As a person from Prague: The only acceptable way of eating a trdelnik is getting a plain one (chocolate spread inside is okay) when it's fresh and hot at the Christmas markets. That's the only time I could get it as a child, anyway. I believe it is supposed to be eaten hot/warm, so putting ICE cream inside is the stupidest thing ever. You ruin both of those things. And the portion sizes are ridiculously big.
As a Hungarian, I have a few chimney cake principles. 1. If its more than 2 euros, its a scam 2. It has to be eaten hot 3. So why would you put Icecream into it? It's just a very expensive cone
I’ve had Chimney Cakes in both the Czech Republic and in Hungary, and the Hungarian ones are so much better. Even the non touristy chimney cakes in The Czech Republic (outside of Prague) do not taste as good as the ones I had in Budapest.
you can find chimney cake for around 2 euros in Budapest, just make sure to get fresh ones, sometimes if they make too many they might sell you a cold one, best method for a fresh one is to ask for a topping that they don’t have pre-made
@@aralka01 I think he just doesn't like it or the Check version is just bad compared to everyone else's. Other countries seem to like theirs. I tried the Polish version and it's very good, vanilla tasting. But I can imagine Ice cream or other things could be a delicious addition.
@@TheBooban I know it can taste good, but I don't think these tourist stands care too much about quality :( I'd bet they're using cheap ingredients to make as much money as possible. And even if it were real ice cream, I still am against the idea of putting it inside a hot pastry.
@@TheBooban Yeah, but APPLE PIE DOESN'T HAVE A HOLE IN IT!!! I should rephrase it: I don't mind it flavour-wise, I just think it's stupid and very messy practicality-wise
@@tomaskeprt4855 and is the problem the "trdelník" itself or the fact that some sellers sell it as authentic Prague food? because trdelnik itself is quite good and as a local I have it quite often
yup i tried it in Budapest and was quite amazing (not inside the turistic streets with a million shops of that). I also bought one in Bucarest a couple of years before, without knowing what it was and was good. Anyway, i only tried the nude vanilla-sugared one :D
@@matejkuka797 "some sellers sell it as authentic Prague food" I would say that this is the crux of the issue. Nobody would bat an eye, if they just sold it as an overpriced sweet. I understand that it comes from Hungary and Slovakians also claim they are used to it, but to me, it's just disingenuous marketing. It has nothing to do with Prague and nobody I know has ever heard of it until it suddenly flooded the centre and became a tourist trap.
The food wasting made me mad. I also saw countless half eaten trdelniks in the trash cans. I also must say that Prague was a very clean city despite all the tourists there. Bravo Prague City cleaning team! 👏
I'm in Prague right now and thanks to you I avoided this thing and also warned my friends to not buy it. Instead we went to Kolacherie for some delicious kolachs(?). Thank you for all the amazing tips!
Kolaches. If youre from america, theres a pretty large czech descendant and immigrant community somewhere in texas. They made them quite popular there and they also make some crazy varietes, like savoury kolaches with sausage (wtf?), that would make every czech grandma scream in pain and whip up the ol' reliable wooden spoon of death. But ive heard they are surprisingly good
The shop would be "Koláčerie" although shops focused just on koláče is mainly a Prague thing so you'd usually find it in a "cukrárna" (sweets shop, mainly pastries). The Czech word that would fit into the "delicious kolachs" would be koláče so you can say kolaches. (Even though that kolaches word haunts my deepest Czech dreams)
We have it sold in Germany, on Christmas markets. It is called Baumstriezel and is positioned as a Hungarian food. It isn't extremely popular, but you will usually find some on the big market. They never put something inside - just sprinkle some sugar/cinnamon/vanilla over it. Believe it or not, it isn't bad. I like it. When it is freshly made - it tastes good.
Of course, because of it is hungarian food. It has nothing to do with Bohemian cuisine. If here in Prague tehy have signs that its traditional or old czech, they simply lie.😉
@@patamonsvk Ok, so its upper hungarian.😅 By the way, protected is "Skalický trdelník" and they don´t sell it in Hungary or in other countries. Or where did you see it outside Slovakia? Its the same like protected brand "Czech beer" it doesn´t mean that all beer is Czech. ;)
Striezel is nice. It's a pastry with nut cream. Like a Nusszopf. The Czech stuff is dry as a fart. But people go nuts over it. Like Churros. Popular dry stuff. Like a donut left in the sun for 3 days and then refried.
@@borstenpinsel Its because the "czech stuff" is not a czech stuff if you will ask our czech grannies, they won´t even know what is it. Its Hungarian. ;)
I'm always conflicted with your tradelink videos, because as a Hungarian, love it! Not the plain ones, but you can put chocoa, cinamon, grounded nuts, coconut and whatever on it and it's €2 here, for that price it's a nice pastry, thought I can never eat it in one go. We put them in plastic wraps so you don't have to throw them away if you can't finish it. Thought we also have the tourist trap shops that resemble the ones in Prague, and they do sell it for the same high price with factory made gelatto.
Yeah, its bcz trdelnik itself is not the problem. Its just foreign food. Selling trdelnik in Czechia should be the same as selling pizza, kebab or langoustine... but for some reason it just became turist trap here. Its everywhere, its poor quality and really overpriced. The food itself is fine, the way they use it here is not.
@@Mprokess Well, technically it's traditional from what I read on Wikipedia, but I understand your point, it's nowhere near it's original form and way too overpriced, done as nothing more than tourist bullshit. Especially, when Prague has so many amazing restaurants and bakeries. Food was one of the best things about visiting the Czech Republic, and Janek is right that for the price of that, you can have a nice lunch of real traditional Czech food.
@@Mprokess It is just a tourist trap. Trdelnik is no more traditional Czech food than pizza or kebab. Doesn't matter if someone likes it or not, crux of the matter is the entire centre is filled with scammers, who call it "traditional Czech food". That is bs.
4 месяца назад+3
Well yes but even in Hungary you get scammy and touristy places that sell overpriced and bad Trdelník or Langos that have nothing to do with tradition (or traditional recipes). It's like going to Italy and getting subpar pizza (which is very easy to do) or just meh gyros in Greece. The commercialised tourist traps are sadly winning.
4 месяца назад+22
Ah yes, Trdelník - the traditional food of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia and possibly many many more countries. Funny how all of our town sqares are filled with these. To be fair though, I think as far as concentration of scammy Trdelník places go, Prague takes the...cake. EDIT: As for the "mass" i believe it's just heavy cream with some vanilla flavor. Cheaper to make and store than actual ice cream or gelato. The sausage one is basically a sausage in puff pastry - you can find the same thing in any bakery (at least in most Balkan countries) for like a single euro.
Was curious about the ice cream. Here in the US there are some brands like Breyers and Jack & Jill that sell "Frozen Dairy Desert". They lack enough milk and cream to be legally labeled as ice cream. They apparently use Tara gum stabilizer. Sadly, they were established brands that used to make authentic ice cream before cutting costs.
Town squares aren't filled with them over here. It's not even traditional or originating from here. Ask any grandma what a trdelník is and they'll either say "What?" or will get really mad because they've seen them around lately. The only places with good trdelníks are probably temporary trdelník stands that show up during christmas markets or summer fairs, that's what the czechs actually eat
19 дней назад
@@jakubpluhar4914 I was being sarcastic :) I know it's not traditional in our countries, but they always push this narrative how it's a traditional treat, yet it has nothing to do with any tradition.
