Slovakia is a very diverse country, and its dishes also impress with their variety. The main ingredients used in Slovakia are milk, potatoes, and sauerkraut. Milk is actually consumed both sweet and sour and is processed into dairy products such as whey, curd (also known as quark), cream, bryndza (salty sheep cheese), and other varieties of sheep cheese. These cheese products can be enjoyed in restaurants, but they can also be bought in a grocery store and processed at home.
In this post, you can get to know the culinary specialties of Slovakia more closely and familiarize yourself with both traditional and many modern dishes before your trip.
This sauerkraut soup is especially warming during the cold season and consists of onions, garlic, potatoes, mushrooms, sausage, sour cream, and of course, sauerkraut. After the onions and garlic are sautéed and water is added, sauerkraut, mushrooms, sour cream, and spices are stirred in. Finally, potato cubes and sausage slices are added. After 10 minutes of cooking, the potatoes should be done, and the meal is ready.
This sour potato soup is very creamy and mainly contains potatoes, mushrooms, sour cream, and dill. The dish is served with crispy bread. Only a few simple ingredients are used, yet the result is very flavorful.
Barley soup is a thick soup that is especially suitable during the cold season. It is typically made with beef or pork but can also be prepared as a vegetarian dish. It is served with dumplings and capers, sometimes with mushrooms.
Fried cheese is usually eaten as a starter or a simple snack. Blocks of cheese are coated in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, then fried. Once golden brown, they are ready to be served. It is typically accompanied by fries and remoulade sauce.
The most typical national dish of Slovakia is dumplings with bryndza and bacon. The dish is so popular that there is actually an annual competition representing the World Championships in cooking and eating dumplings with sheep cheese.
This popular national dish is made with dumplings (halušky) made from potato dough, where the potatoes are finely grated and mixed with salt and flour in a bowl. This process continues until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. The dough is then cut into small pieces or pressed through a coarse sieve and boiled in hot water. When the dumplings float to the surface, they are done and immediately mixed with the special sheep cheese (bryndza). Fried bacon and its rendered fat are then added on top. The dish is typically served with buttermilk or sour milk. Alternatively, the dumplings can also be mixed with sauerkraut, which must first be fried.
Lokše is a Slovak potato flatbread made from potatoes, flour, and salt. It can be eaten in various ways. For example, if you like crêpes, you will enjoy these potato flatbreads. They can be filled with chocolate cream or cinnamon and sugar. The flatbreads can also be served as a side dish to savory meals or stuffed with savory ingredients. Lokše is versatile and pairs well with almost any dish. It can also be made into a sweet variation as a dessert or simply enjoyed as a snack.
This dish consists of filled dough pockets. The dough is made from flour, eggs, salt, and warm water. The filling is made from boiled and mashed potatoes, with added chives and cream cheese. The dough is rolled out and cut into about 6 cm rounds using a glass. A teaspoon of the prepared filling is placed on each round. The edges are then folded to enclose the filling, ensuring it does not leak out when boiled. When the dumplings begin to float on the surface, they are ready and are served with fried onions, chives, and sour cream. Due to its various filling options, this dish is very versatile. It can be made with Slovak sheep cheese and bacon or sauerkraut and mushrooms as a main dish, or as a sweet dessert with apples, cinnamon, and sugar, or jam.
Grated potato pancakes are very popular in Slovakia, as potato dishes are often found. The pancakes (similar to rösti) are fried and then served with sour cream and chives.
Porkolt is a stew made from beef or pork, simmered in a dark beer and paprika sauce. It can also be made with other meats, such as chicken or rabbit. The stew is served with dumplings, noodles, or potatoes.
This dessert consists of a yeast dough typically filled with poppy seeds or nuts. First, sugar is heated with water until it dissolves. The poppy seeds are then soaked in it for a few minutes, and vanilla sugar is added. If you prefer the nut filling, dissolve the sugar in milk and let the nuts soak in it, then stir in some rum. The ingredients for the dough are processed into a smooth dough, divided into 30g pieces, and rolled out into ovals. Each dough piece is filled with a portion of the filling and shaped accordingly. The filled pieces are baked and allowed to cool slightly.
This traditional treat is popular not only in Slovakia but also in the Czech Republic. Cookies are baked and a cream is prepared, which is spread between two cookies to hold them together. The cream consists mainly of homemade caramel. The delicate pastry is then finished off with melted chocolate, and once the chocolate dries, the pastry is ready.
This sweet dish is made from potato dough, with poppy seeds being the main ingredient. It is often served as a main dish, as sweet main dishes are popular in Slovakia alongside savory dishes. As a dessert, it also fits perfectly. The dumplings are mixed with plenty of melted butter and poppy seeds.
A very popular drink in Slovakia is a carbonated grape juice called Vinea. It comes in several flavors and colors.
The local cola drink of Slovakia is called Kofola and typically contains carbonation and caffeine. Like Vinea, there are various flavors of this drink.
Borovička is a clear liquor with a juniper flavor, often used as an aperitif or digestif. It resembles gin.
Beers are very popular in Slovakia, with major beer brands including Zlatý Bažant (Golden Pheasant), Topvar, Šariš, and Steiger.
Although Slovakia is not incredibly famous for wine production, high-quality wines are made in the six Slovak wine regions. Wine is very popular in Slovakia, and several varieties are extremely well-known, including Rheinriesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Traminer, and Grüner Veltliner as the most popular white wines, and Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Sauvignon as red wines.
Slovak cuisine is diverse, ranging from hearty to sweet dishes. There is something for everyone, and even vegetarians have a good selection. There are culinary specialties in all areas, whether it be starters, main courses, desserts, or drinks. You can taste your way through the variety of Slovak dishes and learn a lot about the country's culinary heritage.
