The Foreigner's Guide to Slovakia

Relatives are coming from Slovakia next month to visit us here in California and have asked us what would we like them to bring. Of course this is something I’ve had to think about for a while. Though I have something of a wish list, I haven’t decided what I’m going to request in the end. Here’s my list so far:

Jacobs Kronung instant coffee
I wasn’t a coffee drinker until I moved to Europe. Still, most Europeans (and probably Americans too) would cringe at the idea of drinking instant, but in Slovakia that’s what most people have at home. And I love it. There’s nothing like a cup along with a piece of my grandmother-in law’s kolač. Of all the brands I’ve tried while in Slovakia, I like Jacubs Kronung the best (and actually the manufacturer is German).

To get ready for having this special coffee in my pantry at home, I’ve been working on perfecting my grandmother-in-law’s recipe of nut-roll kolač. Believe me, when yeast is involved and I have to do steps such as convert how much a half kilo of flour is into cups, this takes more than a few attempts. I’m super close to getting it just right. One more attempt and I’ll nail it. Then I’ll post the converted recipe here.

Siesta na cesty tatranky
I’ve mentioned these before as a recommendation of what to bring back from Slovakia as a souvenir. Tatranky are wafer cookies. There’s a huge selection of these and I think I’ve tried all of them. My favorite is Siesta na cesty. Why? Because the chocolate used in and on the wafer has the highest percentage of real cocoa in comparison to other tatranky, giving them a richer taste. How do I know this? While in Slovakia I taught English at Kraft Foods, the manufacturer of the Siesta tatranky brand, and this fact was a point of pride.

Horčica – Mustard
I don’t know what it is about this particular mustard with the Slovak trade mark of St. Nicolaus, but it doesn’t taste like anything that I can find in the states. Mustard is a key ingredient in Slovak potato salad for Christmas and Easter so having this on hand will be good. It’s also great with párky – hotdogs; with a slice or two of dark bread.

Kypriaci prášok do perníka
This is a packet that contains a mix of spices used in making things like medovníky or the Slovak cake perník. Perník is something like a gingerbread cake. I’ve had it several times over the years while in Slovakia but back in California I haven’t been able to reproduce it. I have a recipe but the taste isn’t as good as I remember. I need to keep hunting for another. If any Slovaks out there have a good recipe for perník, please send it my way. Thanks.

Oštiepok
Yes, it is legal to bring cheese from Slovakia to the United States, provided that it is a hard cheese such as oštiepok or parenica. Both of these cheeses are excellent but smoked oštiepok is a favorite. This is something else that goes well with dark bread and Slovak mustard. I wrote a whole post just on Slovak cheeses. Check it out for descriptions of each.

Becherovka
This is an herbal-based liqueur, made in Czechia, that to me is slightly bitter but still has a pleasant taste. I like having Becherovka on hand to treat an upset stomach. It’s actually great as an aperitif before a large or heavy meal to prevent stomach upset. I can’t explain it and usually I don’t put much faith in herbal remedies, but having experienced it myself, I’m a believer. Of course Becherovka can be found probably at any place in the US that has a decent stock of imported liqueurs, but it may be a bit pricey.

Ružový porcelán – Pink porcelain
My mom started a collection of pink porcelain when she came to Slovakia for the first time. Ružový porcelán is made in many factories but the best comes from the Karlovy Vary area in Bohemia-Czechia. It’s also sold all over Slovakia. Honestly, I can’t decide if I really like this kind of porcelain or not. The rose-color isn’t all that attractive to me; however, the pieces I’ve seen done with silver are quite beautiful. For my mom I will ask for a bowl in the pattern she collects.

Paradontax toothpaste
I don’t care for sweet-flavored toothpastes. This brand of toothpaste – made in the UK – is made with herbs. I got used to it while in Slovakia and now if I can get a hold of it, I prefer it over other brands. Another ingredient of this toothpaste is probably baking soda because my teeth feel squeaky clean afterward. Good stuff.

I’ve got a couple more weeks to add anything else to my list. I’ll probably add some Figaro chocolate tablets or more tatranky!