Enjoy a proper typical Czech breakfast, from scrambled eggs to delicious pastries!
Generally speaking, Czechs do not consider breakfast the most important meal of the day, and that is why they so often do not care too much about what they eat in the morning – as long as it is quick and comes with a cup of coffee.
Some Czechs even skip breakfast altogether!
Having said that, it would be unfair to claim that there is no typical or traditional breakfast in the Czech Republic.
Furthermore, with the rise of healthy lifestyle awareness people rediscover the value of a hearty breakfast.
White Bread
Do not skip a trip to a baker’s shop! Bread with something. That would probably be the most common answer if you asked a Czech what they usually have for breakfast.
A slice of wheat-and-rye bread, traditionally sourdough, or a white roll (rohlík) topped with butter, hard cheese, and ham is one example.
Those with more of a sweet tooth opt for jam or honey.
Pastries, often homemade, are just as common at the breakfast table, typically:
- doughnuts filled with jam
- yeast cakes with quark or poppy seeds
- apple strudel
- Czech koláče (breakfast kolaches)
Christmas Eve morning specifically calls for a festive kind of sweet bread called “vánočka”, which is actually available all year round in most bakeries.
Easter also comes with a special pastry, it is named “mazanec”.
Cereals
Cereals cannot be left out; some people prefer breakfast cereals to baked goods.
Cornflakes splashed with milk or muesli mixed with plain yoghurt, that is an option you can find even in most hotels offering Czech breakfasts.
Notice that various kinds of dairy are a real staple in the Czech Republic, whether you prefer bread or cereals.
Additionally, oatmeal has found a way to Czech homes in recent years, prepared either with water or milk.
Although some rely on sugary instant mixes, others take the time to cook it from scratch, especially at the weekends, and finish it with nuts and fruits.
Brands of Czech breakfast cereal:
- Bonavita
- Emco
- Nestlé
Warm Breakfast
As for warm breakfast, oatmeal is not the only choice.
A lazy Saturday or Sunday morning is the ideal time for scrambled eggs with vegetable garnish, bread or buns.
Meat lovers would add some sausage, such as wieners with mustard and ketchup. The other option is Hemenex, a Czech version of fried ham and eggs.
Whether your breakfast is warm or cold, it is always served with a hot beverage in most households.
How to say breakfast in Czech? The Czech word for a breakfast is snídaně [ˈsɲiːdaɲɛ].
Cup of Coffee Or Tea
Cup of coffee is a must for cosy Czech mornings. So let’s wash all the good food down!
Coffee, black or white, is well loved in the Czech Republic just as anywhere else in the world, but it is not the only typical morning drink.
Since childhood we grow up drinking tea for breakfast, and even though many switch to coffee later in life, a great number of people still start their day with a cup of black or green tea.
Sometimes you can come across orange juice or hot cocoa made from Czech Granko, popular especially among children.
Marlene Conklin says
Hi
Was looking for a recipe for Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage, I'm going to make it tomorrow.
My grandparents came from the Czech Republic in the late 1800's, I grow with all the foods and I sometimes go back and cook some of the ones from my childhood. I boys also enjoy the food.
Thank you for the newsletter, I'll be looking forward to more news and recipes.
Have a great day.
Marlene
Petra Kupská says
Ahoj Marlene,
Thank you very much for your comment and I add a tip for cabbage. I have three recipes on the site, all of them are Czech. Hopefully, you will choose one of them:
- Braised Sauerkraut
- Czech sweet and sour cabbage
- Braised red cabbage
Have a nice summer and greetings from the Czech Republic!
Petra
Mari Purdy says
Hi Petra, my Czech grandma made a lot of kolaches in her lifetime. She never had a recipe to hand down to her next generation. it was always in her head. My mom has a recipe that she says is very near to grandmas kolach recipe. My grandma used potato water in her recipe for kolaches. Do you happen to have a recipe for kolache dough that uses potato water?
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Ahoj, Mari! In some Czech yeast kolace recipes, potato starch is added to make the dough soft for longer. I think your grandmother used potato starch water to achieve a similar result. I have not tried the recipe, unfortunately.
Nancy says
Good morning Petra,
I was wondering if you make sauerkraut the way I was taught? I add an onion chopped to my sauerkraut, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, a few sprinkles of caraway seeds, and a grated raw potato to the sauerkraut then add just enough water to cover the kraut mixture then cook on a low to medium heat for at least an hour. At the end my mother in law would make a butter and flour slurry and mix it in the sauerkraut to thicken a bit and lastly would add some of the fat from the meat to the sauerkraut for good flavor. Is this typical in the Czech Republic?