Together with cultural attractions and historical monuments, visitors of Slovakia should taste the typical Slovak food & drinks (note that the expression Slovakian food is not correct!). There is no real “Slovak cuisine”, that would be known and used all around the world, like the Chinese or Italian. However, there are meals that you would encounter more often in Slovakia than elsewhere in the world. Menus are usually enriched by the Austrian, Czech and Hungarian cuisine.

Delicious Slovak meals are served in most of the restaurants in Slovakia. For those who would like to prepare them by themselves at home, we published the traditional Slovak recipes below. (If you don’t find some Slovak food recipes on this page, try to look for it on SlovakCooking.com.)

Slovak food is hearty, typical of a country with strong rural roots. It is heavy on meat (especially pork), potatoes, dumplings, thick sauces and cheeses. If you’re looking for vegetables – there’s always cabbage, often in the form of sauerkraut. Salads are not traditional – but you will find them in restaurants in bigger cities. Try soup or a meat/cheese appetizer. Lunch is traditionally the largest meal of the day, with dinner on the lighter side.

Ingredients include: Potatoes, wheat flour, cow and sheep cheese, cabbage, onions and garlic are the bases of the traditional food in Slovakia. Although rice does not belong to the crops grown in Slovakia, it is imported and widely used in the modern kitchen. You will often encounter beans, corn, lentils and other vegetables. Also a lot of fruit (apple, pear, peach, apricot, cherry, plum, grape, orange, kiwi, grapefruit, banana, etc.). Pork, beef, chicken and fish are the most popular meats. Less frequently one will be offered lamb, goose, duck, turkey or venison. Bread is very important in the nutrition. Most people in Slovakia eat it for the breakfast and also quite often with the dinner. The bread differs from region to region, town to town, baker to baker, just like elsewhere in Europe.

For infomation about Slovak beverages visit:

National Slovak Food

Halušky, similar to Gnocchi, is the most famous dish of Slovakia and part of Slovakia’s culture, especially in Liptov and Orava. It is made of elementary ingredients and it is very quick and simple to prepare.

Bryndzové Halušky

The most popular halušky is traditional bryndzové halušky (sheep cheese gnocchi). Sheep cheese gives a unique flavour to the meal by itself, but it is even more tasty with small pieces of bacon greaves and chives or dill. Usually served with a glass of sour milk called žinčica.

Recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 3 pieces

Flour – 5 tablespoons (tbsp)

Egg – 1 piece

Bacon

Bryndza (Slovak Sheep Cheese)

Salt

Instructions:

First peel potatoes and shred them. Add egg and flour. You need to make dough that is not watery but also not tough. If it happens to be too watery, add more flour; if it is too tough, add some water. Add 1 tbsp of salt. Boil water with 2 tbsp of salt (the water has to boil all the time during the preparation). Toss pieces about 2,5 cm (an inch) long into the boiled water, using kitchen knife and cutting board. Cook them for few minutes until they float on the water level. Take them out with a strainer and halušky are ready. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry them. Put bryndza on top of halušky and heat them together. It is very difficult or many times impossible to buy bryndza outside Slovakia, but you can use other cheese instead, for example feta cheese mixed with cream cheese and milk). Put the fried bacon on the top of halušky (with a bit of grease) before serving.

Traditional Christmas Meal

Cabbage Soup (Kapustnica)

Kapustnica (cabbage soup) is a Slovak thick soup traditionally prepared at the end of the year – for Christmas and New Years Eve.

Kapustnica can be prepared in a lot of ways (ingredients, length of cooking, etc.), it differs from region to region. In some regions, Kapustnica may contain smoked meat, sausages and mushrooms, in some regions it is much simpler soup. Those prepared for special holidays are also different. For example, Vianočná Kapustnica (Christmas Cabbage Soup) is cooked without meat, it is thickened with white plain halušky, cream and potatoes.

Recipe

Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Sauerkraut – 0,5 kg

Pork – 0,5 kg

Dried mushrooms

Sausage – 1 piece

Onion – 2 small pieces

Garlic – 2 cloves

Sour Cream – 1 cup

Clove, nutmeg, caraway, bay leaf, black pepper, paprika, red pepper

Instructions:

Put sauerkraut with a liter of water into a large pot. Turn 2 cloves of garlic into a paste and add it to the sauerkraut. Add black pepper, caraway seeds, cloves and nutmeg, dried mushrooms, 2 bay leaves and onions. Cut pork into small pieces and add it to the rest of used ingredients. Sometimes more water is needed. Add it if necessary and let it cook for 20 minutes. While cooking, cut the sausage into small pieces (Hungarian sausage is a good choice) and add it after the mentioned 20 minutes of cooking. Add red pepper and paprika, cover the pot and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Typically, the soup is served with sour cream added after cooking, but it is up to you, how you like it.

