egg and a large handful of wheat croutons! Believe me, it's worth a try! I’m writing this now and I’m thinking that I’ll go and cook this soup for the evening :)
Kapustnyak- this is something like a symbiosis of Russian cabbage soup made from sauerkraut and hodgepodge of meat. Incredibly thick, dense and rich soup. The combination of the acidity of sauerkraut and the spiciness of smoked meats gives an indescribable taste and aroma. The soup is very satisfying: cabbage, carrots, parsnips, some potatoes, a set of smoked meats, bay leaves, allspice... Sometimes red beans are added instead of potatoes. This soup is for those who like to “let the spoon stand”!
Second courses
All types of meat are very widely represented on the Slovak table: pork, beef, lamb... Poultry: chicken, turkey. Game: venison, wild boar, pheasants, partridges, hares...
Meat dishes are mostly stewed or fried. Lots of different meatloaves with a variety of fillings. This is already the influence of Austrian cuisine, it seems to me. Many dishes are served in pots or on special cast-iron trays. So, among the traditional Slovak dishes I can name: Veal stuffed with vegetables, Schnitzel Zemplin style, Leg of lamb in wine, Duck or goose baked Slovak style... And so on. Having tried many of them, I cannot single out any of them as something unusual and incredibly tasty. Good tasty juicy, but quite ordinary meat. But I must say that the variety of sauces here is second only to France. The sauces here are quite liquid and smooth, homogeneous and certainly hot. Delicious!
Fish is the leading gastronomic symbol of Slovakia - River trout or Pstruch. This fish is served everywhere. I haven’t come across a single food outlet where the “food leaf” didn’t contain several types of parsley. The most popular dishes are pstruch in oil and pstruch on the grill.
Pstruh in oil- This is a gutted fish with the head, steamed or poached with a lot of butter. No spices other than salt are added so as not to interrupt the specific taste and aroma of river fish, which is very much appreciated. Pstruh on the grill- This is also a gutted fish with a head, salted and baked on coals. I liked the second option more, since I am a big fan of “smoky” food, and it seemed to me that fish prepared this way was a little drier and more elastic than poached in oil.
Throughout Slovakia there are countless fish farms where they grow that same parsley, carp and other freshwater fish.
Separately, I want to tell you about cheese, vegetable and flour dishes. As a rule, these are hot snacks in the form of various flatbreads filled with various types of cheese and stewed vegetables, dumplings (potato and wheat), and dumplings with feta cheese and sauerkraut. Flatbreads are very popular Langosche: This is a large deep fried flatbread made from yeast dough. It is served as a main dish and as an addition to broths and other light soups. In addition there is Potato cakes. These are not our potato pancakes at all, the dough is somewhat reminiscent of a hard pancake with the addition of ready-made mashed potatoes. They are fried in a dry frying pan until golden brown and served in the summer with milk soups.
Knedley- this is another national dish of Slovakia. In general, a dumpling is a large palm-sized ellipsoid formed from pure yeast dough or from dough with the addition of potatoes. Dumplings, again, can be steamed or boiled. Their
Straps- These are dumplings with sauerkraut. There are still Dumplings with cheese. These are something like homemade dumplings with filling. They are boiled or steamed. Serve topped with rendered lard and fried cracklings.
In general, the choice of cheese in Slovakia is quite wide. Processed, soft and hard cheeses are usually made from cow’s milk, and specific national varieties are made from sheep’s milk. For example, Parenitsa(soft cheese), Oshtepok(smoked cheese) and Brynza.
Dessert
What can you say about sweet dishes? From authentic in Slovakia I can name Fruit dumplings And Loksha with cottage cheese and poppy seeds. Mashed cottage cheese is added to the dough for fruit dumplings, and the inside is stuffed with berries and pieces of fruit. Then cook for 6-8 minutes in boiling water and serve sprinkled with grated cottage cheese, sugar and melted butter. As for Lokshe, these are sweet potato pancakes filled with a mixture of cottage cheese and poppy seeds. Quite strange in taste, but quite edible and tasty. Such an untraditional combination for our cuisine :) In addition, there are a lot of ordinary wheat Pancakes with various jams and ice cream, variations Apple strudel And Curd puddings and casseroles with berries and nuts.
