The best food in your next Eastern Europe Tour
The best food in your next Eastern Europe Tour post
Have you ever tried some of the most delicious dishes from Eastern Europe?
If not, you are lucky since we are providing you with the best Eastern Europe food guide in this post. All you have to do is read it and mentally travel to your next destination.
If there is one thing we like doing when visiting a new country, it is to try typical dishes of the local gastronomy, in this case, Eastern Europe is no exception.
Curiosities | Poland | Czech Republic | Slovakia | Hungary | Conclusions |
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That’s why this time we are going to explore Eastern Europe and its incredible gastronomy, and as you already know part of our roots come from here, exactly from the beautiful Czech Republic.
In general, Eastern Europe is a region quite unknown to most people, it is a place where the dishes are very different from what one is used to.
When you come for the first time, the gastronomy here can even scare you if you are from a distant country. Nevertheless, Eastern Europe has a rich history and culture, and delicious food which in the end surprises anyone positively.
Curiosities and tips – Eastern Europe tour
The countries of Eastern Europe cover a vast part of the old continent, and for this reason, their gastronomy is rich and extensive. Each country has its own recipes and its incredible cuisine, even so, the ingredients used in many preparations are similar.
It is probably due to different factors, such as migration, the various economic exchanges, or going further, the influence of the empires and kingdoms that occupied these lands long ago.
Another thing common to Eastern European countries is that in general, the food is quite caloric and abundant, you could mistakenly use the word heavy but only think in a positive way.
Actually, these dishes are prepared to satisfy and keep the body warm and full of energy to be able to work and face the low temperatures of these lands.
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Nowadays the temperatures have risen a lot here too and the summer can be very hot.
One thing we noticed in almost every Eastern European country is the absence of summer and vegetarian dishes (almost everywhere).
In fact, a curious thing is that all year round the classic local restaurants serve the same dishes with the same ingredients and a lot of meat.
In general, Eastern European food tends to be heavy on meat and potatoes, but there is still plenty of variety within those parameters.
If you are thinking of visiting one or all of these countries, be prepared to eat mostly substantial dishes, stews, and hot soups and the same food also during the summer months.
Another interesting thing that these countries have in common is that food prices tend to be affordable. You can eat in the restaurant without having to sell a kidney or ask for a loan, as can happen in other countries in Europe.
After a bit of information and curiosities about Eastern Europe and its gastronomy, we are ready to share with you our list of the best delicacies of the countries that we have visited in our travels.
1. Poland – Eastern Europe tour
- Pierogi
- Chlodnik
- Placki ziemniaczane
- Obwarzanek
- Makowiec
A country full of history and traditions that makes this nation a very good place for any foodie who expects a rich and variety of dishes.
One of the things that we liked most about this country (surely because of the similarity with Italian pasta) are the Pierogi. These stuffed dough dumplings are without a doubt the national dish of Poland. You can enjoy them with various fillings such as cheese, meat and even sweet pierogi which are also delicious.
Since we were talking about the high temperatures and lack of summer dishes, in Poland you are lucky, you can find here a delicious cold soup named Chlodnik.
This soup is made from beetroot, cucumber, garlic, and radish, and is topped and served with lemon-garnished kefir, hard-boiled egg, sliced radishes, and fresh dill.
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Another classic dish from Polish cuisine that has stood out in our personal rankings are the delicious potato pancakes Placki ziemniaczane. Although it will be difficult for you to pronounce this name to the waiter, we assure you that it will not be difficult to eat them and ask for another one, especially if you like potatoes as we do.
The prices of the dishes are quite moderate, but if you are looking for something delicious and cheap you can opt-in for the Obwarzanek. You can find these Polish bagels in any corner of the city since they are usually sold in small stalls on the streets. If we have to define Obwarzanek in two words, it would be delicious and affordable.
There is no happy ending without a delicious dessert and thinking of Poland, it has to be Makowiec. Although it is considered a Christmas dessert by the locals, it will not be difficult to find it on the local restaurant’s menus.
