Taste of the Czech Republic: Insights into Traditional Cuisine
Really important for the picture of Czech cuisine as we know it today was the period of Austria-Hungary. During that time, dishes arriving from surrounding areas became domesticated. The influence of German and Austro-Hungarian cuisine, which was itself a mix of many cultures and traditions, was evident. Goulash, Hungarian sausages and pepper stew from Hungary, beef broth with liver dumplings and schnitzel from Austria, and sausages, roasted pork knee, and fruit dumplings from Bavaria. Influences of Bavarian cuisine were already present here long before the Habsburg Empire. Therefore, it is difficult to assess which dishes are purely Czech; a more precise term might be Central European.
A significant figure for the further development of Czech cuisine is Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová, whose cookbook published in 1826 essentially established the image of today's Czech cuisine.
What sets Czech cuisine apart?
Traditional meals 🍽️