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cakes, koláče (pastries), coffees and ice cream. For tea, find a čajovna (tea-
house), where Eastern influences are evident; they’re often smoke free.
MORAVIAN MOONSHINE Neil Wilson
Bohemia is famous for its beer and Slovakia for its wine, but in the wooded hills of Wallachia
along the Moravian–Slovakian border it’s slivovitz that puts a warm glow in the belly. Beware –
this potent plum brandy (50% alcohol by volume) is strong enough to fell an ox. Local custom
says that when you take the top off a bottle of slivovitz, you shouldn’t put it back until the bottle
is empty – by which time you will be fluent in Czech and Slovak, and mysteriously able to sing
all the words to Wallachian folk songs.
Common or garden variety slivovitz is crystal clear and is traditionally drunk straight from shot
glasses. If your palate is more accustomed to fine malt whiskies, the flavour can be – how shall
we put this? – a little industrial. However, there is also zlatá slivovitz (golden slivovitz), which has
been infused with oak shavings, and slivovitz sudová (slivovitz from the barrel), which has been
aged in oak barrels. These are golden in colour and have a much mellower flavour.
Slivovitz distilling became a Moravian cottage industry in 1835, when the Hapsburg Empire
relaxed the excise laws. Each farm had its own pot still, and the slivovitz season was a much-
anticipated part of the agricultural calendar. Although it has been produced commercially for 150
years, locals still insist that the best slivovitz is domácí (homemade – now illegal).
The biggest brand in the business is R Jelínek, based in Vizovice (p331) in South Moravia. (It
recently launched a plum-flavoured vodka, too.) The smooth, distinctive slivovitz produced by
Žufánek, a small family firm in the Zlínsko region (established only in 2000), has in recent years
become one of Prague’s trendiest tipples. You can find it behind the bar at the Palác Akropolis
(p137), Chateau L’Enfer Rouge (p135), Velryba (p135) and Klub Újezd (p134), among others.
Most restaurants are honest, though it pays to watch out for mistakes in
the bill. Prague is a different matter (see the boxed text, p135, for ways to cope
with restaurants there). Tipping is the same in restaurants and pubs, ie 5% to
10%. Locals usually round the bill up to the next 10Kč/Sk. Tip at the higher
end of the scale if you’re in a top-end establishment. In a pub with communal
tables, always ask if a chair is free before sitting down: Je tu volno?
Quick Eats
A bufet or bageteria is the usual place to grab a quick meal. Bakeries and super-
markets sell savoury and sweet pastries for a quick snack. In bigger towns, at
most transportation stations and near the base of ski and hiking trails, food
stands can provide you with a hot or cold meal and a beer; hygiene is generally
pretty good. Supermarket delis have good spreads, meats and bread rolls.
VEGETARIANS & VEGANS
Outside of Prague and Bratislava, where there are dedicated restaurants, it’s
slim pickings for vegetarians; vegans will find eating out next to impossible.
There are a few standard meatless dishes (bezmasá jídla/bezmäsité jedlá), but
watch out for that category on the menu, as dishes like bryndzové halušky are
usually listed there (guess those chunks of bacon fat on top don’t count!).
Don’t assume that if something sounds vegetarian, it is (for example, most
vegetable soup is made from beef stock); ask first.
The most common meatless meal is smažený sýr/vprmážaný syr (fried
cheese) but you may also find risotto with vegetables, or pasta. In most cit-
ies there’s at least one pizzeria and sometimes Chinese food, offering more
vegetarian options. Fresh fruit and vegetables, grains and other ingredients
are easy to obtain at most potraviny (supermarkets).
EATING WITH KIDS
Children are generally welcome in eating establishments. Pubs that serve food
are in a ‘restaurant’ class, so there’s no age minimum. Children’s menus are
more common in the Czech Republic than in Slovakia, but you may be able to
ask the staff for smaller portions, or order for yourself and get an extra plate
to share. See p438 for more information on travelling with children.
HABITS & CUSTOMS
If you’re invited to someone’s house for a meal, bring some flowers or a bottle
of wine, and when you get there ask if you should take your shoes off (most
Czechs and Slovaks switch to slippers inside the house).
Whether you’re drinking in a bar or with a meal, you should always toast
with the first drink (it’s terrible manners not to). Clink glasses and say ‘na
zdraví!/na zdravie!’ (to your health). Before eating, you should wish your
compatriots ‘dobrou chuť/dobrú chuť’ (good appetite).
The Czech equivalent for
the saying ‘No pain, no
gain’ is ‘Bez práce nejesou
koláče’ (Without work,
you can’t eat pastries).
72
FOOD & DRINK •• Eat Your Words
lonelyplanet.com
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