The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Slovak Foods. If you manage to be in an Slovak restaurant or you are visiting Slovakia, I recommend the following:
1. Vyprážaný Syr
This dish is perfect after spending hours paddling down the Hron River or descending a challenging trail in the Tatra Mountains. The type of cheese used is typically Edam, and pickles often accompany this dish to embellish the savoury flavours.
2. Guláš
Goulash is a regional champion, and Slovakia embraces the meaty side of things over meatballs. In Slovakia, it usually consists of beef, onions, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and a mixture of spices.
3. Francúzske Zemiaky
Prepared with potatoes, they are often served as a snack to school children in Slovakia. They are excellent for dipping in soup or as an accompaniment to main meals such as pork stew. They are made from grated potato, flour and egg, and fried in oil and garlic. They are usually served hot with kefir or sour cream. It’s a very typical meal that you’ll find in restaurants all over the country.
4. Cigánska Pečienka
The gypsy roast is a traditional meat dish that many cannot do without during special traditional celebrations, such as fairs, grape harvests or Christmas markets. This controversial meat dish is usually prepared with pork neck. There are many recipes for this delicacy. The meat is dried in milk to make it tender. The important ingredients are pepper, salt and mustard. They taste meaty. There is a variant without garlic and mustard, or vice versa with red pepper.
5. Kapustnica
This Slovak cabbage soup is a staple of the traditional Christmas dinner. Still, it can be found as a starter all year round. Sauerkraut is mixed in a creamy base with boiled potatoes, chopped ham, mushrooms, black pepper, paprika and garlic. It is served hot with freshly baked bread.
6. Vyprážaný Rezeň
Although schnitzel is more popular and well-known in Vienna (Austria), it is also a common and typical dish in Slovakia. This breaded pork dish can be found in almost every restaurant in different varieties. First a thin slice of pork is softened and then fried in breadcrumbs. A mayonnaise-based potato salad is often served as a side dish.
7. Pirohy
This is the Slovak version of the famous Polish pierogi, consisting of a thin potato dough wrapped in a mixture of grated potatoes and bryndza sheep’s cheese. These crescent-shaped dumplings are usually fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside. They are served with fried bacon, chives and a dollop of sour cream.
8. Fazuľová Polievka
In this particular country, it usually consists of beef, onion, potato, pepper, tomato, garlic and a mixture of spices. This meal is very popular at outdoor events and is often cooked in a cauldron over a fire.
9. Bryndzové Halušky
It’s Slovakia’s national food, so if you can only try one dish in the country it should definitely be this one. A magical combination of strong cheese and meatballs, usually with a bit of smoked bacon and sausage on top. The serving of halušky (potato dumplings similar to Italian gnocchi) is ubiquitous in Slovak food.
10. Plnená Paprika
Paprika punjena is a minced meat dish that varies from country to country, such as the Balkans, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Serbia and Hungary. This dish is made of chilli mixed with ground meat (beef, pork or both), rice and spices. Paprika punjene is a typical summer dish in Croatia: Sarma is prepared for winter, while paprika punjene is a summer product. The mixture of meat and rice is usually seasoned with onion, salt, pepper and paprika.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.