The Prague Experience

The Czech Republic is one of the most rapidly evolving countries in Eastern Europe. If you have visited a mere twenty years ago you would have found the country embroiled in a bloody revolution that shook it from the grips of Communism and transformed it into the multicultural destination it is today.

The capital city of Prague, known for its myriad of architectural styles, was my first and only stop on this. Upon my arrival to the city I was immediately gripped by the culture and soon discovered that the foods, like the people, were very different from what I was accustomed back home in England.

Recognising that the city centre can become a frenzied hive of tourists in the warmer months, I opted to take a short tram ride to the district of Žižkov in the hope of finding a more authentic vibe. I elected to dine in a secluded restaurant situated in the shadow of the mystifying Žižkov television tower which, to my dining displeasure, was voted the second ugliest tower in the world.
The menu as a whole appeared to resemble German cuisine, presumably relating back to their shared Bohemian past, with almost exclusively meat dishes.

Eager to sample a typical Czech dish I asked the waiter if he could recommend a meal that would introduce me to Czech dining; however it quickly became apparent that he, like many of the elderly Czech generations, did not speak much English. After the obligatory pointing and hand signals, I opted for his recommendation of Svícková - one of the most popular dishes in the county – and settled down to tucker in.

Upon its arrival I discovered that the Svícková was comprised of a marinated beef sirloin, dressed in what can only be described as rich creamy gravy, and four stodgy bread dumplings. It was topped with the rather obscure mix of lemon wedges, whipped cream and a dash of cranberry sauce. The unconventional blend of flavours worked surprisingly well together, tasting a lot better than it looked, with the lemon zest providing the kick to the creamy beef sauce. I think this dish is like a microcosm of Prague itself, the way these very diverse tastes/people from all walks of life, some more prominent than others, come together to create a matchless taste and experience.

As gratifying as the meal was, I discovered it’s not only a difficult dish to pronounce, it’s also difficult dish to finish! In some restaurants they even have different sized servings for men and woman, and this time I think I would have even shamed most women.