As Romanians, we love this kind thing called *trdelnik* in Czech even though is not traditional to us. It's a Hungarian pastry and we don't eat it with ice cream. I think is disgusting anyway. A kurtoskalacs as it's called in Hungarian is extremely popular in Romania more than in Hungary no matter the region you are (even in the capital city where there are no Hungarians, and maybe at the seaside). The average price for one went up from 2-3€ to almost 5€. And the sausage wrapped in that pastry thing is also popular in my country and it's dirt cheap (like 60-70 eurocents) I understand what you mean and I appreciate your content by showing us what to avoid while visiting the Czech Republic.
They cost like 1-1.5€ in Serbia and they're alright. Nothing to write home about but not bad either. Although you can only find it in northern parts of Serbia where Hungarians live as well
@@HelloOnepiece Of course you are right. And I'm not even from Transylvania. I live further east, near to the border with the Republic of Moldova. I said this dish has increased in popularity all across Romania. Overall, it tasted delicious and is way better than trdelnik. Janek said that tourist only eat the ice cream and throw the pastry in the garbage bin. And of course it's something I can approve.
Last time I visited Prague was in -05 or -06. There was no bread roll in sight and the traditional prague ham was not yet invented apparently. I did have something similar to the last roll from a kiosk at Wenceslas square. It cost 10 czk, had a suspicious sausage in it with occasional bone shrapnel and was called a french dog(ketchup included). I ate it more than once.
Theres a traditional prague ham variety, but it has nothing to do with these tourist traps and its just a variety of ham in the same way you have differend cheeses or sausages.
@@kickstar1 That's retarded. Czechia is a short name for Czech Republic in English which has been already used in other languages for years. I never heard of the 'republic' part until coming here. Czechia is logical, unless you're an enemy of logic I guess.
@@kickstar1 I'm czech and it's Czechia for me and anyone who doesn't want to bother with the full name. I hate it when someone calls it Czech because that's an adjective and it sounds stupid calling it like that.
haha such a nice episode. there were times I even bought a trdelnik when coming to Prague. Now I arrived for my probably 30th time here and I feel almost like a local with the Local Guide. Thanks man.
I am from Hungary and that is the only reason why I buy tredelnik in Prague . You can actually buy this stuff in the UK from food trucks to cater for homesickness.
The only place in the netherlands where you can find these kinds of things are fantasy fairs. It's called (literally translated) chimney bread and I love the taste of it. Yes, it's just bread with sugar or salt or another taste on it but I love it. And they're pretty expensive too.
Janku, I am Czech, a Prague local. I enjoy the Trdlo. I remember buying it for the first time at Pec pod Snezkou for 20Kč ages ago (literally over 20 years ago before any of these tourist ones popped up in Prague). How about you recommend where to actually get a good Trdlo? Because there must be some places. Instead of feeding and focusing on the negative, with condescending tone to just get McDonalds or a normal gelato ;) I'm sure the tourists would also be interested in such information. Would be appreciated.
Had the same thought! If there is actually a place to taste this where it's nice, just tell us. Cause I still want to know how it is supposed to be like.
@@savo4ek228 I never found one since it is the kind of thing you need a steady stream of customers to justify making, and that means the tourist area. If you ever make it to Romania, there is a kurtoskalacs rotisserie on the main street of Poiana Braşov near the Capra Neagra restaurant. It is ~3 euros for one big enough to feed two people -- plain cinnamon is best, because most people go for nuts or coconut so they make those in bulk, but a cinnamon one has to be made fresh in front of you. OMG it is fabulous, especially after a hike or bike ride in the crisp autumn air. When I lived there, I would grind my bicycle up the 600m of climbing from Brasov through the hills and around the bears, just to have one.
The dish is objectively terrible. Kürtőskalács is good precisely because it's hot and crispy. You can't fill it up with whipped cream/ice cream without it becoming cold and soggy. That's why it tastes like shit and all these people throw it away. Also, smothering it with nutella is just going to make it taste like a mouthful of nutella. In that case, just spoon it straight into your mouth or put it on bread.
5:23 "There's nothing traditional about this, but you'll love it" 5:48 "But I still don't understand why they put it in the stupid trdelník, just sell the gelato, man" I think it's not about being traditional or modern, but being different/eye-catching (which is exactly the kinda thing tourists look for when they travel: different experiences). There's also the whole spectacle of showing the trdelník being made, which only adds to the appeal. If you wanna "fight the system", maybe you'd need to open an ice cream parlor that has an eye-catching gimmick, like Cold Stone Creamery (which prepares custom ice cream orders on a frozen granite stone). I feel the ultimate irony would be making just an ice cream cone that's shaped like a trdelník (so you're still getting the visual appeal), but make it actually good (complementing the flavor of the ice cream, so it's something people would actually want to eat).
There seems to be a big difference between what they make in Prague, at least at most of these places, and what they make in places where it is really traditional, like Skalice or Hungary.
@@MarvinCZ When I tried one in Budapest, I didn't notice a difference from the one I got on staromák (which was actually tasty). Except for the lower price and the lack of a false tradition claim...
Ive never been to prague the closest point of reference to me is a funnel cake lol but I believe that by stuffing something as cold as ice cream inside a pastry not only makes it instantly stale, soggy and your tastebuds after consuming the top gelato any sugar and cinnamon that it has it just doesn’t register in your tastebuds whereas an actual cone gives you crunch and texture. Also, ive seen tourists in Naples eat pizza and leave the crust which to me seems very wasteful and is delicious probably why you don’t see many european style bakeries in north America they just don’t consume plain baked bread if it’s not stuffed with cheese, meats and sauces. Where the locals would easily eat a whole baguette plain while snacking (evoo or butter) and sipping on coffee or wine.
It's possible they are better there. I heard reports from people who had them in Prague and in Budapest, and they said they were good over there, but the Prague tourist trap ones are crap.
was in prague early last November and thanks to this video i watched earlier i didn't get this. curious yes but managed to get past that temptation and ate twice at Jídelna Světozor instead - totally worth it. . thanks honest guides.
Funny that you upload this right now! my girlfriend and I are in Prague right now, and while we knew about trdelnik being not traditional to prague (thanks to your videos) she definatly wanted to try one, so we got a small one for 90 crowns just plain with cinnamon. Thank you for throwing out this videos for tourists like us! we also went to pasta fresca yesterday (01.09) before they close for renovations for a while and tomorrow (03.09) we have a reservation at 420, once again, thank you for all the amazing tips?
My wife insisted for this "edible" for the sake of experience. For 4 euro you can eat a gelato brioche in Italia and it's more delicious than this crap
I loved mine from the Christmas market................in Budapest! 🙂 Love your coverage and look forward to returning with all the tips, tricks and cautions you have shared.
