Culinary Specialities Slovakia

Slovakia is a very diverse country. The Slovak dishes also impress with their variety. The main ingredients used in Slovak cuisine are milk, potatoes and sauerkraut. Milk is actually drunk both sweet and sour, and processed into dairy products such as whey, curd cheese (also called "Topfen"), cream, brimsen (salty sheep's cheese) and other types of sheep's cheese. The cheese products can then be enjoyed in restaurants, but can also be bought in a grocery shop and prepared at home.

In this article, you can get to know the culinary specialities of Slovakia in more detail and familiarise yourself, even before your trip, with the partly traditional but also many modern dishes.

• Typical starters: soups & fried cheese

• Hearty main courses: Bryndzové halušky, Pirohy & more

• Sweet desserts: Pressburg crescents & Laskonky

• Drinks: Vinea, Kofola, beer, wine & Borovička

• Important travel info: vignette requirement in Slovakia

Starters

Sauerkraut soup (Kapustnica)

This sauerkraut soup is especially warming in the cold season and consists of onions, garlic, potatoes, mushrooms, sausage, sour cream and, of course, sauerkraut. After the onions and garlic are fried and topped up with water, the sauerkraut, mushrooms, sour cream and spices are stirred in. Finally, the diced potatoes and sausage slices are added. After cooking for 10 minutes, the potatoes should be done and the dish is ready.

Sour potato soup (Kyslá zemiaková polievka)

This sour potato soup is extremely 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 flavourful.

Barley soup (Krúpová polievka)

Barley soup is a thick soup that is especially popular in the cold season. It is usually prepared with beef or pork, but can also be cooked as a vegetarian dish. It is served with dumplings and capers, but sometimes also with mushrooms.

Fried cheese (Vyprážaný Syr)

Fried cheese is usually eaten as a starter or as a simple snack. Blocks of cheese are coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and then deep-fried. Once golden brown, they can be served. They are usually accompanied by chips and remoulade.

Main courses

Probably the most typical national dish of Slovakia is Spätzle with brimsen and bacon. The dish is so popular that there is actually an annual competition representing the world championships in cooking and eating Spätzle with sheep's cheese.

Spätzle with brimsen and bacon (Bryndzové halušky)

For this popular national dish, the Spätzle (dumplings) are made from potato dough by finely grating the potatoes and mixing them with salt and flour in a bowl until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. They are then cut into small pieces or pressed through a coarse sieve and cooked in hot water. Once they float to the surface, they are done and are immediately mixed with the special sheep's cheese (brimsen). On top comes fried bacon together with the rendered fat. Buttermilk or sour milk is typically drunk alongside it. Alternatively, the Spätzle can also be mixed with fried sauerkraut.

Potato flatbread (Lokše)

Lokše refers to a Slovak potato flatbread made from potatoes, flour and salt. It can be enjoyed in numerous variations – sweet or savoury. For example, it can be filled with chocolate cream or cinnamon and sugar. It is also suitable as a side dish for hearty meals or can be filled with savoury ingredients. Lokše is versatile and goes with almost any dish.

Pierogi (Pirohy)

This dish consists of filled dumplings. The dough is made from flour, egg, salt and warm water. The filling often consists of boiled and mashed potatoes with chives and cream cheese. The filled dumplings are cooked in boiling water and are ready as soon as they rise to the surface. They are served with fried onions, chives and sour cream. There are numerous variations: savoury with sheep's cheese, bacon or sauerkraut and mushrooms, or sweet with apples, cinnamon, sugar or jam.

Potato pancakes (zemiakové placky)

Grated potato pancakes are very popular in Slovakia. They resemble rösti, are fried until crispy and then served with sour cream and chives.

Stew (Porkolt)

Porkolt refers to a beef or pork stew, braised in a dark beer and paprika sauce. Variations with chicken or rabbit are also possible. The stew is served with dumplings, noodles or potatoes.

Desserts

Poppy seed-filled pastry (Pressburg crescents)

This is a yeast dough that is typically filled with poppy seeds or nuts. The filled pieces of dough are shaped, baked and then left to cool slightly. A traditional sweet speciality with a long history.

Delicate pastry (Laskonky)

This traditional pastry is very popular in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Two biscuits are joined together with a cream (usually based on homemade caramel) and then decorated with melted chocolate.

Poppy seed dumplings (Makové Šúľance)

This sweet dish consists of potato dough and is mixed with plenty of melted butter and poppy seeds. It is served both as a dessert and as a sweet main course.

Drinks

Vinea

A very popular drink in Slovakia is a carbonated grape juice called Vinea, which is available in various flavours.

Kofola

Slovakia's homegrown cola drink is called Kofola and typically contains carbonation and caffeine. It also comes in several flavours.

Borovička

A clear juniper-flavoured spirit, often drunk as an aperitif or digestif, with a taste reminiscent of gin.

Beers

Beer is very popular in Slovakia. Well-known brands include Zlatý Bažant, Topvar, Šariš and Steiger.

Wines

High-quality wines are produced in six Slovak wine regions. Particularly popular are Rhine Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Traminer and Grüner Veltliner among the white wines, as well as Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Sauvignon among the red wines.

Important travel info: vignette requirement in Slovakia

Anyone travelling to Slovakia by car needs a digital vignette for the signposted vignette-liable sections of motorways and expressways. It is linked to the licence plate and checked electronically; there is no sticker. The motorway bypasses of Bratislava, Nitra, Košice, Prešov, Poprad, Žilina and Banská Bystrica are toll-free. Buy the vignette before your first journey on a liable section, as it only becomes valid once payment has been made and is not applied retroactively.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant journey!

Slovak cuisine is diverse and ranges from hearty to sweet dishes: there is something for every taste. We wish you a wonderful trip to Slovakia and lots of enjoyment while exploring this versatile country, both culinarily and culturally. You can find more information on tolls in Slovakia in our guide. Feel free to also use our route planner to plan your trip optimally and have the suitable toll products displayed. If you have any questions, we are always available by email.