2. Czech Republic – Eastern Europe tour
- Koleno
- Vepřo knedlo zelo
- Svíčková na smetaně
- Klobása
- koláče
- Medovnik
As we told you before, the Czech Republic is our native country for at least half of the team, and as you can imagine we love to talk about and promote our country.
The Czech Republic is known for two things, beautiful women and its incredible beer. We always say that the third reason to visit this country is super delicious food.
One thing is for sure, Czechs love beer, especially Pilsner Urquell, and often drink it with meals instead of wine or other spirits.
They not only like to drink beer but also to cook with it. In fact, one of the most famous dishes and what drives us crazy is the pork knuckle roasted in dark beer, called Koleno. If you like well-roasted pork, this is the dish you have always dreamed of. Just a small warning, it is better to eat it in two or if you are very hungry because the portions are huge.
Another thing you have to know is that although in this country they have very good bread, they don’t eat it with the main dishes (in Italy, you can’t start eating without bread).
In the Czech Republic, they have a preparation called “knedlíky” instead of bread to accompany the food. They are similar to large dumplings or giant gnocchi, (flour, bread, or potatoes) that are boiled first and subsequently cut into slices.
And precisely the knedlíky are part of the national dish, the “Vepřo knedlo zelo” made of roast pork, cooked cabbage, and bread gnocchi. A classic dish that you absolutely must try during your stay in the Czech republic.
Another super popular dish in the Czech Republic is roast beef with sauce and whipped cream “ svíčková na smetaně. The name recalls the cut of meat that was used in this preparation, the sirloin. Nowadays, due to the price of sirloin, different meat is used for the preparation to make this dish accessible for all.
If you are not fed up with so much meat and you want to eat something quick and cheap, you can try their famous sausages called “klobásy“. Normally served with a slice of bread and mustard, you can find it everywhere, especially in food markets and street stalls.
We know that you are still waiting for the final meal, dessert. One famous dessert is called “koláče” (fruit or poppy seed cake) and the other one “Medovník” (honey and walnut cake), two of our favorite desserts in the Czech Republic (not counting our grandmother’s desserts:-)).
3.Slovakia – Eastern Europe tour
- Bryndzové halušky
- Lokša
- Vyprážaný syr
- Pampúšik
Slovakia is a beautiful country in the middle of Europe and although it is smaller compared to the others that surround it, it is full of incredible local products (such as cheeses or sausages) and has rich gastronomy.
Being a first cousin of the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia was divided into two countries in 1993) you might feel that the dishes are quite similar. For this reason and in this food guide, we give you other tips so you can try something else when visiting Slovakia.
We start with the dish that according to our experience is the star dish of Slovakia, the “bryndzové halušky“. This small gnocchi made of grated potato, flour, and salt, accompanied by a bryndza cheese sauce and touches of smoked bacon will make you fall in love. Imagine happy Italian faces when they find this potato gnocchi during their visit to Slovakia, what a feast ahah.
The next dish that we would like to recommend to you is crepes, the famous “Lokša“.
These crepes, unlike their French sisters, are prepared from potatoes (it is clear that Slovaks like potatoes 😉 ). Depending on the taste and the season, these pancakes are accompanied or stuffed with either sweet or savory products. The most classic one is Lokša with duck meat or prune jam sprinkled with poppy seeds.
If you are a vegetarian, the following dish may be the perfect option for you when you visit Slovakia. Fried cheese, accompanied by potatoes, is usually fried or mashed with tartar sauce.
The name of this dish in Slovak is “Vyprážaný sýr“, and besides being tasty (fried is always good) it’s a fairly affordable meal, so two extra points for this classic dish.
Coming to the sweet dishes in this country, we vote for the delicious “Pampúšiky“.
These sweet fluffy balls are truly amazing and during our last trip, we ate them with cream and red berries. We can assure you that this combination with freshly made pampúšiky is delicious and not to be missed.