It's definitely not traditional, but it's not only for tourists, I live out in Černý Most and there's a trdelnik stand at the mall which always has customers
The first fail they've made is the ingredients they added in it. The original Chimney Cake (Kűrtőskalács in HU) contains milk and butter, and NOT oil and water. This makes a huge difference in terms of smell and flavours. I had worked in a small shop for 1 year in Hungary, we were making and selling the traditional Chimney Cakes in different flavours like the basic vanilla, cinnamon, walnut, chocolate, coconut, choco-coconut. Without any filling, the less is sometimes more and better. Of course there are some CC shops in Hungary as well where they are mostly sharpened to foreigners based on their location and prices, so they sometimes get what you ate in the video. And as others already mentioned it below, the hotter the chimney cake is the better it is. Ours were so good we had made back then, that when I microwaved it for a minute the other day what made the last day, it was still so soft and tasty. 😋
As a Prague citizen, when roaming around the touristy center, I feel bad for so many people buying Trdelníks everywhere, when literally around the corner they can get so many great sweet stuff for half or third the price instead which is actually traditional. But it's their money they're wasting, so...
G'day honest guide, fortunate to visit your beautiful city late 2019, cannot believe how this "desert food" has changed and increased in price , and thanks to you I never got sucked in to this Hungarian treat, I went for dumplings 😅 ❤from Australia
Appreciate your honesty. Remember, most of the tourists will never buy "tourist food" at their homes. So, it's quite normal anyway. I was able to find trndeliki for as low as 28 krons! Same ordinary unremarkable taste but great pictures 😊
I was in Prague 2 weeks ago and was tempted to try one of these treats. So I go into the store. 1st shock: Too many wasps (there was also a wasp trap to counter them). 2nd shock : the woman making them had a little flamethrower in hand to literally burn the wasps on the chimney cakes while making them. Well, I left and didn't buy anything. Good to find out I didn't really miss anything. Thanks for the video!
Wasn't the last one a version of "párek v rohlíku"? I used to eat them in Prague in 90s and early 2000s, but couldn't find them during my recent visit.
I assume "párek v rohlíku" is the hot dog in a roll, still sold, as far as I know, at the little kiosk beside the church in Náměstí Míru. Highly recommended as the best hot dog in Prague...
I lived in Prague from 2014 to 2017. I got scammed at least 20 times, if not more, on all sorts of things. I wish I'd seen your channel back then. But I have to say, the Czech Republic, especially Prague, will always be in my top 3 favorite cities on this planet!
I visited Prague for the first time recently and had the displeasure of falling into the trap of buying one of these. I genuinely couldn’t believe how tasteless it was. Legit couldn’t finish it towards the end. Never again!!!…but learned my lesson the hard way. Wish I had discovered your channel sooner haha
I've never had it (not that I never will), but for me, it's always better to go to a Czech restaurace and have soup and řízek/guláš for a similar price. But the level of your dedication towards disliking trdelnik is unbelievable 😅
We have something like this in Canada at our local ice cream shop, they call it a tornado and it's dipped in cinnamon and sugar and has soft serve ice cream in it with other various toppings like chocolate and icing and crumbles of other sweets mixed in. It's soft and sweet and a very wonderful fairly expensive treat, not something you want to eat every day.
I live in the Netherlands, but at a local fantasy fest, there's always a stand outside that sells kűrtőskalács (the Hungarian variant). They're about €7 for something twice the size of the ones in the videos (~half the price for a smaller one), and they're amazing! They are packaged in a way that you can actually put them in a bag if you're full to avoid waste. They stay warm for a long time and are very sweet. If you don't like *too* much sweetness, you can get coconut or something else- but my favorite is just cinnamon. I find it odd that the ones in the video are so expensive for something pretty low quality... And also that they advertise it as traditional, seems like an odd marketing strategy. But I suppose that's the case for a lot of tourist traps
I am a hungarian living in prague, and never have the willpower to get this here. It's so out of place, and after your video I know exactly why not to get them.
He used the word 'SYNONYMUM' @0:38 What does it mean? At first I thought he misspoke with him not being a native English speaker. But after looking it up all I could find kept pointing me to this: Noun synonymum (plural synonymums) 1. (non-native speakers' English) Synonym. Well that's all fine and good. Is this something anyone from the region can attest to? Is this really how the word is pronounced in some places? Thanks!
Honestly, it can be quite good - I never had it in Prague but once when I visited Slovakia. Just a plain Trdelnik, nothing added. It was quite good together with a coffee. (edit: "plain" was with cinnamon, not sure if there's one with just sugar)
I didn't find it very appealing, too sweet it the summer, but as you say it's everywhere, so I felt I had to try before leaving. With strawberries and cream. Disappointed as expected 😅
Maybe we're all missing a point. Maybe it's 'traditional' in the way that it resembles the historical, medieval pies, where the content was rich and delicious, but the crust was only a vessel and was not meant to be eaten.
I tried the chimney like 20 years ago in the christmas market in prague. Just on stand selling it i the whole city. Don't judge but i liked 😊 in my defence i do not buy it in Prague anymore
From what I hear from many people, it can be good, especially where they really care. It's just that most of these that are done as a tourist trap in Prague are quite bad.
That hotdog reminds me of a Christmas breakfast tradition in my family, we only have it once a year: It is a Frankfurt inside a croissant with tomato sauce. Don't knock it until you try it.
I’ve had trdelnik once and it was ok, but it blows my mind that anybody would eat that when they can turn the corner on a random street and pop into a little cafe and have the best cake or koláč and coffee in your life for like $3
As an American, the idea of getting a nice sit-down lunch for €6 or 7 blows my mind. That's usually about how much a sandwich or salad costs from a fast food place...
But keep in mind, that the American salaries are much higher. An average McDonald's worker makes as much money in the US as a software engineer in the eastern EU countries. Also, taxes are higher, social security contribution, etc...
Best trdelník is just plain. No creams no fancy toppings. The dough is still warm and tastes awesome, like freshly baked pastries or bread, because that’s what it is. Only then you can tell if it’s good or bad shop.
In the national agricultural museum on Letna, there is a mention of a starocesky trdelnik, there is a picture of it on one of the walls there and it looks exactly like what Janek is holding, so yes, this seems to be a Czech thing after all!
The amount of sharing food with random strangers blows my mind as an America. Someone rando on the street says, “here, try my ice cream.” That’s a hard pass!
You should do an expedition episode to find the origins of traditional trdelnik. Either in Skalica or Hungary. Would be great to see how good of a dessert it can actually be if done right.
"trdlo" is a word for various wooden tools in the shape of a stick, used as a muller, for washing up, or to bake trdelník, figuratively it's also an insult for being clumsy or unskilful
the trldenik is a great container for ice cream or pudding or whatever. I have seen similar products in California, they can be tasty, just depends what you fill it with. The dough could be made better by using a bunch of vanilla in it to give it some flavor.
You'll never find Hungarian chimney cakes in the trash. They're really good and they don't try to fill them with crazy stuff every corner. Maybe there are some places that try, but most will stay with the regular ones, served hot and fresh every time.
Hot dogs are not sausages, they're made with all the left overs of an animal (I worked at a pork processing company, considering hoofs, noses and even tails are sold as is you really have to wonder what kind of leftovers make it into hot dogs). There's a very good reason I've been a vegetarian since shortly after working there (and on a chicken farm).
"they're made with all the leftovers of an animal" Which... Makes it a sausage. You'd be stupid to make sausages out of whole cuts, they're made from trimmings. You literally work at a processing plant how do you not know about trimmings?