Fried Fish

Fried Fish is part of the Christmas Dinner in most of Slovak families. It is easy to prepare and very tasty. It is served with potato salad which recipe is just below this one.

Recipe

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Fish fillet

Eggs – 2-3 pieces

Flour – 4-5 tablespoons (tbsp)

Bread crumbs – 4-5 tbsp

Oil

Instructions:

First of all, rinse the fish fillet under running water and dry it using paper towel. Prepare three bowls in a row. One bowl of flour, another bowl of eggs (well mixed) and a bowl of bread crumbs. Coat the fillets in flour first, than in eggs, and finally in bread crumbs. Put the fillets into the heated oil and fry it (both sides). It takes only a few minutes.

Potato Salad

Potato salad is usually served at Christmas Dinner as a sidedish for the fried fish.

Recipe

Preparation time: 1 hour preparation + few hours to let it stand in the fridge

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 4-5 bigger pieces

Onion – a half

Sweet peas – medium can

Carrots – 3 pieces

Eggs – 2 pieces

Mayonnaise – 6-7 tablespoons (tbsp)

Salt, black pepper, paprika

Instructions:

Boil unpeeled potatoes and peeled carrots in salted water in separated pots. Also, boil 2 eggs. Cut half of an onion, pickles and carrots that are soft already into small cubes; combine them in a separate pot. When the potatoes are almost done (soft outside with a slightly hard core in the middle), take them out, peel and slice them and finally add them to the pot full of vegetables. It is time to add the mayonnaise now. Last ingredients are eggs; mix them into the salad. For even better taste use salt and black pepper. Leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Traditional Easter Meal

Paska – Easter Cake/Bread

The name came from Jewish feast called pesach and from the Greek version of the word – pascha, which stands for celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

White cake Paska is baked on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday mornings and together with eggs, ham, sausages, cheese and other foods is sanctified in the church. Preparation and consumption of Paska had a popular ritual nature – its size and successful baking symbolized good future. It is a tradition of Eastern Slovaks.

Recipe

Preparation time: 2,5 hours

Ingredients:

Butter or margarine – 350 g

Granulated sugar – 1,5 cup

Eggs – 4 pieces

Flour – 12 cups

Raisins

Salt – 1 tablespoon (tbsp)

Milk – 1 liter

Yeast – 2 packages

Instructions:

Heat the milk to lukewarm, add 2 tbsp of sugar, put yeast into a quarter cup of milk and put it aside. Put 1 cup of sugar and 250 g of butter into a big mixing bowl and mix them until their consistence is creamy. Add eggs, flour, salt, remaining warm milk and raised yeast mixture. Knead it (if necessary add more flour by small amounts), if the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl or the hands, there is enough flour in it. Add 100 g of melted butter and mix it until it is totally absorbed and add also raisins. Let it rise in a warm place until it gets double its size. Shape it into loaves (or rounds) and put it into a greased baking pan; let it rise for half an hour. Bake it at 350 degrees of Celsius for 45 minutes until it gets nicely brown (sometimes it takes more). Later brush the loaves with egg, so it gets a shiny glossy surface.

Easter Cheese

Traditional Slovak Easter Cheese is usually served on Easter Sunday, with baked ham and beet horseradish or on sandwiches, but it can make a lovely complement to any Easter dish.

Recipe

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Eggs – 12 pieces

Milk – 4 cups

Sugar – 1 cup

Vanilla extract – 1 tablespoon

Ground nutmeg

Instructions:

Mix the eggs using electric mixer; when they are well mixed, put them into a double boiler. Add milk, sugar, vanilla extract and nutmeg. Simmer for 30 minutes (be careful with scorching, constantly stir the bottom of the pan). The concoction should look just like cooked scrambled eggs; if it does so, pour it into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and pull them together. After the cheese forms into a ball, tie it tightly. Let it hang (from the faucet or over a bowl) for 1-2 hours. Place on a cooling rack set over a pan or bowl. Set a heavy object on the top to press out the liquid. Press for about 2 hours. Put the cheese info the fridge for several hours before slicing and serving.

