Food in Slovakia

When characteristing the Slovak cuisine, it is needed to come from the historical development our parentage. There were grown cultural food stafs, for example: rye, barley, oat, millet, bean, pea, lentil, hemp, flax. Were breeded pigs (swine), cows, sheeps and goats, hens and geese. The daily food was milk and milk products. The most part of the food was giving wild animals (game), fowl and also sweatwater fish, so the main food in that time was meat and bread. As a sweat was used honey and already in that time was made alcoholic drink-medovina.

During the beginning of feudalism the cereal production was the base of the agricultural production. Began to cultivate vegetables, fruits and naturalised also grape-growing. In the times of intensive collating and development of the towns in the 13. century began a quick development of crafts. The towns step by step lost their agricultural character because with the crafts were busy almost half of the population, which had a big influence for changing of the food. During this time a great part of the population mowed into the towns, which influenced the changing in the nurishment of the town population. Expressively fell down the use milk, as oposite towards grew the consummation of cheese, butter and curd. From the fats were mostly animal fats (adipose), vegetable oil, flax and hemp oil. The high consummation was of vegetables, fruit, fish and mainly slaughtermeat. As a sweat was used besides honey also sirups, and also birch and maple juice. Canesugar was rare, because it was imported and was sold mainly at chemist`s. On the market came fruit from the tropical and subtropical countries, they were dry figs, raisin, dates, almonds and rice.

In the times of the top feudalism widend the consummation of the alcoholic drinks. Medovina gave away to beer and began to produce distillates. The population took their food three times daily. Breakfast mostly created soups, meat, bread and in winter was eaten also sauerkraut. Profouse food was eaten on lunch and dinner. The great change in the nurishment caused the potatoes, which came to us at the beginning of the 18. century. Their growing was widening very slowly and only in the 19. century became the basic food for all population. In the nurishment of the Slovak folk were greate differences due to the geografical conditions. On the Southern fertile place were enough meat, flower, milk products, fruit and vegetables. In the poor mountain areas were the base of the nurishment potatoes and the sauerkraut. Among the popular food of the(for) poor people, but also townsmens were grueled foods. The grueled food replaced in the Slovak cuisine bread. The best tasted sorts of grueled foods were prepared from cereals, flower and later from potatoes and are known as fucka, stiarc.

Later the traditional grueled food went away and were replaced with gruels from grits and rice. In the villages mainly the Southern Slovakia was prepared corn gruel named polenta. Bread created the base of the nurishment, which had plain round form and was prepared from thick flower. The quality white bread was baked in the South Slovakia from white wheat flower. The rich representation in the food had also cereals, which were prepared and named due to the country habitts, for example-pirohy, tasky, perky, tatarcene pirohy, which were stuffed with a sheep cheese. The most typical were the small potato dumplings which were prepared from flower and the potatoes. They are topped with a special sheep cheese product (bryndza) and bacon. This dish originated among shepherds and other poor people in the Orava and middle regions of the country, probably because both potatoes and sheep cheese were plentiful and cheap. The best they are prepared in Chalet or Sheds with sheep`s milk (žinčica). After the calls of the preparation of the used products have also today`s names - strapacky (with the sauerkraut), halusky, hickose, sklbance, dzgance and so on.

Soups and sauces created the important part of the food and belong among denser foods. From the traditional thinly soups was favourite kyseľ, which has various names due to the regions used products (in this season is prepared kapustnica). Milk and milk products (parenica, curd, and oštiepok) belonged among the basic parts of the food. Milk was mostly eaten as an individual meal. Most consumed meat in the Slovak cooking was sheeps and lamb. From meat were prepared special meals. For example - mutton with the garlic, roasted mutton, roasted lamb an the spit, eastern stuffed ram, cooked lamb in the sheep milk (žinčica) and so on. The poultry in the villages were breaded more for eggs than for meat. In the south was widend bread of the geese, which were made fat and were given with patties (lokse). From eggs was prepared scrambled eggs - the traditional Slovak meal (mainly for breakfast).