I'm an American, of Czech descent. As a kid in the 80's, we used to go to Czech fests in Nebraska, and my aunts, uncles, great aunts, etc used to make all kinds of Czech dishes. And when it came to desserts, it began and ended with kolaches. From scratch. But i've never even heard of this cone of dough thing, and not one Czech relative i ever knew made anything like that.
I think in this context, the best translation for "hmota" would be "stuff" :D I like the ad that says there's nothing traditional about it. I'd almost be tempted to taste it (if you didn't review it here), so clearly that ad was smart on their part!
Basically the same with Pizza and Currywurst in my German town, always prepared by people named Ibrahim, Mohammed etc claiming they have the best but its all tasteless storebought trash. Its so rare to have any authentic food in europe anymore unless you live in the countryside. Go to any big city and most places are owned by people not native to the cuisine calling themselves some italian or german named (depending on the food of course), pretending they are from those places and creating masses of overpriced slob.
Your critiques of this dessert are almost identical to my thoughts on the stereotypical "churros" that we serve in amusement parks and fairgrounds in the USA. They serve the churros "cold" and on their own, taste bland and even grainy like sand. The only real taste comes from the sugar that they often use as a coating. Ice cream with churros would probably be tastier, but only thanks to the ice cream too. Hot, fresh made churros taste infinitely better too.
At this point I'm one of the two men who really miss the trdlenik. The other person is my brother 😂 I would return to Prague only to eat a trdlenik 😂 The best I ate was from a shop in front or next to a disco or something like that. If I remember correctly it was near the museum of illusions, but I'm not sure.
There are three statements in this spot: 1) trdelník is an overpriced tourist trap; 2) it is not a traditional Prague pastry; 3) it is tasteless. First statement is definitely true. Especially if it used just as a cone for huge icecream, then the price/benefit ratio is really low to my opinion. It is definitely not a traditional Prague pastry, at least I noticed it in Prague in nineties for the first time. But it has some tradition indeed, I've tasted it on a countryside wedding it in the region near the Czech-Slovak border some 50 years ago already. The name trdelník is coming from the collocvial word trdlo - a thick wooden stick used for washing laundry in countryside villages in the past. It was used also for preparing the pastry, the dough was rolled on that stick and backed over the oven. You can see similar procedure in the booths in Prague City centre. Btw. this word trdlo is used in Czech for stupid person, meaning stupid as a wooden stick. So, one can call it traditional to some extent. But it is definitely not tasteless. I fully agree with the comment from aralka01 below, you have to eat freshly made hot/warm plain trdelník without any additions, then it is very tasty (at least for me, the taste preferences are individual). As a Praguer I buy one occasionally. Conclusion: 1) true 2) to some extent partially true, partially false 3) false, if consumed in original traditional way; true if you add huge ice cream . This is like adding ketchup to svíčková, pineapple to pizza or coke to Pinot Noir
Stroopwafels are very traditional in the Netherlands. But there are lots of tourist traps in Amsterdam ie places that would charge you €12 for one wafel which is ridiculously overpriced. Locals would always say you should never pay that much for a Stroopwafel it should be €2 to €3 euro at most. And you should buy it from a place like a stall in Albert Cuyp Market and not with all the crazy toppings. So I guess there's tourist traps in every city/country.
Imo, buying it with gelato is like buying the ice cream with the huge crunchy waffle cone (not the light cake waffles). You'd order it if you're planning to have dessert as your lunch. That carb is practically going to make you full.
It reminds of the Liège waffels in Belgium that are traditionally bare but in the last 20 years are sold for a premium with cream, banana, strawberry, sometimes ice cream. I am from Brussels and called that a tourist waffle because they don't know any better.
I did not try it when I was in Prague. I saved my stomach for traditional hot dishes and soups. It is similar to Schaumrollen that you can find in Austria and Germany. It's a cone filled with buttery cream. It is very delicious.
As a person from Prague: The only acceptable way of eating a trdelnik is getting a plain one (chocolate spread inside is okay) when it's fresh and hot at the Christmas markets. That's the only time I could get it as a child, anyway. I believe it is supposed to be eaten hot/warm, so putting ICE cream inside is the stupidest thing ever. You ruin both of those things. And the portion sizes are ridiculously big.
Why are you calling it trdelnik? Its kurtoscalas and its traditional in Hungary
@@Dalbert342 We use a completely different language here, meaning of 'trdlo' is related to 'spin around', so...
The portion sizes are probably aimed at Americans
What Christmas market?
@@Dalbert342least nationalist Hungarian
As a Hungarian, I have a few chimney cake principles.
1. If its more than 2 euros, its a scam
2. It has to be eaten hot
3. So why would you put Icecream into it? It's just a very expensive cone
Cold and hot can go well together.
There's "fried ice-cream".
@@oliveryt7168 He never said anything about cold and hot not going well together. He's talking about this food article.
2 euros? Even teh shittiest places, it's 4 at least
I’ve had Chimney Cakes in both the Czech Republic and in Hungary, and the Hungarian ones are so much better. Even the non touristy chimney cakes in The Czech Republic (outside of Prague) do not taste as good as the ones I had in Budapest.
you can find chimney cake for around 2 euros in Budapest, just make sure to get fresh ones, sometimes if they make too many they might sell you a cold one, best method for a fresh one is to ask for a topping that they don’t have pre-made
Seeing the trdelník in the trash feels bad, like man if i paid 7 euros for that i gonna eat every single bite and lick the chocolate off the paper
That only shows how bad the product is - a few bites and you don't feel bad about wasting it anymore 😅
@@aralka01 I think he just doesn't like it or the Check version is just bad compared to everyone else's. Other countries seem to like theirs. I tried the Polish version and it's very good, vanilla tasting. But I can imagine Ice cream or other things could be a delicious addition.
@@TheBooban I know it can taste good, but I don't think these tourist stands care too much about quality :( I'd bet they're using cheap ingredients to make as much money as possible. And even if it were real ice cream, I still am against the idea of putting it inside a hot pastry.
@@aralka01 Think Apple Pia ala mode. So yummy! :) Well, I will give it a try when in Prague, I think in a couple of weeks :).
@@TheBooban Yeah, but APPLE PIE DOESN'T HAVE A HOLE IN IT!!! I should rephrase it: I don't mind it flavour-wise, I just think it's stupid and very messy practicality-wise
I feel bad for you. The real Hungarian kűrtőskalács, which that thing tries to copy, is actually very good.
It has simply nothing to so with Prague...nothing more nothing less
@@tomaskeprt4855 and is the problem the "trdelník" itself or the fact that some sellers sell it as authentic Prague food? because trdelnik itself is quite good and as a local I have it quite often
To be fair, also in Hungary it really depends where you get it from.
yup i tried it in Budapest and was quite amazing (not inside the turistic streets with a million shops of that). I also bought one in Bucarest a couple of years before, without knowing what it was and was good. Anyway, i only tried the nude vanilla-sugared one :D
@@matejkuka797 "some sellers sell it as authentic Prague food"
I would say that this is the crux of the issue. Nobody would bat an eye, if they just sold it as an overpriced sweet. I understand that it comes from Hungary and Slovakians also claim they are used to it, but to me, it's just disingenuous marketing. It has nothing to do with Prague and nobody I know has ever heard of it until it suddenly flooded the centre and became a tourist trap.
The food wasting made me mad. I also saw countless half eaten trdelniks in the trash cans.