About beer, wine and other drinks
I’ll say right away that beer I don't like it at all. And I don't drink. But one type of dark draft beer made me reconsider my views on this masculine drink. This beer is called Saris. Black-brown, thick, smelling of hops, with beige elastic and fluffy foam! It tastes like the same draft kvass from childhood (remember the huge yellow cans and women in white aprons?). There is practically no bitterness in it, there is no taste of burnt sugar or other side flavors at all, which is the problem with the vast majority of dark beers. If you ever find yourself in Slovakia, be sure to try it! Sharish is also light, but it’s not the same at all. I won’t say anything about other varieties, because I’m not an expert or even an amateur.
About wine... Almost half of the Tokaj wine region is located in Slovakia. Yes, this is where they make things famous Tokay. I tried dry Tokaj, produced in Slovakia. A very mediocre semi-dry (at best) wine. Unoaked, with a bright note of muscat, a soft, “smooth” wine of light amber color with a sweet aftertaste. In general, I didn't like it. In general, again, I’m not a big wine connoisseur, but I still understand something. My summary: Slovakia has better white wines. For example, Muller Thurgau, Muskat Moravsky, Veltinske Zelene…
In general, there are several wine-growing regions in Slovakia: at the foot of the Low Tatras near Bratislava, the so-called Wine Road which originates in Vainory and Racha. This is where the famous red wine Frankovka. Next comes Saint George And Limbach with his Limbashsky Silvan. Young wine Burchak you can try at a place called Slovenian Coffin. I warn you right away: do not over-taste the bean! And don't ask why. Take my word for it :) And there are two more wine regions: Modra with its professional winemaking school, which is over 110 years old, and Pezinok, where the wine harvest festival takes place every September.
From strong drinks Here they pour juniper tincture “Borovichka”. In its aroma and taste, this liqueur is almost as good as traditional English gin. "Slivovitz"- another drink that can be recommended to gourmets regarding alcohol. This pure distillate from plums has a rich tradition in Slovakia. In addition to plums, such tinctures are also made from pears. But be careful: “Cream” and “Pear” with a strength of less than 52 degrees are rare!
Well, I think I wrote and told the main thing :) To summarize, I want to say that Slovak cuisine is full of healthy and tasty dishes, rich in traditions and open to new knowledge adopted from neighboring countries.
Slovak cuisine deservedly occupies a special place among the cuisines of other Slavic peoples. It is famous for its satiety, ease of preparation, abundance of spices and great ingenuity of local cooks and housewives. Slovaks can cook a delicious lunch from anything you can find in your refrigerator, and the specialties of this people are traditional dumplings, aromatic Spiš pohutka, delicious roast duck with sauerkraut, Loksi potato cakes and, of course, various first courses and soups .
Brynza is one of the favorite products in Slovakia. Special Slovak “Halushki” are prepared with it and they even dedicated an entire festival to the cheese. It usually takes place at the height of summer. And the essence of the celebration is to eat dumplings with cheese at speed. Local residents love this holiday very much.
What no meal in Slovakia is complete without is soups. There are a great variety of them: cheese, garlic, mushroom. After them, Slovaks prefer something meaty: schnitzels, stews, goulash, various smoked meats and pates. Most of these dishes are prepared from chicken, beef, and less often pork. They prefer not to process the meat; they prefer to eat it exclusively natural and fresh, in sauces, aromatic dressings or in combination with sour sauerkraut.
Flour products occupy a special place in the national cuisine of Slovakia. They are less often similar to our Russian sweets, and they are based on traditional homemade recipes. For example, “Guardians” is usually prepared on holidays. These are small bread pies made from special dough with a small amount of salt. But “steamed chowder” is filled with chocolate and is also served only on special occasions. Slovakia also loves apple cookies.
Housewives passed down recipes from generation to generation, writing them down in a special book, preferring to keep them secret. So even today, many families keep such home-written cookbooks. However, young people rarely use them, preferring to spend less time cooking.
