Slovak cuisine varies slightly, though sometimes dramatically, from region to region. It was influenced by the traditional cuisine of its neighbours and it influenced these as well. The origins of traditional Slovak cuisine can be traced to times when the majority of the population lived in villages, in self-sustenance, with very limited food imports and exports and with no modern means of food preservation or processing. This gave rise to a cuisine heavily dependent on a number of staple foods that could stand the hot summers and cold winters. These included wheat, potatoes, milk and milk products, pork meat, sauerkraut and onion. To a lesser degree beef, poultry, lamb and goat, eggs, a few other local vegetables, fruit and wild mushrooms were traditionally eaten. All these were usually produced and processed by families themselves with some local trade at the country markets. Wheat was ground, and bread, dumplings and noodles were made from it. Potatoes were mostly boiled or processed into potato dough. Milk was processed into a wide range of products such as butter, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, and various types of cheese etc. Typical pork products include sausages, a local kind of blood sausages, smoked bacon, and lard. Spices were not widely used, and animal fats and butter were used instead of cooking oils. Main drinks included fresh and sour milk, and beer. Contemporary Slovak cuisine is widely influenced by various world cuisines and uses many different ingredients, spices and industrially processed foods.

Slovak dishes

• Halušky
  Halušky
  Halušky are a traditional variety of thick, soft noodles or dumplings cooked in the Central and Eastern European cuisines .They are irregular in shape...
  
  
  • Bryndzové halušky
    Bryndzové halušky
    Bryndzové Halušky is one of the national dishes in Slovakia. This hearty meal consists of Halušky and bryndza , optionally sprinkled with cooked bits of smoked pork fat/bacon.Žinčica is traditionally drunk with this meal...
    
     (potato dumplings with bryndza
    Bryndza
    Bryndza is a sheep milk cheese made in Central and Eastern Europe. Recipes differ slightly across the countries.-Etymology:Brânză or brînză is the generic word for "cheese" in Romanian, there is no special type of cheese associated with it...
    
     - a sheep's-milk cheese)
  • Strapačky
    Strapacky
    Strapačky is a Slovak dish, similar to bryndzové halušky where the base compound of the dish is halušky , however instead of bryndza, stewed sauerkraut is used....
    
    
  • Chľustačky
• Lokše (pancakes made of potato-dough baked directly on the stove)
• Bryndzové pirohy
  Pierogi
  Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough - first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions - traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit...
  
  
• Parené buchty (steamed jam-filled dumplings topped with poppy seeds or nuts)
• Široké rezance s tvarohom a slaninou: tagliatelle
  Tagliatelle
  Tagliatelle and tagliolini are a traditional type of pasta from Emilia-Romagna and Marches, regions of Italy. Individual pieces of tagliatelle are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to fettuccine and are typically about 0.65 cm to 1 cm wide...
  
   with quark
  Quark (cheese)
  Quark is a type of fresh cheese, also known as tvorog , topfen , biezpiens , and varškė . It is made by warming soured milk until the desired degree of denaturation of milk proteins is met, and then strained...
  
   (farmer's cheese) and fried bacon
  Bacon
  Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
  
  
• Zemiakové placky (potato pancakes fried in oil), also called Haruľa in regions Horehronie, Pohronie, Kysuce and Orava
• Žemľovka (bread pudding)
• Granadír or Granadírsky pochod, also known as Grenadír marš
• Ryžový nákyp (rice pudding)
• Orechovník, a sweet Nut roll
  Nut roll
  A nut roll is a pastry consisting of a sweet yeast dough that is rolled out very thin, spread with a nut paste made from ground nuts and a sweetener like honey, then rolled up into a log shape. This 'log' is either left long and straight or is often bent into a horseshoe shape, egg washed, baked,...
  
  
• Makovník (poppy seed roll)
• Bratislavské rožteky
• Segedin Goulash (pork stew with sauerkraut and cream or sour cream, usually served with steamed dumplings (knedľa).
• Rezeň (breaded pork schnitzel)

Soups and sauces

• Fazuľová (soup made of beans)
• Kapustnica (soup made of sauerkraut
  Sauerkraut
  Sauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid...
  
  )
• Rezancová (chicken soup with noodles)

Meat

Pork

Pork

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....

, beef

Beef

Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...

 and poultry

Poultry

Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...

 are the main meats consumed in Slovakia, with pork being the most popular by a substantial margin. Among poultry, chicken is most common, although duck, goose, and turkey are also well established. A blood sausage called jaternice also has a following, containing any and all parts of a butchered pig; it is an acquired taste. Game meats, especially boar, rabbit, and venison, are also widely available throughout the year. Lamb and goat are also available, but for the most part are not very popular. The consumption of horse meat is generally frowned upon.

Grilled meat is not common in Slovakia. Instead, meat is either breaded and fried in oil (schnitzel), or is cooked and served in sauce. Hungarian influences in Slovak cuisine can be seen in popular stews and goulashes. However, these have been given Slovak touches. Chicken paprikash is typically served with halušky and Hungarian goulash (spicy beef stew) is served with slices of a large bread-like steamed dumpling.

Traditional sweets and cookies

Usually baked at Christmas time, but also all year long, Slovak traditional sweets are usually home baked and harder to find in stores.

• Laskonky: fluffy dough with walnuts and creamy filling
• Mačacie oči
• Trotle: 2 layers of cookie-like round tarts filled with chocolate cream and half-dipped in dark chocolate.
• Vajcový koňak: the equivalent of eggnog
  Eggnog
  Eggnog, or egg nog, is a sweetened dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk and/or cream, sugar, beaten eggs , and liquor...
  
  .
• Medovníčky
• Medvedie labky
• Trdelnik
  Trdelník
  Trdelník is a traditional cake and sweet pastry, from the Slovak town of Skalica. It is made from rolled dough, wrapped around a stick then grilled and topped with sugar and walnut mix.- History :Its production has a long tradition in Skalica...
  
   or Skalický trdelnik, a traditional cake baked on a rotating spit over open fire
• Haboše
• Čeregi
• Makové pupáky

Eating habits

Traditionally the main meal of the day is lunch, eaten around noon. However, changing work routine has altered this in the recent decades; today, it is not uncommon for many Slovaks

Slovaks

The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...

 to eat their main meal in the evening. Lunch in Slovakia

Slovakia

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

 usually consists of soup AND a main meal. It's customary in Slovakia

Slovakia

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

 to bring a bottle of wine or other alcohol as a gift if you are invited to visit someone's home.

See also

• Cuisines of the world
  Cuisine
  Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...
  
  
• List of recipes

External links

• Illustrated Slovak recipes
• Emperor's Crumbs - Central European food and recipe blog.