I also must say that Prague was a very clean city despite all the tourists there. Bravo Prague City cleaning team! 👏
And that's white culture???
We also have trdelníks in St. Petersburg now. And they taste even worse that the ones in Prague 😂
I'm in Prague right now and thanks to you I avoided this thing and also warned my friends to not buy it. Instead we went to Kolacherie for some delicious kolachs(?). Thank you for all the amazing tips!
Kolaches. If youre from america, theres a pretty large czech descendant and immigrant community somewhere in texas. They made them quite popular there and they also make some crazy varietes, like savoury kolaches with sausage (wtf?), that would make every czech grandma scream in pain and whip up the ol' reliable wooden spoon of death. But ive heard they are surprisingly good
This guy made sure me and my mom have super fun time in Prague. He should be paid by the state for this.
The shop would be "Koláčerie" although shops focused just on koláče is mainly a Prague thing so you'd usually find it in a "cukrárna" (sweets shop, mainly pastries). The Czech word that would fit into the "delicious kolachs" would be koláče so you can say kolaches. (Even though that kolaches word haunts my deepest Czech dreams)
We have it sold in Germany, on Christmas markets. It is called Baumstriezel and is positioned as a Hungarian food. It isn't extremely popular, but you will usually find some on the big market. They never put something inside - just sprinkle some sugar/cinnamon/vanilla over it. Believe it or not, it isn't bad. I like it. When it is freshly made - it tastes good.
Of course, because of it is hungarian food. It has nothing to do with Bohemian cuisine. If here in Prague tehy have signs that its traditional or old czech, they simply lie.😉
@@davidpelc It's not Hungarian, is Slovak, Skalicky Trdelnik- the OG one is even EU-protected.
@@patamonsvk Ok, so its upper hungarian.😅 By the way, protected is "Skalický trdelník" and they don´t sell it in Hungary or in other countries. Or where did you see it outside Slovakia? Its the same like protected brand "Czech beer" it doesn´t mean that all beer is Czech. ;)
Striezel is nice. It's a pastry with nut cream. Like a Nusszopf. The Czech stuff is dry as a fart. But people go nuts over it. Like Churros. Popular dry stuff. Like a donut left in the sun for 3 days and then refried.
@@borstenpinsel Its because the "czech stuff" is not a czech stuff if you will ask our czech grannies, they won´t even know what is it. Its Hungarian. ;)
I'm always conflicted with your tradelink videos, because as a Hungarian, love it! Not the plain ones, but you can put chocoa, cinamon, grounded nuts, coconut and whatever on it and it's €2 here, for that price it's a nice pastry, thought I can never eat it in one go. We put them in plastic wraps so you don't have to throw them away if you can't finish it. Thought we also have the tourist trap shops that resemble the ones in Prague, and they do sell it for the same high price with factory made gelatto.
Yeah, its bcz trdelnik itself is not the problem. Its just foreign food. Selling trdelnik in Czechia should be the same as selling pizza, kebab or langoustine... but for some reason it just became turist trap here. Its everywhere, its poor quality and really overpriced. The food itself is fine, the way they use it here is not.
I like it either. I live in Germany and here it is sold in Christmas markets as a Hungarian food (next to Langos and Gulas).
@@Mprokess Well, technically it's traditional from what I read on Wikipedia, but I understand your point, it's nowhere near it's original form and way too overpriced, done as nothing more than tourist bullshit. Especially, when Prague has so many amazing restaurants and bakeries. Food was one of the best things about visiting the Czech Republic, and Janek is right that for the price of that, you can have a nice lunch of real traditional Czech food.
@@Mprokess It is just a tourist trap. Trdelnik is no more traditional Czech food than pizza or kebab. Doesn't matter if someone likes it or not, crux of the matter is the entire centre is filled with scammers, who call it "traditional Czech food". That is bs.
Well yes but even in Hungary you get scammy and touristy places that sell overpriced and bad Trdelník or Langos that have nothing to do with tradition (or traditional recipes). It's like going to Italy and getting subpar pizza (which is very easy to do) or just meh gyros in Greece. The commercialised tourist traps are sadly winning.
Ah yes, Trdelník - the traditional food of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia and possibly many many more countries. Funny how all of our town sqares are filled with these. To be fair though, I think as far as concentration of scammy Trdelník places go, Prague takes the...cake. EDIT: As for the "mass" i believe it's just heavy cream with some vanilla flavor. Cheaper to make and store than actual ice cream or gelato. The sausage one is basically a sausage in puff pastry - you can find the same thing in any bakery (at least in most Balkan countries) for like a single euro.
Was curious about the ice cream. Here in the US there are some brands like Breyers and Jack & Jill that sell "Frozen Dairy Desert". They lack enough milk and cream to be legally labeled as ice cream. They apparently use Tara gum stabilizer. Sadly, they were established brands that used to make authentic ice cream before cutting costs.
Town squares aren't filled with them over here. It's not even traditional or originating from here. Ask any grandma what a trdelník is and they'll either say "What?" or will get really mad because they've seen them around lately. The only places with good trdelníks are probably temporary trdelník stands that show up during christmas markets or summer fairs, that's what the czechs actually eat
@@jakubpluhar4914 I was being sarcastic :) I know it's not traditional in our countries, but they always push this narrative how it's a traditional treat, yet it has nothing to do with any tradition.
As Romanians, we love this kind thing called *trdelnik* in Czech even though is not traditional to us. It's a Hungarian pastry and we don't eat it with ice cream. I think is disgusting anyway.
A kurtoskalacs as it's called in Hungarian is extremely popular in Romania more than in Hungary no matter the region you are (even in the capital city where there are no Hungarians, and maybe at the seaside).
The average price for one went up from 2-3€ to almost 5€.
And the sausage wrapped in that pastry thing is also popular in my country and it's dirt cheap (like 60-70 eurocents)
I understand what you mean and I appreciate your content by showing us what to avoid while visiting the Czech Republic.
you see, i know its was from Hungary, i saw it it alot in Budapest
They cost like 1-1.5€ in Serbia and they're alright. Nothing to write home about but not bad either. Although you can only find it in northern parts of Serbia where Hungarians live as well
Thats not really surprising, since the dish originates from Transylvanian hungarians as far as I know
@@belivuk2526 Yeah, but prices are different in Romania not only because we are an EU member since a very long time.
@@HelloOnepiece Of course you are right. And I'm not even from Transylvania. I live further east, near to the border with the Republic of Moldova.
I said this dish has increased in popularity all across Romania.
Overall, it tasted delicious and is way better than trdelnik.
Janek said that tourist only eat the ice cream and throw the pastry in the garbage bin. And of course it's something I can approve.
Last time I visited Prague was in -05 or -06. There was no bread roll in sight and the traditional prague ham was not yet invented apparently. I did have something similar to the last roll from a kiosk at Wenceslas square. It cost 10 czk, had a suspicious sausage in it with occasional bone shrapnel and was called a french dog(ketchup included). I ate it more than once.
The sketchy fast food at 3am hits different, doesnt it? (just a joke)
Theres a traditional prague ham variety, but it has nothing to do with these tourist traps and its just a variety of ham in the same way you have differend cheeses or sausages.
sounds like you had a párek v rohlíku
I wish every country would have a guy like you, a local exposing tourist traps publicly.
