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Trdlo – Say It Five Times Fast!

April 26, 2019 By Dana Leave a Comment

If you’ve been to Prague, you’ve probably seen them. It’s hard not to. They’re scattered all over the city center and there’s always at least one to be found at every Christmas and Easter market. Stands selling trdelník are a Prague icon.

Trdelník  or trdlo is a round, hollow pastry made from basic sweet yeast dough. Strips of the dough are wrapped around a metal rod and baked over hot wood coals. This typically happens right in front of you, so you can watch the process while you wait your turn in line. The finished pastry is then rolled in a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, crushed nuts, and vanilla. It can be dipped in chocolate.

Trdelník is usually presented as a traditional old Bohemian pastry, making it sound like a Czech invention. It is not originally Czech though. The pastry was first made by Hungarians in Transylvania (Romania) and later brought to the town of Skalica in Slovakia. Skalický trdelník even holds the European Union’s PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) denomination. The Hungarian  kürtöskalács (chimney cake) is just as much an icon in Hungary as trdelník is in the Czech Republic. In fact, you’ll find a similar pastry in many European countries – Sweden, Luxembourg, Latvia, Poland, and elsewhere.

Even though Czechs can’t claim the original trdelník, they have found a way of making it their own. In recent years, a new version of trdelník appeared in Prague. It is sweeter and much richer in calories. The secret of this Czech invention that became an instant hit is to simply close it up on one end to make a cone and then fill it with ice cream, Nutella, strawberries and whipped cream, or apple strudel filling.

If you feel like a snack or dessert as you stroll along the streets of Prague, remember to look for trdelník!

Vinobraní and Burčák 2012

September 14, 2012 By Jeff Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again. Vinobraní, the annual Czech wine festival, where you can enjoy singing and dancing, food and wine is in full swing. A semi-fermented young wine called burčák is always one of the big attractions. Last weekend a wine festival was held in Mikulov and today festivals kicked off in Znojmo and the Prague districts of Vinohrady and Žižkov. Here are some pictures I took at the popular festival on Náměstí Míru in Vinohrady.

Znojemský burčák stand
Burčák
Staročeský chléb at Vinobraní
Singing and dancing at Vinobraní

The 2011 Prague Christmas Markets Are Open

November 28, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

The two largest Christmas markets in Prague opened over the weekend. The markets at Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí) and Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) were crowded over lunch time on Sunday. There were a lot of people buying gifts and enjoying the food selection, including bramboráčky (potato pancakes), klobásy (sausages) and trdelník (cooked dough with cinnamon and sugar).

View of the 2011 Old Town Square Christmas Market
The Old Town Square Christmas Market
Close up view of trdelník (cooked dough typically with cinnamon and sugar)
Stand selling bramboráčky (potato pancakes)
Christmas ornaments

Vinobraní and Burčák 2011

September 30, 2011 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Vinobraní, the annual Czech wine festival, takes place around the country in September. A semi-fermented young wine called burčák is always one of the big attractions. Here are some pictures I took this year at the popular festival on Náměstí Míru in Prague.

Long burčák lines at the vinobraní on Náměstí Míru
Church of St. Ludmila on Náměstí Míru
Burčák stand
The less common red burčák
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