4. Hungary – Eastern Europe tour
- Gulyás
- Lecsó
- töltött káposzta
- Lángos
- Kürtőskalács
Hungary is a large country without a sea, which is why Hungarian food is full of meat, freshwater fish, and vegetables, such as peppers, aubergines, cabbage, and tomatoes.
Delicious and good quality products are part of the lively and vibrant gastronomy such as paprika or sour cream.
There are many great dishes in Hungary, however, we think that the most famous dish is “Goulash“. During our visit, we noticed that we had a very distorted idea of what this preparation was. We had always considered Goulash as a thick stew, with a lot of meat and onion since in the Czech Republic it is served like this with knedlíky.
In Hungary, we found a rich soup instead. It is true that the soup has meat and onion in its base, but the main ingredient is a paprika powder which gives it that unique color and flavor. If you visit Hungary, it is essential that you try this soup (stew) at least once, even if it is 40 degrees outside.
Another dish that we totally recommend is “Lecso“, another stew and vegetables for hot summer days Ahah. This time the bases of its preparation are vegetables, such as peppers and tomatoes, although in its classic version it is prepared with sausage and bacon.
If you are a vegetarian in 2022 it will not be difficult for you to find a vegetarian version of this dish. Well, only if you like paprika because, in this dish, as well as most Hungarian recipes, it is used in abundance.
The next dish has as its main ingredient cabbage and the preparation itself is called “Toltott kaposzta“. We imagine that you are still trying to pronounce it right. Do not worry, you can do it the same way as us when we don´t speak a common language with the locals, indicate what you want, smile, pay and enjoy.
Returning to the dish, it consists of stewed cabbage (like sauerkraut) accompanied by meat and rice wrapped and cooked inside the same cabbage leaf. Clearly, if you like this ingredient this dish will be your favorite.
Speaking of our favorite dish, it is the most famous street food in Hungary fried in plenty of oil, yes you are right, it is “Langos“. A pancake of dough stretched and fried, covered with a layer of sour cream and various toppings such as grated cheese, bacon, sausage, onion, or fresh peppers.
Do you know that in the Czech Republic they also prepare Langos?
Unlike in Hungary, in the Czech Republic Langos are served with ketchup and Edam cheese!!
When we shared this version with local people and also with Italians (fried pizza), they didn’t take it very nicely, but from our point of view, it is fried and with sour cream or ketchup it’s all delicious.
“Kurtoskalacs“, is neither an insult nor a goodbye but one of the richest desserts in this country. We love this dessert created with dough stretched out on a rolling pin and cooked under smoldering coals, turning continuously. In the most classic version, it is served still hot, covered with cinnamon, sugar, and lemon peel or grated walnuts.
Nowadays, this dessert has evolved and it has the shape of a hollow cylinder often filled with different things such as chocolate, whipped cream, or ice cream.
Can you imagine this dessert still hot with delicious ice cream on hot summer days?
Ps: We are crazy about this dessert and we recommend it 100%.
Conclusions – Eastern Europe tour
We could write much more about the gastronomy of these countries and the ability to adapt their recipes to what the land has offered them and its low temperatures.
Only in the Czech Republic could we write an entire book, full of anecdotes and curiosities about the dishes that have been part of my childhood. In fact, check my recommendations about what to eat in Prague.
For now, we hope you like our tips which will help you on your next trip to Eastern Europe. We wrote this post because we know that it is often difficult to know what to eat when you don’t understand the local language and the majority of people do not speak English.
We hope that this guide gives you more or less an idea of what you can eat in Eastern Europe.
Soon, we hope to visit more countries in this area and add more dishes and information so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to answer you as soon as possible.
A hug and see you soon, your travelling and foddies friends from Fun food Travelling.
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I could hardly read or pronounce most of the food listed here, but I trust your judgment when you say they’re a must-try! I’ve always thought Pierogis were fried dough, didn’t know they were of the dumpling variety
I honestly can not pronounce them all hahaha but they are for sure all dishes to must=try. Yes, the Pierogi in Poland are not fried but steamed, we have seen them fried in different parts of the world but I think this version comes from another neighboring country !!