I just checked with my Czech wife (born and raised in Prague 2) and she confirmed. Trdelnik is total BS.
I live in czechia and czechs are insane when it comes to food, their specials are something that we trow up at
@@МихаилоМитић Rule number 1: Don't EVER call it 'Czechia' dude. Never. It's 'Czech' to the Czechs and Czech Republic to anyone else.
@@kickstar1So, who came up with the new name? I thought it was the Czechs.
@@kickstar1 That's retarded. Czechia is a short name for Czech Republic in English which has been already used in other languages for years. I never heard of the 'republic' part until coming here. Czechia is logical, unless you're an enemy of logic I guess.
@@kickstar1 I'm czech and it's Czechia for me and anyone who doesn't want to bother with the full name. I hate it when someone calls it Czech because that's an adjective and it sounds stupid calling it like that.
haha such a nice episode. there were times I even bought a trdelnik when coming to Prague. Now I arrived for my probably 30th time here and I feel almost like a local with the Local Guide. Thanks man.
I am from Hungary and that is the only reason why I buy tredelnik in Prague . You can actually buy this stuff in the UK from food trucks to cater for homesickness.
The trdelník is a tourist trap to feed the bees 😆
Currently commenting from the Zlanteh Slona. I wanted to say a huge thank you. This is my first trip to Prague and your videos have been so useful x
The only place in the netherlands where you can find these kinds of things are fantasy fairs. It's called (literally translated) chimney bread and I love the taste of it. Yes, it's just bread with sugar or salt or another taste on it but I love it. And they're pretty expensive too.
Janku, I am Czech, a Prague local. I enjoy the Trdlo. I remember buying it for the first time at Pec pod Snezkou for 20Kč ages ago (literally over 20 years ago before any of these tourist ones popped up in Prague). How about you recommend where to actually get a good Trdlo? Because there must be some places. Instead of feeding and focusing on the negative, with condescending tone to just get McDonalds or a normal gelato ;) I'm sure the tourists would also be interested in such information.
Would be appreciated.
Had the same thought! If there is actually a place to taste this where it's nice, just tell us. Cause I still want to know how it is supposed to be like.
@@savo4ek228 I never found one since it is the kind of thing you need a steady stream of customers to justify making, and that means the tourist area. If you ever make it to Romania, there is a kurtoskalacs rotisserie on the main street of Poiana Braşov near the Capra Neagra restaurant. It is ~3 euros for one big enough to feed two people -- plain cinnamon is best, because most people go for nuts or coconut so they make those in bulk, but a cinnamon one has to be made fresh in front of you. OMG it is fabulous, especially after a hike or bike ride in the crisp autumn air. When I lived there, I would grind my bicycle up the 600m of climbing from Brasov through the hills and around the bears, just to have one.
I second this!
The dish is objectively terrible. Kürtőskalács is good precisely because it's hot and crispy. You can't fill it up with whipped cream/ice cream without it becoming cold and soggy. That's why it tastes like shit and all these people throw it away. Also, smothering it with nutella is just going to make it taste like a mouthful of nutella. In that case, just spoon it straight into your mouth or put it on bread.
there's so much tourist trap trdelnik why cater to what is essentially tourist cancer
5:23 "There's nothing traditional about this, but you'll love it"
5:48 "But I still don't understand why they put it in the stupid trdelník, just sell the gelato, man"
I think it's not about being traditional or modern, but being different/eye-catching (which is exactly the kinda thing tourists look for when they travel: different experiences). There's also the whole spectacle of showing the trdelník being made, which only adds to the appeal. If you wanna "fight the system", maybe you'd need to open an ice cream parlor that has an eye-catching gimmick, like Cold Stone Creamery (which prepares custom ice cream orders on a frozen granite stone). I feel the ultimate irony would be making just an ice cream cone that's shaped like a trdelník (so you're still getting the visual appeal), but make it actually good (complementing the flavor of the ice cream, so it's something people would actually want to eat).
I dont care what they say, trdelnik with cinnamon can be really delicious.
There seems to be a big difference between what they make in Prague, at least at most of these places, and what they make in places where it is really traditional, like Skalice or Hungary.
@@MarvinCZ When I tried one in Budapest, I didn't notice a difference from the one I got on staromák (which was actually tasty). Except for the lower price and the lack of a false tradition claim...
I completely agree that it can be delicious, but def not the ones found in the Prague city center sold to tourists.
It's not about the taste. It's that it is ten times overpriced.
Ive never been to prague the closest point of reference to me is a funnel cake lol but I believe that by stuffing something as cold as ice cream inside a pastry not only makes it instantly stale, soggy and your tastebuds after consuming the top gelato any sugar and cinnamon that it has it just doesn’t register in your tastebuds whereas an actual cone gives you crunch and texture. Also, ive seen tourists in Naples eat pizza and leave the crust which to me seems very wasteful and is delicious probably why you don’t see many european style bakeries in north America they just don’t consume plain baked bread if it’s not stuffed with cheese, meats and sauces. Where the locals would easily eat a whole baguette plain while snacking (evoo or butter) and sipping on coffee or wine.
With every video I find it more amazing that he's still alive to be honest. He must have a fleet of bodyguards following him around at all times...
It's great to see Janek finally embrace the original tradition amazing Czech trdelnik!
I eat them because I like them, but I buy them here in Berlin. No need to hit Prague just for that.
It's possible they are better there. I heard reports from people who had them in Prague and in Budapest, and they said they were good over there, but the Prague tourist trap ones are crap.
was in prague early last November and thanks to this video i watched earlier i didn't get this.
curious yes but managed to get past that temptation and ate twice at Jídelna Světozor instead - totally worth it. . thanks honest guides.
The last trdelník is just a big croissant s parkem from Tesco, but 4 times more expensive.
Funny that you upload this right now!
my girlfriend and I are in Prague right now, and while we knew about trdelnik being not traditional to prague (thanks to your videos) she definatly wanted to try one, so we got a small one for 90 crowns just plain with cinnamon.
Thank you for throwing out this videos for tourists like us!
we also went to pasta fresca yesterday (01.09) before they close for renovations for a while
and tomorrow (03.09) we have a reservation at 420,
once again, thank you for all the amazing tips?
My wife insisted for this "edible" for the sake of experience. For 4 euro you can eat a gelato brioche in Italia and it's more delicious than this crap
A normal Czech citizen would not eat trdelník. The shops in the center have nothing to do with Prague.
I loved mine from the Christmas market................in Budapest! 🙂 Love your coverage and look forward to returning with all the tips, tricks and cautions you have shared.
It's definitely not traditional, but it's not only for tourists, I live out in Černý Most and there's a trdelnik stand at the mall which always has customers
The cancer is spreading. There were no trdelnik stands outside of old town few years ago
You should start "Trdelnik is not Czech campaign"
The first fail they've made is the ingredients they added in it.
The original Chimney Cake (Kűrtőskalács in HU) contains milk and butter, and NOT oil and water. This makes a huge difference in terms of smell and flavours.
I had worked in a small shop for 1 year in Hungary, we were making and selling the traditional Chimney Cakes in different flavours like the basic vanilla, cinnamon, walnut, chocolate, coconut, choco-coconut. Without any filling, the less is sometimes more and better.
