Top Traditional Slovakian Foods to Try
#1 - Bryndzové Halušky
Perhaps one of the most famous dishes, and Slovakia’s national dish is bryndzové halušky. These are little potato dumplings, like the consistency of Italian gnocchi, and are topped with sheep’s cheese, spring onions, and fried bacon pieces. The contrast of the soft dumplings and rich cheese paired with the crispiness of the bacon and onions is perfect. But be careful - it’s super rich and definetely shareable!
#2 - Kapustnica
This translates to sour cabbage soup. That may sound a little weird and unappetizing, but it was actually our favourite dish we tried while visiting Slovakia! They take sauerkraut and cook it down with onions, garlic, paprika sausage, potatoes, and pepper. It is fantastic to enjoy when it’s cold outside, although this would be great to enjoy year-round.
#3 - Gulášová Polievka
Next is another soup on the list. This is a traditional goulash soup. You’ll find goulash soup in many countries such as Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Romania, but they all put their own spin on the classic dish. In Slovakia, it is most similar to what you would find in Hungary (maybe because of the proximity). It is thinner with a focus on spices. It pairs great with fresh bread, unlike other countries’ interpretations on goulash. They combine beef, onions, potatoes, spices, peppers, and tomatoes to create its signature aroma. We liked it so much that we forgot to get a picture of it when we ate, so here is a flashback pic of our goulash in Hungary LOL.
#4 - Vyprážaný Syr
This dish is plain and simple: fried cheese. Yes, that’s all it is, and it’s glorious! To make the dish more traditional, it’s usually served with french fries with tartar sauce, not like the image above. I just couldn’t stomach another heavy dish and was in real need of some vegetables tbh. You can find this in almost every traditional restaurant, and it is perfect for those who are vegetarians.
#5 - Vyprážaný Rezeň
Since Slovakia borders with Austria, it’s no wonder why another traditional dish is schnitzel. While we know in Germany and Austria that there are multiple kinds of schnitzel, here, it’s just called schnitzel. Outside of Slovakia, this would be called wiener schnitzel, which is named after Vienna (Wien) near the western border. It is a veal schnitzel that has been pounded and breaded to be pan-fried. Then, it is topped with lemon. A nice simple dish and great for those who are a little more picky with their food, especially children which may find this more familiar than other items on this list.
#6 - Bryndzové Pirohy
This dish comes at a close second for me, with the cabbage soup being my personal #1. These are pierogies filled with sheep’s cheese (are you sensing a theme?). They can either be boiled or pan-fried, although I was told the most traditional method is boiled. It is served with fresh sour cream and fried bacon. Really nice and very filling.
#7 - Zemiakové Placky
These you will find at any festival, event, or gathering. It translates to potato pancakes. But not just any potato pancakes… these are gigantic pancakes enough to feed a couple or a family of 4, it seems. It is shredded potato mixed with binding to form flat disks. It is then pan-fried or deep-fried and topped with whatever you choose. Most of the toppings range from sour cream and bacon, cheese and butter, or sauerkraut, as well as many other options.
#8 - Lokše
These you will also find everywhere at festivals and events, but also in many bakeries around Bratislava. These are potato pancakes… not like the ones in #7, but are much softer and thinner. They kind of come out looking like tortillas or crepes. In a way, they taste like it too. They can either be served plain or with fillings that can either be sweet or savoury. We were feeling something sweet at the time, so we ordered one with hazelnut spread and slivered almonds. There’s countless varieties and some cafes and stands can be very creative with their choices, so you’ll be sure to find one that sounds good to you!
#9 - Bratislavské Rožky
This is Slovakia’s answer to a croissant. It is thicker pastry that contains either chopped walnuts or poppy seeds inside. It is then folded into a crescent shape or a “C” shape. If it’s crescent, it contains poppy seeds. If it’s “C” shaped, it will have walnuts, like ours in the photo above. These are great with a cup of tea or any hot beverage as sometimes it can taste a little dry. But, it does not lack in flavour and has some surprising history that dates back over 200 years.
#10 - Slovak Brandy
We can’t finish our list and not talk about Slovakian brandy. Because of Slovakia's cold climate, it makes sense that they would have alcohol that feels like it’s keeping the body warm. Everyone who knows me well knows that I’m not much of an alcoholic drinker, but even I found this to be quite nice. It’s different from other brandy that I have had in the past, meaning it was VERY smooth and tasted quite fruity. It did make us feel warm from the super cold climate and was a nice way to finish off our meals!
