OpenTube

10 Slovak Foods I Love and 4.5 That Broke Me: How I Became Slightly Slovak

The School of Blore

49,984 views

What happens to an English man's palate after nearly 28 years of living in Slovakia? You start having aggressive, uncompromising protocols about frankfurters, and you accept double-carbohydrate meals as an objective scientific truth.

In this episode of the Blorecast, I’m taking you on a culinary tour of my life in Slovakia—from the absolute comfort masterpieces found at a traditional koliba, to the 4.5 local "monstrosities" that my British stomach still categorically refuses to accept. We’re covering everything from the legendary bryndzové halušky and garlic-heavy zemiakové placky to the confusing cultural phenomenon of the "sweet lunch" (sladký obed) and the infamous "fish yogurt" known as Treska.

Slovakia sits at an incredible culinary crossroads of Hungarian, Czech, Austrian, and Polish traditions, creating a hearty, peasant-logic diet built for long winters and hard farm work.

🚨 MY CHALLENGE TO THE COMMENTS: Why does Slovak cuisine completely avoid meat wrapped in pastry? No meat pies, no sausage rolls, no pasties! If you know of a true Slovak meat-in-pastry exception that proves me wrong, drop it in the comments below! (And no, pagáče do not count!)

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and tell me your favorite comfort dish!

🕒 Video Chapters:
0:00 - The Ultimate Multi-Carb Approach to Life

0:31 - Where Am I, Exactly? (A Culinary Geography Note)

1:36 - 1. Párky & 2. Fresh Slovak Bread (The Saturday Ritual)

2:43 - 3. Turecká Káva (Honourable Mention: Parenica & Tatárska)

4:58 - 4. Thick Soups & 5. Schnitzels (Plutonium-Dense Comfort Food)

5:17 - 6. Zemiakové Placky, Lokše & Langoš (Say No to Ketchup!)

6:39 - 7. Granadiersky Pochod (Pure Peasant Logic)

7:09 - 8. Hovädzí Vrabec (The Czech Pub Classic)

7:41 - 9. Bryndzové Halušky & Pirohy (& The Sweet Lunch Problem)

8:51 - 10. Medové Rezy (Honourable Mention: Pečené Buchty)

9:32 - The 4.5 Monstrosities That Broke Me: The Sours

10:30 - The Mayonnaise Salads & The Treska Experience

11:23 - Huspenina: The Silver Cloche Tragedy

12:04 - Chicken Diana & Držková Soup

12:41 - The Missing Link: Where is the Meat Pastry?

13:37 - The Logic, the Zabíjačka & How I Became Slightly Slovak
⸻

#SlovakFood #LifeInSlovakia #Slovensko #Blorecast #Halusky #Treska #FoodReview #SlovakCulture

⸻

The Blorecast is also available as a podcast

🎧 Listen: https://feeds.captivate.fm/blorecast/
https://open.spotify.com/show/0kHQShC...
https://podcasts.apple.com/sk/podcast...

⸻

📺 Watch: @bloresk
📌 Find out more at: https://blore.sk/
📧 Contact: podcast@blore.sk
👍 Follow us on Facebook: Facebook: blore.sk
📸 Or instagram: Instagram: blore.sk

⸻
Attributions

Most of the photos I use are from Wikipedia or they are my own. As the number of characters in these descriptions is limited, I've decided to start keeping a full list here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/...

⸻
Music

Our theme tune is Ode to Joy – Heavy Edition, written specially for us by the most excellent dafteaux: Ode to Joy - Heavy Edition

And the new funky beats are from here: https://samplefocus.com/samples/acous...

20 Comments

@bloresk Creator 3 months ago (edited) Pinned

Thanks for watching, everyone! After nearly 28 years here, my British stomach still stands firm against huspenina, but I will defend a fresh rožok with my life. 🥖🇸🇰

UPDATE: Párky fans can find more material (including sväté spišské) here: https://youtube.com/shorts/zOJE3XH9Hi4

I am dead serious about my challenge: Where on earth is the Slovak meat pie? If there is a traditional dish that involves savory meat baked inside pastry, please prove me wrong below! (And remember, pagáče categorically do not count!) 🥧❌

Also, did I get the "4.5 monstrosities" right, or did I totally disrespect your favorite childhood meal? Let me know! 👇

@davidfejes5637 3 months ago

2:11 They say párky is the food of God...because only he knows what they are made from

@filipklement2634 3 months ago

Slivovica at 8:00 am??? You probably missed first five rounds

@K0S3K 3 months ago

I am literally eating treska with rožky while watching this video

@robertnichta2116 3 months ago

Watched, then went to the fridge to guzzle one of my many treskas. You are forgiven!