Of course there are some CC shops in Hungary as well where they are mostly sharpened to foreigners based on their location and prices, so they sometimes get what you ate in the video.
And as others already mentioned it below, the hotter the chimney cake is the better it is.
Ours were so good we had made back then, that when I microwaved it for a minute the other day what made the last day, it was still so soft and tasty. 😋
As a Prague citizen, when roaming around the touristy center, I feel bad for so many people buying Trdelníks everywhere, when literally around the corner they can get so many great sweet stuff for half or third the price instead which is actually traditional. But it's their money they're wasting, so...
G'day honest guide, fortunate to visit your beautiful city late 2019, cannot believe how this "desert food" has changed and increased in price , and thanks to you I never got sucked in to this Hungarian treat, I went for dumplings 😅 ❤from Australia
Welcome to the Dark Side, Janek!
I am glad you finally got to enjoy this very traditional Czech delight, that your grandma used to love eating! 😂
Appreciate your honesty. Remember, most of the tourists will never buy "tourist food" at their homes. So, it's quite normal anyway. I was able to find trndeliki for as low as 28 krons! Same ordinary unremarkable taste but great pictures 😊
Thanks from portugal ❤
0:06 i was at the exact shop, i know it's overpriced and not traditional but the one with pistachio cream n ice cream is so good for a summer day
I was thinking “isn’t it cream horn? Something I bought from a HK bakery in early 1970s?” I am not paying the price of a full lunch for that!
Because of your videos, I've found Crème de la Crème. That is amazing, heavenly ice cream. Thank you soo much for for it!
I was in Prague 2 weeks ago and was tempted to try one of these treats. So I go into the store. 1st shock: Too many wasps (there was also a wasp trap to counter them). 2nd shock : the woman making them had a little flamethrower in hand to literally burn the wasps on the chimney cakes while making them. Well, I left and didn't buy anything. Good to find out I didn't really miss anything. Thanks for the video!
Wasn't the last one a version of "párek v rohlíku"? I used to eat them in Prague in 90s and early 2000s, but couldn't find them during my recent visit.
yes It was a version of párek v rohlíku, we still eat them but it is more rare to find them now
I assume "párek v rohlíku" is the hot dog in a roll, still sold, as far as I know, at the little kiosk beside the church in Náměstí Míru. Highly recommended as the best hot dog in Prague...
Parek v rohliku is my favorite but they are rare in Prague. A good one is in the back of the meat market by Lokal Dlouhaaa.
As someone from Poland love Hungarians getting involved in the comments.
I lived in Prague from 2014 to 2017. I got scammed at least 20 times, if not more, on all sorts of things. I wish I'd seen your channel back then. But I have to say, the Czech Republic, especially Prague, will always be in my top 3 favorite cities on this planet!
6:35 ngl, that Tradelnik looks tasty, i can't hide it i would try it
I visited Prague for the first time recently and had the displeasure of falling into the trap of buying one of these. I genuinely couldn’t believe how tasteless it was. Legit couldn’t finish it towards the end. Never again!!!…but learned my lesson the hard way. Wish I had discovered your channel sooner haha
I've never had it (not that I never will), but for me, it's always better to go to a Czech restaurace and have soup and řízek/guláš for a similar price. But the level of your dedication towards disliking trdelnik is unbelievable 😅
We have something like this in Canada at our local ice cream shop, they call it a tornado and it's dipped in cinnamon and sugar and has soft serve ice cream in it with other various toppings like chocolate and icing and crumbles of other sweets mixed in. It's soft and sweet and a very wonderful fairly expensive treat, not something you want to eat every day.
I live in the Netherlands, but at a local fantasy fest, there's always a stand outside that sells kűrtőskalács (the Hungarian variant). They're about €7 for something twice the size of the ones in the videos (~half the price for a smaller one), and they're amazing! They are packaged in a way that you can actually put them in a bag if you're full to avoid waste. They stay warm for a long time and are very sweet. If you don't like *too* much sweetness, you can get coconut or something else- but my favorite is just cinnamon.
I find it odd that the ones in the video are so expensive for something pretty low quality... And also that they advertise it as traditional, seems like an odd marketing strategy. But I suppose that's the case for a lot of tourist traps
The man is not going to believe what ordinary ice cream cones taste like :)
"Wait till the end... wait till the end... wait till the end... wait till the end..."
I am a hungarian living in prague, and never have the willpower to get this here. It's so out of place, and after your video I know exactly why not to get them.
05:19 is that Janek on the cover?
Yeah, its him.
It is! I had to rewind it a couple times to catch it, he’s so nonchalant about it haha
spot on 😲
I would DIE with the insane amount of WASPS EVERYWHERE! Like WTF? ⚰🤣
I'm April I was in Prague and although I saw your video about this thing prior to my trip, we bought it and it was very sweet, but tasted good.
at 5:22 I have walked past that pub U Sadu so many times, I think i'll have to actually pop in there next time I am there.
He used the word 'SYNONYMUM' @0:38 What does it mean?
At first I thought he misspoke with him not being a native English speaker. But after looking it up all I could find kept pointing me to this:
Noun
synonymum (plural synonymums)
1. (non-native speakers' English) Synonym.
Well that's all fine and good. Is this something anyone from the region can attest to? Is this really how the word is pronounced in some places? Thanks!
I think it was a slight mispronunciation for the word "Synonym" or "Synonymous"
They even started popping out in Croatia, branded as traditional starocesky trdelnik :D
Honestly, it can be quite good - I never had it in Prague but once when I visited Slovakia. Just a plain Trdelnik, nothing added. It was quite good together with a coffee. (edit: "plain" was with cinnamon, not sure if there's one with just sugar)
I didn't find it very appealing, too sweet it the summer, but as you say it's everywhere, so I felt I had to try before leaving. With strawberries and cream.
Disappointed as expected 😅
Here in Australia they are selling them for $ 18 = Eur 11 with Nutella and Strawberry or $ 15 = Eur 9.30 with Cinamon
My son desperately wanted one, remembering the treat from an earlier trip to Budapest. It ended half eaten in the bin 😂
Maybe we're all missing a point. Maybe it's 'traditional' in the way that it resembles the historical, medieval pies, where the content was rich and delicious, but the crust was only a vessel and was not meant to be eaten.
Do you have any proof it existed before 1950 ? With "maybe" anything is possible of course.
This winter, when Christmas markets in Germany, almost every one has a stand with Trdelnik and they charge you 6 Euros for a naked one 😅
Pronouncing that thing as a foreigner is not possible. I Love your Videos ❤ and I love prague
I tried the chimney like 20 years ago in the christmas market in prague. Just on stand selling it i the whole city. Don't judge but i liked 😊 in my defence i do not buy it in Prague anymore
From what I hear from many people, it can be good, especially where they really care. It's just that most of these that are done as a tourist trap in Prague are quite bad.
20 years ago, they still did it honestly and fresh. Those they are selling now lie there for an hour before they are sold.
That hotdog reminds me of a Christmas breakfast tradition in my family, we only have it once a year: It is a Frankfurt inside a croissant with tomato sauce. Don't knock it until you try it.
I’ve had trdelnik once and it was ok, but it blows my mind that anybody would eat that when they can turn the corner on a random street and pop into a little cafe and have the best cake or koláč and coffee in your life for like $3
As an American, the idea of getting a nice sit-down lunch for €6 or 7 blows my mind. That's usually about how much a sandwich or salad costs from a fast food place...
