Czechs love jednohubky! Any party wouldn’t be complete without them. Come in and enjoy these tasty little treats with us.
What Are Czech Jednohubky?
Jednohubky are small open-faced sandwiches served as appetizers.
They are created of bread rolls sliced in circles about 1.½ inch (4 cm) in diameter, with a layer of spread on top. Jednohubky are also garnished with pieces of cheese, salami and vegetables.
Jednohubky should be eaten in one bite.
In the middle of the jednohubka is a cocktail stick. If you want to take the jednohubka, you grab the cocktail stick.
Rohlík, a type of Czech white bread roll, is usually used as a base for jednohubky.
Jednohubky are served as appetizers (chuťovka) at any kind of social occasion.
The closest foreign analogue to the jednohubky are probably canapes.
Popular Jednohubky Spread Recipes
- Česneková pomazánka – garlic cheese spread
- Rybí pomazánka – sardines spread
Jednohubky vs. Obložený chlebíček
Jednohubky could be literally translated to English as “one mouthful” – that’s why they are eaten in one bite.
Czechs have another specialty resembling jednohubky, obložené chlebíčky (open-faced sandwiches), whose size is ideal to grab in one hand.
Chlebíčky are larger than jednohubky, and use a different type of Czech pastry as a base, called veka.
Chlebíčky are nicely decorated too, usually with:
- hard salami
- ham slices
- cheese
- boiled eggs
- vegetables and picles
- green herbs
Delicatessen salad is first spread on veka slices (the most typical type is called „vlašák“, or „vlašský salát“, a name derives from Vlašsko, an archaic name for Italy), and only then is decorated.
Who prefers a lighter version of the open-faced sandwiches can use butter (in Czech "pomazánkové máslo") or cream cheese instead of the salad.
When Do Czechs Eat Jednohubky?
To make good and perfectly decorated jednohubky takes a bit of time, Czechs prepare these appetizers on special occasions.
Jednohubky are typically eaten as the finger food during these occasions:
- New Year’s Eve party (Silvestr)
- Family gatherings and reunions
- Birthdays (narozeniny)
- Party with friends
- Weddings (svatba)
Serving
Jednohubky are arranged on a large serving plate, and guests take them on their own volition.
A cocktail stick (wooden or plastic) is stuck inside every jednohubka, and is used to grab the jednohubka.
Each guest can also have a small dessert plate where they put each jednohubka before eating them.
This way you can eat jednohubky gracefully while also looking elegant.
Jacob
My girlfriend is Czech, and I know she misses the jednohubky. I wanted to surprise her at her birthsday party, and I came across this recipe. She said it's almost as good as her mom's, and everyone else really loved them. What really surprised her is that I found the recipe from a Czech author in English, though.