@Fregorn94 3 months ago

You pronounce Slovakian words flawlessly.

@g_lise7103 3 months ago

The description of the one and only correct way to eat treska as a monstrosity made me laugh out loud.

@ucirak 3 months ago

Huspenina, tlačenka, aspik sú skvelé historické jedlá ktoré jedli starí ľudia na Slovensku pred stovkami rokov a pomáhalo im to na tvorbu kolagénu v klboch a kostiach. Dnes na to ľudia berú kde aké chemické preparáty z lekárni.

@michealrcnicholson9342 3 months ago

20 years in Slovakia now, near Košice. Have not travelled back to the UK much at, because I feel so very much at home here. I've certainly gone native as far as food and way of thinking is concerned. Never get bored of my morning view of mist rolling over the hills around Kysak. Money cannot buy the life I have here, and would not sell-up for all the money in the world. This is gods own country, and my little paradice.

@tomasjanco7355 3 months ago (edited)

True huspenina isn't made with any aspik or gelatine. It is pure colagen from trotters (cow or pork), cooked low and slow. You pull the meat, keep it in the thick broth, you might add carrots and you cool it and eat it with fresh bread, onions and vinegar. I advise you to revisit the idea. You really might like it. It is basically a gellied broth with nice soft meat.

Btw, we do have meat pirohy, but it is somewhat niche.

How did you like stuff like Slovak rizoto and demikát and chicken livers? :D

I can feel the love for our quisine and for Slovakia from your vid. Cheers! Love from Košice.

@simateix6262 3 months ago

As a Slovak living in England for 13 years, I very much relate to how you feel not just about the meals, but culture, habits etc. I love your videos keep them coming

@kortufflpaua 3 months ago

I took these meals for granted. Now I will cherish them even more.

@ErikZiak 3 months ago

Mushrooms are also a typical Slovak ingredient. Especially the ones you forage in the forest and then either prepare fresh or dry them. They can be added to many sauces, soups, risotto, etc. Even stuffing of a chicken made of diced rolls dipped in milk, sliced mushrooms and an egg.

@FilFee 3 months ago (edited)

YouTube's recommendation algorithm works in mysterious ways and kind of scares me.

I'm Czech, currently visiting family in Brekov, right next to Humenné and YouTube decided it was the perfect time to recommend me this video.

@ivannom 3 months ago

Dude, that video was hilariously brutal. I laughed my head off. I’m Slovak and I agree with you on a lot of things. It’s clear you’ve really understood Slovak cuisine, thanks.

@vladoba100 3 months ago

To he honest, when I was teenager ages ago, we were enjoying langoš by the public swimming pool in the summer. Always with garlic, cheese and ketchup.

@vandrujemesk8651 3 months ago

Doporučujem vyskúšať gemerské guľky (zemiakové gule s údeným mäsom) posypané cibuľkou a slaninou a k tomu kyslá kapusta. Výborné majú v Hostinci u Krivého potoka v Betliari.

@staso28 3 months ago

Fish yogurth!!!! I almost fell from my chair laughing :) Toto som ešte v živote nepočul !! Treska je úplne kultové jedlo, počas vysokej školy som ju jedol prakticky denne - ale vždy vidličkou, nikdy nie vydlabávať rožkom z tégliku. Podobne aj vlašský a parížsky šalát. Lacné študentské raňajky. Držkovú polievku nezvládam ani ja - len pohľad na tie kusy žalúdka plávajúce v polievke - a to mi stačí, také niečo nedám do seba :)

Vďaka za perfektné video. Je to naozaj elegantný a vtipný popis slovenskej kuchyne....

@emadrgonova8637 3 months ago

Držková je super len ju musíš vedieť uvariť.❤.

@pavelzradula9533 3 months ago

"Granadiersky Pochod" Originally from the German name Grenadiermarsch, it dates back to the Austro-Hungarian period and has its roots in the southern borderlands of Hungary. The dish was supposedly invented by soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army, who after long marches were left with only durable ingredients such as flour, potatoes and onions.