ALCHEMY AND MAGIC OF CZECH CUISINE
Duck baked on honey with fresh homemade cabbage, fried onions and Karlsbad dumplings.
Czechs enjoy the mystical. Perhaps that is one of the reasons, why Czech cuisine is not so easily traceable. Some people claim that Czech cuisine is actually mostly Austrian. Those would serve you a Vienese schnitzel for lunch. Others see it as primary German. Expect a baked pork with fluffy dumplings and sour cabbage from those. A hungarian influance can not be underestimated, others will cry. A Hungarian goulash with a rich dose of paprika will be their choice for the morning after a late night out. And what about the peasant meals prepared from whatever local climat allows to grow? Potatoes, grains, apples, carp fishes in the Southern Bohemia ponds, trouts in the mountain streams, game in the deep forrests and variety of edible mushrooms. Or Gypsies and their simple potlocks. Have not their bohemian lifestyle, according to one of the many stories, even given a name to a major part of the Czech republic – Bohemia?! One must not forget the Jews with their taste for garlic which can be tracked in Czech cooking pots, yet others will remind us. Russians who were taught by short summers the art of preservation. And Slavs with their love for souring foods with sour cream, lemon or vinegar. Which one is right? The answer seems to be: All of them. Czech cuisine is following the geographical disposition of the land. It is by right called the Heart of Europe. A great shift in the Czech cuisine happened in the 17th century when the arousal of renesaince, alchemy and social changes pushed aside Arabic sweet and spicy influence and Czech cooking pots became salty and sour. Most of the restaurants serving the traditional Czech foods are located on the route outmarked by the tourist guides. But if you dare to leave the main road and merge into the mystical knots of the Prague streets you will find magical surprises awaiting you. When passing the National Theatre, cross the Bridge of Legions (Most Legií) with a wonderful view of Prague Castle and many Vltava islands. It will bring you to the Café Savoy (MAP: B4), traditional place which was opened in 1893. Its unique atmosphere is also supported by a remarkable interior dominated by a listed ceiling comparable with the best works of Czech neo-Renaissance. This restaurant respects the best traditions of Czech fine dining, artfully replacing sometimes heavy and too rich elements in Czech meals with light and modern esprit (this philosophy includes the prices, which are very friendly). Try the genuine Prague ham or duck baked on honey with fresh homemade cabbage, fried onions and Karlsbad dumplings. And save some space for the delicious homebaked cakes and wonderful coffees. Do not worry, if you can not resist and eat more then normaly – café Savoy is a great start for a pictoresque Malá Strana (Little Town) walk or a Petín hill hike to the Prague Castle.