An Exciting Peek at Czech Cuisine The Czech Republic, which is in the center of Eastern Europe, is bordered by Austria, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. The cuisine has been influenced by the cuisines of the bordering countries and staple dishes include dumplings, sauerkraut and roast goose, which originated in Germany. Schnitzels, an Austrian dish, are also popular, and Hungarian goulash is a common meal. This is quite a filling and heavy cuisine and starches and meats feature in many recipes because the winters in this country are really cold and long, meaning that vegetables have to be imported. The exception to this rule is mushrooms, because these thrive in the forests. Typical Czech Ingredients The Czech Republic is not near any sea or large lake so seafood is limited. Trout and carp are raised in fish farms and artificial lakes. Pork, beef, chicken, hare, venison, and duck are well loved and these meats are often served with rice, dumplings, or potatoes, and covered in sauce. Dumplings can be served as a side dish or stuffed with fruit and served for dessert. Czech sauces are thick like gravy and wine is often used in their preparation, as well as fruit, onions or mushrooms sometimes. Bacon, salt and caraway seeds are used in a lot of recipes too. How to Make Czech Mushroom Soup This dish makes use of mushrooms, which are grown all through the year in the Czech Republic. They are teamed with onion, bacon, cream, wine, and other flavorful ingredients to make this hot, satisfying soup. If you do not want to use wine, just use water instead. This recipe makes enough soup to serve four people. What you will need: • 3/4 lb sliced mushrooms • 5 cups water • 1/4 cup heavy cream • 1/4 cup all purpose flour • 2 chopped strips bacon • 3/4 cup white wine • 1 chopped onion • 1 beef or chicken bouillon cube • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil • Salt and black pepper How to make it: Heat the oil over a moderate heat in a big pot, and then fry the bacon until crisp. Add the onion, mushrooms, and fry for four minutes. Add the flour and stir. When the flour starts to go brown, pour in the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the bouillon cube until it dissolves. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer the mixture for twenty minutes, stirring it a few times. Add the wine, cream, salt and pepper and simmer for fifteen minutes more. How to Make Czech Dumplings Stir a beaten egg with half a cup of milk, a cup of flour, a teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of baking powder until the mixture is smooth. Add four or five slices of white bread, cut into cubes, and stir again.

• published: 02 Aug 2015
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