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Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries. Many of the fine cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated in the Czech lands.

Czech cuisine is marked by a strong emphasis on meat dishes. Pork is quite common, and beef and chicken are also popular. Goose, duck, rabbit and wild game are served. Fish is rare, with the occasional exception of fresh trout, and carp, which is served at Christmas.

Contents 1 Side Dishes 2 Meat Dishes 3 Snacks 3.1 Cheese 4 Desserts 5 Beverages 6 Links

Knedlíky (boiled sliced dumplings) are one of the mainstays of Czech cuisine and are quite often served with meals. They can be wheat or potato based, and are sometimes made from a combination of wheat flour and stale bread or rolls. They are typically large and served cut into slices, in contrast with the smaller dumplings found in Austrian cuisine.

Roast pork with dumplings and cabbage (vepřová pečeně s knedlíky a se zelím, colloquially vepřo-knedlo-zelo) is considered the most popular Czech dish. There are two variants of preparing the cabbage, Bohemian and Moravian. Bohemians prefer the cabbage to be sour, so they prepare the dish from sauerkraut. In Moravia it is preferred sweeter and so is prepare from fresh cabbage, or by adding some sugar, if the fresh variety is not accessible. But these variants aren't strict, and either may be available in each region.

Marinated beef sirloin (svíčková na smetaně or simply svíčková). Roast beef, usually larded, with a thick sauce made of carrot, parsley and cream, served with dumplings. Often served with a cream topping, a teaspoon of cranberry compote and slice of lemon.

Since beer culture is a big part of Czech life, many important Czech dishes and cheeses are usually eaten as pub fare.

Bramboráky (regionally called cmunda or vošouch in Pilsen) are fried pancakes made of rough-grated raw potatoes (brambory in Czech), flour, milk and sliced sausages, spiced with marjoram, salt, pepper and garlic. Usually sized to fit the cooking dish. Sometimes prepared without meat; this variant can be made smaller and eaten as side dish. There is a similar dish from the Slovakian-Ruthenian borderland called harula, prepared with less milk and fat, addition of onion, baked on tin in oven, instead of frying.

Smažený Sýr (colloquially, smažák) is maybe the less noble, but the most contemporary of Czech national dishes. A slice of cheese (usually Edam) about 1 cm thick is coated in bread-crumbs like Wiener schnitzel (which is very popular, also) and fried either on a pan or in deep fryer, and often topped with tartar sauce.

Nakládaný hermelín is a soft cheese, similar to Camembert marinated with peppers in oil. Hermelin can also be deep fried as above.

Utopenci (literally "drowned men") are pickled bratwursts.

Pivní Sýr (beer cheese) is a soft cheese, usually mixed with raw onions and mustard, and spread on bread.

Niva is a a blue cheese, originally made in the town of Niva in the Prostějov district.

Olomoucké syrečky maturing cheese with strong odour, invented by Josef Wesselss 131 yrs. ago. It's made in Loštice, small town in Moravia. Tradition of making this cheese dates since 15th century. Tvarůžky can be fried, marinated or added to bramborák i.e.

Fruit dumplings (ovocné knedlíky) are mostly made using plums (švestkové knedlíky). Whole plums (including the stones) are coated with potato dough and boiled., then served with a lot of butter, sugar and milled poppy or tvaroh. Different varieties of fruit dumplings include strawberry or peach. They can be also eaten as a main dish, not simply dessert.

Kolache (Koláče) is a type of pastry consisting of fillings ranging from fruits to cheeses inside a bread roll.

Vánočka is prepared for Christmas, along with many kinds of biscuits and sweets (vánoční cukroví).

Aside from Slivovitz, Czech beer and wine, Czechs also produce two uniquely Czech liquors, Fernet Stock and Becherovka. Kofola is a non-alcoholic Czech soft drink.

• Cooking Czech - Czech Recipes for North American Kitchens http://www.rampouch.com/cookingczech.html

• Cordon Blue in Czech - Czech Kitchens Vocabulary http://www.slovodne.cz/slovodne/gordon-blue/

• Czechoslovak Restaurant London - Czech Traditional Menu