But keep in mind, that the American salaries are much higher. An average McDonald's worker makes as much money in the US as a software engineer in the eastern EU countries.
Also, taxes are higher, social security contribution, etc...
Mám na noze vytetovaný trdelník, protože je to super jídlo! Sladký, skořicový, prostě good stuff
The equivalent of the “Belgian waffle” scam 😂
I'm Czech and I would buy the sausage version in an instant. Looks delicious.
Best trdelník is just plain. No creams no fancy toppings. The dough is still warm and tastes awesome, like freshly baked pastries or bread, because that’s what it is. Only then you can tell if it’s good or bad shop.
the city/country should really ban the use of "Czech Traditional" and versions of that
In the national agricultural museum on Letna, there is a mention of a starocesky trdelnik, there is a picture of it on one of the walls there and it looks exactly like what Janek is holding, so yes, this seems to be a Czech thing after all!
The amount of sharing food with random strangers blows my mind as an America. Someone rando on the street says, “here, try my ice cream.” That’s a hard pass!
maybe be less a stick in the mud, it ain't that fin serious
Now I don't feel bad that I "missed" the opportunity to try one during my visit three years ago
You should do an expedition episode to find the origins of traditional trdelnik. Either in Skalica or Hungary. Would be great to see how good of a dessert it can actually be if done right.
I noticed how one of the shops that sell trdelniks is called "Trdlo". I put that through google translate and the result was... let's say interesting.
"trdlo" is a word for various wooden tools in the shape of a stick, used as a muller, for washing up, or to bake trdelník, figuratively it's also an insult for being clumsy or unskilful
I am so glad that I am accompanied by a girlfriend who is Czech every time I am in the Czech Republic...😂
the trldenik is a great container for ice cream or pudding or whatever.
I have seen similar products in California, they can be tasty, just depends what you fill it with. The dough could be made better by using a bunch of vanilla in it to give it some flavor.
You'll never find Hungarian chimney cakes in the trash. They're really good and they don't try to fill them with crazy stuff every corner. Maybe there are some places that try, but most will stay with the regular ones, served hot and fresh every time.
I've been in Prague several times now. Always refuse to buy a Trdelnik. But I did buy Icecream every time by creme de la creme (PURE HEAVEN !!!)
Hot dogs are not sausages, they're made with all the left overs of an animal (I worked at a pork processing company, considering hoofs, noses and even tails are sold as is you really have to wonder what kind of leftovers make it into hot dogs). There's a very good reason I've been a vegetarian since shortly after working there (and on a chicken farm).
"they're made with all the leftovers of an animal"
Which...
Makes it a sausage.
You'd be stupid to make sausages out of whole cuts, they're made from trimmings.
You literally work at a processing plant how do you not know about trimmings?
I'm an American, of Czech descent. As a kid in the 80's, we used to go to Czech fests in Nebraska, and my aunts, uncles, great aunts, etc used to make all kinds of Czech dishes. And when it came to desserts, it began and ended with kolaches. From scratch. But i've never even heard of this cone of dough thing, and not one Czech relative i ever knew made anything like that.
couse its not czech
They sell it in Cracow, Poland on Christmas. Bread with sugar is exactly how they taste. They're really bland. Definitely not worth your money.
There are "smell dispenser" you can add to your shops to entice customers.
May explain why it didn't smell of anything when away from the shop.
I think in this context, the best translation for "hmota" would be "stuff" :D
I like the ad that says there's nothing traditional about it. I'd almost be tempted to taste it (if you didn't review it here), so clearly that ad was smart on their part!
Basically the same with Pizza and Currywurst in my German town, always prepared by people named Ibrahim, Mohammed etc claiming they have the best but its all tasteless storebought trash. Its so rare to have any authentic food in europe anymore unless you live in the countryside. Go to any big city and most places are owned by people not native to the cuisine calling themselves some italian or german named (depending on the food of course), pretending they are from those places and creating masses of overpriced slob.
Your critiques of this dessert are almost identical to my thoughts on the stereotypical "churros" that we serve in amusement parks and fairgrounds in the USA. They serve the churros "cold" and on their own, taste bland and even grainy like sand. The only real taste comes from the sugar that they often use as a coating. Ice cream with churros would probably be tastier, but only thanks to the ice cream too. Hot, fresh made churros taste infinitely better too.
We have this in switzerland too 😃 Its called "Baumstriezel" here. ...and its actually good.
$8 dollars for a good lunch from a restaurant? That's crazy
At this point I'm one of the two men who really miss the trdlenik. The other person is my brother 😂
I would return to Prague only to eat a trdlenik 😂
The best I ate was from a shop in front or next to a disco or something like that. If I remember correctly it was near the museum of illusions, but I'm not sure.
There are three statements in this spot:
1) trdelník is an overpriced tourist trap;
2) it is not a traditional Prague pastry;
3) it is tasteless.
First statement is definitely true. Especially if it used just as a cone for huge icecream, then the price/benefit ratio is really low to my opinion.
It is definitely not a traditional Prague pastry, at least I noticed it in Prague in nineties for the first time. But it has some tradition indeed, I've tasted it on a countryside wedding it in the region near the Czech-Slovak border some 50 years ago already. The name trdelník is coming from the collocvial word trdlo - a thick wooden stick used for washing laundry in countryside villages in the past. It was used also for preparing the pastry, the dough was rolled on that stick and backed over the oven. You can see similar procedure in the booths in Prague City centre. Btw. this word trdlo is used in Czech for stupid person, meaning stupid as a wooden stick. So, one can call it traditional to some extent.
But it is definitely not tasteless. I fully agree with the comment from aralka01 below, you have to eat freshly made hot/warm plain trdelník without any additions, then it is very tasty (at least for me, the taste preferences are individual). As a Praguer I buy one occasionally.
Conclusion:
1) true
2) to some extent partially true, partially false
3) false, if consumed in original traditional way; true if you add huge ice cream . This is like adding ketchup to svíčková, pineapple to pizza or coke to Pinot Noir
trdelnik with a sausage. whyy.. whyy.. just WHYYY.. i am going to cry
Stroopwafels are very traditional in the Netherlands. But there are lots of tourist traps in Amsterdam ie places that would charge you €12 for one wafel which is ridiculously overpriced. Locals would always say you should never pay that much for a Stroopwafel it should be €2 to €3 euro at most. And you should buy it from a place like a stall in Albert Cuyp Market and not with all the crazy toppings. So I guess there's tourist traps in every city/country.
Imo, buying it with gelato is like buying the ice cream with the huge crunchy waffle cone (not the light cake waffles). You'd order it if you're planning to have dessert as your lunch. That carb is practically going to make you full.
It reminds of the Liège waffels in Belgium that are traditionally bare but in the last 20 years are sold for a premium with cream, banana, strawberry, sometimes ice cream. I am from Brussels and called that a tourist waffle because they don't know any better.
I did not try it when I was in Prague. I saved my stomach for traditional hot dishes and soups. It is similar to Schaumrollen that you can find in Austria and Germany. It's a cone filled with buttery cream. It is very delicious.
to be fair, you wouldnt buy an ice cream cone seperatly either