Soups

Lentil Soup

Recipe

Preparation time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

Soaked lentils – 1 cup

Onions – 2 medium pieces

Root vegetables – 200 grams

Smoked ham – 50 grams

Ground red paprika

Marjoram, parsley, soup seasoning (Vegeta)

Instructions:

Cut one of the onions into small cubes and fry it in hot oil. Drop some flour on the top of it and add also some water. Stir all of it and add pre-soaked lentils. Let it simmer for a while; while cooking, clean the vegetables, cut them into small pieces. Add it to the soup with whole onion and bacon. Add salt and the rest of spices and cook it until vegetables are soft. Next add parsley, soup seasoning (according to your taste) and marjoram. Len the soup boil and after cool it down. Take out the whole piece of onion before serving.

Bean soup

Recipe

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

White beans – 150 grams

Flour – 1 tablespoon (tbsp)

Carrot – 1 piece

Parsley – 1 piece

Peas – 50 grams

Cream of wheat – 50 grams

Garlic – 1 clove

Marjoram

Onion – 1 medium piece

Ground red paprika

Instructions:

Soak the beans for several hours before cooking. Put them into a pot and add 4 cups of water, salt and simmer until the beans are semi-soft. Cut the onion into very small cubes and fry them in some oil; add flour keep frying until it is cooked. To make a thick mixture, add some water and put it into the soup. Add also small pieces of vegetables, crushed garlic, peas, parsley, cream of wheat, salt, and paprika. Last is marjoram.

Bouillon

Recipe

Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Beef – 0,5 kg

Onions – 2 medium pieces

Carrots – 4 pieces

Parsley – 2 pieces

Celery – half of a medium piece

Kohlrabi – half of medium piece

Leek – half of medium piece

Kale – quarter of medium piece

Whole black peppercorn – 10 pieces

Salt – 3 tablespoons

Instructions:

Cut the vegetables into cubes and put them into a pot full with cold water. Do not cut the onion. Put the beef, salt and black peppercorns into the pot as well. Cook it on the highest temperature until the pot starts to hiss, then switch the heat to the middle and cook it for another 45 minutes. The soup is served with thin noodles.

Cookies, Desserts and Cakes

Žemľovka

Žemľovka is a sweet pudding made from apples and white bread steeped in sweetened milk or eggs. Instead of apples, pears can be used, too.

Recipe

Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Milk – 2 cups

Butter – 1 cup

Sugar – 2/3 cup (can be brown sugar)

Eggs – 3 pieces

Cinnamon – 2 teaspoons (tsp)

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Bread

Raisins – half of cup

Apples

Nutmeg

Instructions:

Heat up the milk in a medium saucepan. Add butter and stir it until butter is melted; cool it down to lukewarm. Put the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon into a separate bowl and beat it (the best is using electric mixer on a medium speed level). Mix the two concoctions together. Torn the bread and place it in a lightly greased casserole. Sprinkle the raisins, add shredded or sliced apples and pour batter on top of it. Bake it at 180 degrees of Celsius for approximately 20 minutes (untill the cake has a gold-brown top).

Bábovka – Pound Cake

Recipe

Preparation time: 1,5 hours

Ingredients:

Eggs – 5 pieces

Powdered sugar – 250 g

Flour – 250 g

Oil – 150 ml

Baking powder – 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

Vanilla – half tbsp

Cocoa powder – 1 tbsp

Butter

Instructions:

Separate whites and yolks of the eggs. Preheat your oven up to 350 degrees. Put sugar into yolks and mix them up. While mixing, slowly add oil and hot water (150 ml). Also mix in flour and baking powder. Put egg whites in a separate bowl and using electric mixer mix them until they expand 4 times, after they are ready, add them to concoction also with vanilla and mix them (by hand this time). Pour half of the concoction into greased pan; add cocoa to the other half, mix it and pour on the top of the first half. Do not mix them together. Let it bake for 45 minutes (sometimes a bit longer). Sprinkle the top of the finished cake with powdered sugar; you can also add some raisins, nuts or pour chocolate.

Slovak Pancakes



Slovak pancakes are pretty much the same as pancakes in other countries, but usually in Slovakia the pancakes are more thin – less dough, more ingredients like curd, jam or chocolate.

Recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Eggs – 4 pieces

Flour – 3 cups

Salt – half of tablespoon

Sugar – half cup

Milk – 1,5 liter

Instructions:

Start with eggs – beat them very well. Add sugar, salt and 1 cup of milk and also beat it very well (use mixer). Add also flour (gradually) and the remaining milk. Again, beat it until it gets very smooth. Heat oil in a skillet and put approximately 2 tbsp of the mixture inside of the skillet. Brown both sides. Filling can be hot chocolate, jam, sweet curd, even vegetables with some cheese, etc.

Nut roll

Slovak nut roll can be prepared for holidays, but Slovaks use to bake it for a dessert even on regular days.

Recipe

Preparation time: 1,5 hour

Ingredients for the nut filling:

Milk – 2 cups

Sugar – 2 cups

Vanilla Sugar – half of a cup

Shredded Nuts – 2 cups

Breadcrumbs – half of a cup

Lemon peal – half of a cup

Rum

Instructions for the nut filling:

Warm up the milk with sugar. Add the ingredients (lemon peal and rum at the end) and mix them.

Ingredients for the cake:

Milk – 2 cups

Butter

Sugar – 1 cup

Eggs – 2 pieces

Salt – 1 tablespoon

Flour – 8-9 cups

Yeast

Instructions for the cake:

Put the yeast, 1 cup of flour, warmed milk and 1 tsp of sugar into a small bowl. Mix it very well and leave it aside for a while. Mix butter and sugar to a cream in separate bigger bowl; add eggs and mix it very well. When the yeast concoction is spongy, add the other mix to it together with flour and stir it until it gets smooth. Let it rise until it doubles its size. Divide it into 8 equal parts, roll them into 1/4 inch, fill up with nut filling and roll like a jelly roll. Grease a cookie sheet and place the rolls on it. Let it rise a bit before baking. Bake it at 350 degrees of Celsius until they get brown. Before serving, sift powdered sugar.

Parené buchty (Steamed Buns)

Recipe

Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Milk – 1 cup

Flour – 450 grams

Egg – 1 piece

Jam – 350 grams (plum, strawberry, etc. anything you like)

Yeast – 25 grams

Sugar – 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

Salt

Vegetable oil – 1-2 tbsp

Instructions:

Heat up the milk (to a bit warmer than room temperature) and melt the yeast in the half of it. Add the egg, sugar, salt and the rest of the milk. Beat it with electric mixer and knead it by hand a bit. Cover the dough and leave for 30–40 minutes (until it rises to double size). Roll it out to 7 mm thick and cut into 24 square pieces. Put teaspoon of jam to each piece. Next seal the buchtas by folding them as envelopes and put them on a flour-sprinkled surface. Boil 2 cups of water in saucepan and place the steamer over the boiling water. Brush the steamer with a bit of vegetable oil, so it will not stick to it. Put a few buchtas to the steamer, but don’t forget to leave some space between them as they will grow during cooking. Keep the water boiling and cook them for 20 minutes. Serve them with melted butter and chocolate, or other type of sauce, dressing, etc. according to your taste.

Slovak Cheese

Oštiepok Cheese

Oštiepok is a traditional Slovak Walachian product from sheep cheese. Originally it is produced from fresh sweet cheese, which is pushed into a wooden, hand-carved and round form, which has to stand for a while. Subsequently it is removed and immersed in warm salt water, left there, while the salt penetrates the cheese completely. Then it is necessary to leave it slightly to shrivel. Salt water gives Oštiepok its traditional durability.

Recipe

It is produced from sweet fresh cheese that is pressed into the wood, which was hand carved by Walach. The cheese is left in the wood to stand. After it is removed from the wood, it is put into warm salted water and left there till the salt will penetrate fully into the Oštiepok. Then the cheese should be taken out and dry. Salt gives the cheese its traditional durability and its traditional colour – the surface will become yellow.

Parenica Cheese

Parenica is a traditional Slovak semi soft, unripe, steamed sheep cheese with a very delicate taste. It is characterized by its shape, a twisted ribbon. It has cream or cheese color. After smoking the surface has a golden colour.

Fried Cheese with French Fries

Very popular Slovak dish is fried cheese mostly served with french fries and tartare sauce (Tatárska omáčka). You can sometimes get the fried cheese in a sandwich too, especially at street food vendors (it looks similar to hamburger, but there is a fried cheese instead of meat).