Traditionally, women cook in families and men are tasked with frying meat, but more and more residents prefer fast food. The biggest family holidays are Christmas and Easter. At celebrations, it is customary for family and friends to gather, prepare special dishes and make toasts.
In contrast to fast food, Slovakia also has a lot of restaurants serving national cuisine - kolibs. They are also called robber huts. This name appeared a long time ago, when robbers set up inns in the most picturesque places. Any traveler could stay there and be provided with shelter and food. Now it is in Koliby that you can try the whole variety of Slovak dishes and feel the hospitality of this people.
Let us note that Slovaks are a very soulful people with rich traditions and a language very similar to Russian. At the same time, their national dishes are not inferior to leading European cuisines. If you are lucky enough to be in Slovakia, be sure to try dumplings, home-cooked game and garlic soup in a bread pot.
Slovak cuisine varies slightly in different regions of the country. In many ways, she absorbed the culinary traditions of her neighbors. The origins of traditional Slovak cuisine can be traced back to a time when the majority of the population lived self-sufficiently in villages with very limited food imports and exports, and without modern means of food storage or processing. Modern Slovak cuisine is heavily influenced by various world cuisines and uses many different ingredients, spices and industrial products.
Characteristic Products
Food of plant origin
Slovak cuisine relied heavily on a number of staple foods that could withstand both hot summers and cold winters. These include wheat, potatoes, sauerkraut and onions, as well as several other local vegetables, fruits and wild mushrooms. The wheat was ground and used to make bread, dumplings and noodles. Potatoes were mainly boiled or processed into potato starch.
Meat and fish
Pork, beef and poultry are the main meats consumed in Slovakia, with pork being the most popular. Typical pork products include sausages, smoked bacon and lard. To a lesser extent, beef, poultry, lamb, goat meat and eggs were traditionally consumed. Chicken is the most common poultry, although duck, goose and turkey are also consumed. Game is available throughout the year, especially wild boar, rabbit and venison. Horse meat is not eaten at all for ethical reasons.
Typically, the meat is either breaded, fried in oil (schnitzel), or cooked and served in a sauce. Hungarian influences in Slovak cuisine can be seen in popular stews and goulash. Grilled meat is not popular in Slovakia.
Dairy
Milk is consumed both on its own and processed into dairy products: butter, cream, sour cream, buttermilk and various types of cheese.
Spices
Spices are not widely used; instead of vegetable oils, animal fats and oil are often used.
Traditional dishes
Bread
Soups
Cabbage (Kapustnica) - soup made from sauerkraut with sausages.
Rezancová - chicken noodle soup.
Fazuľová - bean soup.
Demikát - light cheese soup. Cheese cheese is mixed with chopped onions and spices, poured with warm dumpling broth or vegetable broth until the consistency of a soft puree. Served with herbs and croutons fried in lard.
Flyaki is a soup made from beef tripe and tripe.
Main courses
Galushki (Halušky) is a traditional dish in the cuisines of Central and Eastern Europe, which consists of small dough dumplings (flour + water), which are then boiled in water. Dumplings can be either an independent dish or an addition to some other dish. Depending on the region, grated potatoes and eggs are added to the dough. After cooking, the dumplings are mixed with various ingredients: cheese, meat, butter, cabbage, onion or combinations thereof.
Bryndzové halušky is a national Slovak dish, potato dumplings with Bryndzové sheep cheese and bacon. Traditionally, they are washed down with the local drink Žinčica. Turetsk annually hosts the Galushka Fest festival, where participants compete not only in cooking, but also in eating everyone’s favorite dumplings.
Strapačky is a Slovak dish similar to cheese dumplings, in which stewed sauerkraut is used instead of cheese.
Pies (pirohy) - this is what dumplings or dumplings are called in Slovak cuisine, and not at all what we Russians mean by this word. The pies are often semi-circular, with typical fillings: potatoes, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese and fruit. Can be served with gravy: melted butter, sour cream or fried onions. Pies are especially associated with Slovak and Polish cuisines, where they are considered national dishes.
Bryndzové pirohy is a national Serbian dish, dumplings stuffed with cheese.
Široké rezance s tvarohom slaninou - tagliatelle with cottage cheese and fried bacon.
