#LifeInCzechia Do you want to celebrate Easter like a true Czech person? Then eat like one. Czech Easter is full of delicious meals and yummy desserts made out of seasonal ingredients. You can prepare them at home without any hassle. Let’s discover Czech Easter cuisine together!
Eat something green on Green Thursday.
Easter traditions
The celebration of Easter starts on Ash Wednesday. In Czechia, it is called škaredá středa or ugly Wednesday. Therefore, it is common to prepare potato flatbreads and sweet or salty pancakes and tear them into “ugly” small pieces. This way trhanec or Kaiserschmarrn, as it is commonly known, is made.
The next day is Green Thursday or zelený čtvrtek. Do you want to stay healthy all year? Then eat something green on this day. People use to eat spinach soup or sauce with potatoes and boiled egg, or roasted peas.
Good Friday is the day of fasting and you should not eat any meat. Can’t you resist? You can eat meals prepared from fish. Poor people used to bake potato cakes in the shape of fish. Moreover, a dense soup of sour cabbage, beans, potatoes, and other basic ingredients was eaten on this day.
Holy Saturday is the day of a great feast. In the evening, the whole family gathers around the table and eats several courses of food. Mazanec (sweet bread) and Easter stuffing with meat were the two most typical meals.
On Easter Sunday, people eat strong meat broth, followed by roasted meat. Traditional sweet cake in the shape of a lamb should be on the table. The celebration ends on Easter Monday when people eat eggs as a symbol of fertility. You can eat them fried, boiled, stuffed, or in any other form.
Try out Easter stuffing
Easter meals
Nádivka
Nádivka is a traditional Easter stuffing made of smoked meat, white bread soaked in milk, eggs, and a mix of spring herbs and seasonings. Traditionally, nádivka was the first meat that was eaten after the 40–day meat fasting. For that reason, three types of meat were used, usually pork, veal, and lamb. After mixing all the ingredients together, the mixture is spread on a circular or square baking sheet, and baked until done.
Mazanec
Mazanec is a sweet type of bread made of sourdough starter. It is traditionally shaped like a round loaf with a cross in the middle because it used to be brought to church on Easter Sunday. If you want to make it at home, you can add lemon or orange peels, a little bit of rum, and don’t forget raisins. Before baking, brush with whisked yolk and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Vajíčková pomazánka
Vajíčková pomazánka is a traditional spread made of eggs. It is a great way how to use all those decorated and colored hard-boiled eggs. It is very simple. You just smash or chop the eggs into small pieces, add mustard, and spring onion. Usually, butter is added, but you can use yogurt or cream cheese for a lighter version. And it’s done to be eaten!
Do not hesitate to learn more about our Easter traditions, and check out our tips for this Easter. If you want to feel at home, check out our categories of “Living” and “Food & Drink” where you will find tips for great pastime activities and recommendations for interesting meals. You will not only have a lot of fun but also learn about your new home.
Sources: Visit Czechia, Kosik.cz, iPrima.cz, Receptyonline.cz, Cook Like Czechs, English Radio, Slepičárna,
Image source: unsplash.com, košík.cz