Recipe

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Cheese – 1 slice per person

Eggs – 2-3 pieces

Flour – 4-5 tablespoons (tbsp)

Bread crumbs – 4-5 tbsp

Oil, salt

Potatoes – 3-4 pieces

Instructions:

Usually it takes longer to cook the French Fries, so start with them. Cut them into slices and fry in hot oil. Heat up more oil in different pan and prepare the cheese. Prepare three bowls in a row. One bowl of flour, bowl of eggs (well mixed) and a bowl of bread crumbs. Coat the cheese in flour first, than in eggs, and finally in bread crumbs. Put the cheese into the heated oil; fry it (first half will take about 2 minutes, after flipping less than a minute). By the time cheese is ready you should have fries ready too so you can serve them immediately. Sometimes it comes with vegetables (slices of tomatoes and cucumber for example) and tartar sauce.

Other Food on Slovak Tables

Tekvicový prívarok – Pumpkin Prívarok

Prívarok is typical Slovak dish, similar to soups in its consistency, but a bit denser. It has many tastes, depending on your choice – pumpkin, lentil, bean, potato, etc. It is very easy to prepare and does not take a lot of time.

Recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Pumpkin – 1 kg

Flour – 50 grams

Onion – 1 medium piece

Sweet cream – 3 dcl

Oil – 50 grams

Vinegar – 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

Red peppers – 1 teaspoon (tsp)

Sugar – 1 tsp

Dill

Salt

Instructions:

Start with frying small pieces of onion, add salt and red pepper. Scrape the pumpkin; add it to the fried onion with peppers. Simmer it until the pumpkin is soft. Sometimes it is necessary to add a little bit of water to make sure that the mixture does not burn. Next mix the cream with flour and dill and add it to the mixture. Cook it until it boils. Add the vinegar, sugar and salt to achieve sweet-and-sour taste.

Fazuľový prívarok – Bean Prívarok

Recipe

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Dry beans – 300 grams

Flour – 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

Milk – 1 dl

Bay leaves – 1–2 pieces

Black pepper – 5 pieces

Salt

Sugar

Vinegar

Instructions:

Dip the beans into the water one day before cooking. Cook the pre-dipped beans, bay leafs and pepper until it is soft. Add water in which the beans were dipped; it should be 2-3 cm above the beans. Stir the flour and milk separately, add salt and add it to beans. Simmer it for a while until it is denser. Leave it for a while and add sugar and vinegar according to your taste. Serve it with roasted meat, sausage and bread.

Šošovicový prívarok – Lentil Prívarok

Recipe

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Lentils

Bay leaf – 1 piece

Black pepper – 5 pieces

Salt

Milk

Sugar

Oil – 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

Flour – 3 tbsp

Vinegar

Instructions:

Cook the lentils together with bay leaf, black pepper and salt until it is soft. Stir the oil, flour and milk separately; and add it to lentils and cook a bit until it gets dense. Add sugar and salt to get sweet-and-sour taste. Serve with baked sausage, other meat, fried egg or bread.

Dumplings (Knedle)

Dumplings are usually served with meat and vegetables or sauce (see Sviečková or Vepřo-Knedlo-Zelo below). Dumplings are very delicious side dish originally coming from Czech Republic. They can be cooked in many ways, sometimes they are filled with fruit, jam, etc. This recipe is for knedle as side dish to Sviečková or Vepřo-Knedlo-Zelo.

Recipe

Preparation time: 1,5 hours

Ingredients:

Flour – 2 cups

Eggs – 2 pieces

Milk – 1 cup

Bread rolls – 2 pieces

Baking powder – 1 teaspoon (tsp)

Salt

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together. Cut bread rolls into small cubes and add it to the mixture, mix it until you have dough of medium consistency. Shape it into 2 or 3 longish loaves. Put them into a big pot of boiling water; simmer it for approximately 20 minutes. Take them out, let them cool down a bit and slice them into 2 cm thick pieces. They are supposed to be soft; you can use them to sop up the juices on your plate.

Sviečková (Czech beef with Cream Sauce)

Sviečková is the favorite meal not only for most of the Czechs, but for Slovaks, too. This typical Czech dish is a great combination of delicious beef, cream sauce and dumplings. You can find it nearly in every restaurant in both of the countries.

