Once again on the subject of this unseasonably warm weather. Due to the unusually warm fall and almost complete lack of freezing temperatures so far this winter, Moravian and Czech wine makers have not been able to produce hardly any ice wine this year. Ice wine (ledové víno) is a delicacy made from grapes that are left on the vines to freeze and are picked at temperatures of -6°C (21°F) or lower. This dessert wine is one of the most valued Czech wine products and a 2 dl (6.7 oz) bottle can go for 600 (22 EUR/28 USD) – 1000 CZK (36 EUR/48 USD). The 2006 vintage is certainly going to be very rare to find.

You can read more about ice wine on Wikipedia.

I just read a post on another blog (thanks for the duck recipe, Julia!) and was surprised by the following statement: “in Prague, the spice sold as ‘cumin’ is in fact fennel”.

I know that the Czech language is not very helpful in distinguishing between caraway seeds (kmín) and cumin (římský kmín), two types of spices that look almost identical but smell and taste completely different. I don’t see though why fennel (in Czech fenykl) should mess with either of them. True, it also looks similar, but that’s where any shared characteristics end. Who sells fenykl masquerading as římský kmín, and why?

Here’s some brief info on the three types of spices and their use in the Czech Republic:

kmín = caraway seeds
Caraway seeds are very popular in Czech cooking. They’re added to the water when boiling potatoes, they’re sprinkled on pork or duck before roasting, they’re used in sauerkraut, soups, mushroom dishes, and they’re an important ingredient in the traditional Czech kmínový chléb (rye bread with caraway seeds).

římský kmín = cumin
Cumin is popular in Indian, North African and Mexican cooking. It is a relatively new spice on the Czech market. Czechs are still learning how and when to use it.

fenykl = fennel
Fennel is commonly known in the Czech Republic but it is not a very typical ingredient in Czech cooking. Ground fennel seeds are traditionally used in some Christmas cookies or gingerbread.

The other day I had the pleasure of enjoying excellent, genuine Moravian slivovice at a Prague café. If you like slivovice or would like to know what the traditional Moravian plum brandy tastes like when it’s top notch, try Slivovica Žufánek. You can find it at many Prague restaurants and bars. The plum brandy and other products such as pear brandy, walnut liquor or mead are made by the Žufánek family in Southern Moravia.