Granatiersky pochod / granadír / granadírmarš - a dish of tripe with potatoes.
Segedin goulash - stewed pork with sauerkraut and cream or sour cream, usually served with boiled dumplings (knedľa).
Rezeň - schnitzel, usually breaded.
Chicken paprikash is chicken stewed with sweet peppers, usually served with dumplings.
Hungarian goulash is a spicy beef stew served with pieces of a large steamed dumpling.
Salads and snacks
Zemiakové placky - potato pancakes fried in oil.
Lokše - thin pancakes made from potato dough.
Liptovsky cheese (Liptauer) is a cheese snack made from feta cheese mixed with butter and spices. One of the spices used is sweet paprika. This is what gives the dish its reddish color.
Dessert
Traditional Slovak sweets are usually baked at home throughout the year, but especially at Christmas.
Buchty/Buchteln are sweet buns made from yeast dough, filled with jam, poppy seeds or cottage cheese, baked in one large pan so that the buns stick together. Traditional bays are filled with plum jam and topped with vanilla sauce and powdered sugar. Served mainly as dessert, but can also be used as a main dish.
Steamed buchty (Parené buchty) - donuts with various fillings (jam, cottage cheese, poppy seeds), steamed or stewed. Serve topped with vanilla cream and sprinkled with poppy seeds and powdered sugar. Similar to Austrian Germanknödl or Chinese baozi buns.
Laskonky - butter cream with walnuts between two halves of meringue.
Zhemlevka (Žemľovka) is a bread pudding or tender pie with apple and curd filling.
Macacie oči is a round shortbread cookie with a center filled with jam. In appearance they resemble eyes with a pupil, hence the name.
Ryžový nákyp - rice pudding.
Orechovník - a sweet roll filled with walnuts.
Makovnik (Makovník) - poppy seed roll.
Bratislava bagels (Bratislavské rožteky) are bagels with sweet fillings.
Trotle - two layers of round cookies with chocolate cream between them, half dipped in dark chocolate.
Medovníky - gingerbread cookies.
Bear paws (Medvedie labky) are brown nut shortbread cookies shaped like a bear's paw.
Trdelník (or Skalický trdelník) is a traditional pastry made from yeast dough that is baked on a rotating spit over an open fire. The production of trdelnik has a long tradition in the Slovak town of Skalica, near the borders with the Czech Republic. The original recipe was brought to Skalica at the end of the 18th century by the Transylvanian cook József Gvadányi, a retired Hungarian general. This recipe was later improved by the people of Skalitz to its current version, known as Skalický trdelník. Every year since 2007, Trdlofest has been held in Skalica, during which the longest trdelnik is baked. The name trdelník itself comes from the word “trdlo”, which means a wooden roller on which the dough is rolled before baking.
Beverages
Žinčica is a Slovak folk drink made from sheep whey, similar to kefir, and a by-product of the production of feta cheese. Traditionally served in a ladle (črpák), a wooden cup with a beautifully carved handle.
Alcohol
Serving and etiquette
The main dish of the day used to be lunch, which was eaten around noon. However, changing work regimes and office work have changed this usual way of life. Today, many Slovaks have their main meal of the day in the evening. Lunch in Slovakia usually consists of soup and a main course.
In Slovakia, it is customary to bring a bottle of wine or other alcohol as a gift if you are invited to visit your home.
Beer is usually associated with Germany or the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, in neighboring Slovakia this drink is also widespread and loved. Although Slovak beer is known in the world, unfortunately, it is little known, as are some of the most interesting dishes of Slovak cuisine.
The best way to try original Slovak dishes is in koliby, local restaurants. They are also called robber huts. The name is associated with an ancient tradition: then the robbers set up inns in the most picturesque places, where any traveler could get shelter and food. And in some cases, lose your wallet. Three things are characteristic of any self-respecting koliba: its food is cooked only over an open fire in the presence of visitors. Guests are treated to music by a folk ensemble. In addition, some zest related to the interior or service is required. For example, in one of the colonies in the Slovak resort of Tatranska Lomnica, visitors who come wearing ties can easily lose them. In this Koliba it is not customary to enjoy food in “strict” clothes. The waiter, seeing a tie on a guest, suddenly approaches and uses a huge knife to cut off half of it, which he then pins on the wall. So all the walls of this room are hung with halves of ties of different brands and colors. However, not everyone likes this joke. That’s why lately waiters have been warning about “circumcision.”
As for dishes, there are plenty of them in Koliba. Slovak cuisine is characterized by the widespread use of all kinds of meat, especially pork and chicken. One of the most common dishes throughout the country is Spiš pohutka, which is goulash with champignons and potato pancakes. A variety of meats are used for goulash. Slovaks also love the famous knee - a piece of pork leg baked with various spices in its own juice. The knee is also consumed boiled. Poultry dishes are very good in Slovakia. For example, duck with sauerkraut, chicken in its own fat or baked turkey, the meat of which is generally a bit tough, but it is cooked well in kolibas. In general, in Slovakia they do not like and almost never eat cured meat, preferring everything natural and fresh with various sauces or with fruit. During specially and regularly held hunting kitchen days in Koliby, you can enjoy a bear chop, venison or elk steak. But first, visitors are served goat cheese, onions, bread and wine - for starters. After a heavy alcoholic libation, cabbage soup is good - cabbage soup made from sauerkraut with meat and sausage. Vegetable salads are common, but with fish things are worse. The most common type of fish is fried or baked trout. “Fried” cheese is popular - a very tasty dish consisting of pieces of soft cheese, breaded and fried in a frying pan with ham or mushrooms. Slovaks claim that it was they who invented this dish, which is in no way similar to cheese dishes in other countries.
All food is washed down with a huge amount of beer of various types. The most famous Slovak beer is Topvar. Topvar comes from the small town of Topolcany, located in Western Slovakia. Topvar is generally a light beer with a moderate alcohol content (about 5%). More bitter is Stein beer, produced in Bratislava, the capital of the country. It is well known in many countries where this type of beer is exported. Beer bars and pubs often serve Martiner Porter, a dark beer. Or the so-called Rezany - a mixture of dark and light beer. Urpin, a well-aged light or dark beer made in Banska Bystrica (Central Slovakia) from first-class malt and hops, is also quickly gaining popularity. Light urpin is somewhat reminiscent of Czech Pilsen, dark - Guinness, but weaker than them. In various types of Urpin, the alcohol content ranges from 3.3 to 5.6%. It has been produced since 1501. In Slovakia, they also produce non-alcoholic beer for those who like to drink while driving, since drinking regular beer is prohibited for drivers. The favorite beer of Evgeniy Sokgobenzon, director of the capital's Pilgrim Tours company, is light Krušovice. And Olga Sevostyanova, project manager of the Moscow representative office of the Slovak travel agency Wili Travel, prefers the softer Smednik mnih, which literally translates as thirsty monk. There is a legend that this “sweet” beer for women was invented by an unknown monk (mnich), who wanted to treat one of the parishioners he liked. This beer is produced in the city of Presov, and like any other beer, it is quite inexpensive: a half-liter mug in a bar will cost only 20 crowns ($0.5). A bottle in the supermarket costs even less - 10-12 crowns.
In addition to beer, in Slovakia it is worth trying several other drinks produced here of varying strengths. For example, excellent white and red wines from local grape varieties. Young people and women are very fond of Fernet, a kind of liqueur with a strength of up to 35o, mixed with tonic. For some reason it is also called Bavarian beer. Slightly stronger than Demenovka are liqueurs infused with herbs. Various fruit and berry vodkas - pear, raspberry, etc. - have a strength of 35-38o. But slivovitz is not considered vodka. This is a well-refined moonshine, reaching a strength of 52o in some cases. Slovaks themselves don’t drink slivovitz that often, preferring Borowiczka to it - gin with a strength of 40-45o. Experts say that Borovichka is much better than the famous Befeater, because it has a less persistent smell. And finally, a purely tourist drink, served in many kolibas in Slovak resorts. This is the so-called Tatra tea - diluted alcohol with herbs, which burns in the hands of an astonished tourist. While serving the drink, the waiter sets it on fire.