Preparation time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

Leg beef – 1 kg

Carrots – 3 medium pieces

Parsnips – 3 pieces

Celery root – 1 piece

Onions – 2 large pieces

Fat bacon – 120 grams

Heavy cream – 1 cup

Flour – 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

Vinegar – 1 tbsp

Peppercorns – 15 pieces

Allspice grains – 10 pieces

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Lemon – 1 grated rind

Cranberries

Bay leaf – 3 pieces

Thyme (dried) – 3 tbsp

Salt

Instructions:

Start with cutting carrots, celery, onion and parsnips into small pieces. Put the bacon fat in a large pan and fry it until it gets brown. Add meat, spices and salt. Then add water till all of the meat is under it. Stew it until the meat gets tender. Sometimes it is necessary to add more water. Next take the cooked meat out. Puree the vegetables separately. Add cream and sour to the pot and simmer it for a while. Sauce should be thick enough; add vinegar, sugar and lemon rind. Remove it from heat, slice the meat, put on plate and pour the sauce around the pieces. Use cranberries as a decoration; put it around the meat.

Vepřo-Knedlo-Zelo (Pork with Dumplings and Cabbage)

This dish is also typical for Czech cuisine but it is very popular in Slovakia. Quality of the final dish depends very much on the quality of pork which should be streaky (so it will be succulent). It is served with dumplings and cabbage and Czechs and Slovaks usually drink beer to make it perfect.

Ingredients for pork:

Pork roast – 1 kg

Garlic – 3 cloves

Caraway seeds

Salt

Ingredients for stewed cabbage:

Cabbage – 1 head (red or white)

Onion – 1 medium piece

Butter – 2 tablespoons (tbsp)

Caraway seeds – 1 teaspoon (tsp)

Vinegar

Salt

Sugar

Instructions for pork:

Crush the garlic and salt and rub the meat with it. Sprinkle it with caraway seeds and roast it all together.

Pour a bit of water under it. Cover it while roasting, cook until it is tender.

Instructions for the cabbage:

First cut the cabbage into thin strips. Blanch them in boiling water; next strain them. Cut the onion into small cubes; put it into an oiled pan. Add the cabbage strips and caraway seeds. Cook it until the cabbage is soft (if the cabbage strips stick to the bottom, add some water). Add salt, sugar and vinegar (everything according to your taste). Cabbage should reach sweet-and-sour taste.

Goulash Soup (Gulášová polievka)

Even though Goulash is originally a Hungarian meal, it is very popular in Slovakia. Slovaks often cook it on picnics and family meetings, in a big cauldron on open fire, while drinking beers and enjoying the time together. But it can be cooked at home as well, of course. Mostly it is served with bread, in some restaurants with dumplings (depends on how it is prepared).

Recipe

Preparation time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

Beef – 700-800 g

Potatoes – 700-800 g

Onion – 1 bigger piece

Garlic – 1 clove

Tomato – 1 medium piece

Butter

Ground paprika, red pepper, ground black pepper, caraway seeds, half green pepper

Instructions:

Firstly, cut the beef into small pieces. Melt butter in a bigger pot and brown the beef. Add paprika, red pepper, salt, black pepper, caraway and garlic (mashed clove). Add some water, cover the pot and let it simmer until beef is soft (1-2 hours). Cut peeled potatoes, pepper and tomatoes into small cubes and add it to the soup. Simmer it until potatoes get soft (approximately 1 hour).

Segedin Goulash (Segedínsky guláš)

Another very tasty meal “stolen” from Hungarian Cousine is Segedin Goulash (Segedínsky guláš). A dish you’ll find in most Slovak restaurants, usually served with dumplings.

Recipe

Preparation time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

Pork shoulder – 1.5 lbs

Sauerkraut – 1 lb

Onion – 1 medium

Flour – 3 tablespoons (tbsp)

Sour cream – I cup

Butter

Salt, paprika, black pepper, caraway seed

Instructions:

Start with the onion – cut it into very small pieces and brown it on butter. Add pieces of pork, 1 teaspoon of paprika, half teaspoon of caraway seeds, black pepper and salt. Fry it (stirring all the time) until pork is cooked on all sides. It should take approximately 20 minutes. When pork is ready, add sauerkraut and some water, so the concoction is fully covered. Cook covered for 70–80 minutes. If necessary, add more water and simmer it sometimes. To thick the sauce, brown 3 tbsp of flour on melted butter and mix it into the stew. Toss in sour cream and let it boil for a few minutes.

Lángoš – Deep Fried Bread Cake

This food is originally Hungarian, but it is a favorite take-away in Slovakia. Sometimes you’ll find it in a restaurant as a starter. At the top they put garlic, cheese, sour cream, ketchup, etc. (you can choose whatever ingredients you like).

Recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Ground flour – 1 kg

Sour cream – 1 cup

Salt – 1 tablespoon (tbsp)

Milk – half a liter

Yeast – 50 grams

Sugar – 1 tbsp

Oil

Instructions: