Food is one of the main ways to connect with another country's culture. While studying here in the Czech Republic, I've tried various foods. I've decided to write about one of the national Czech dishes, Svíčková na smetaně, and tell you all about how it's prepared.
Svíčková na smetaně is one of the most famous traditional Czech national dishes. It’s made of braised beef served with a creamy vegetable sauce, a side of bread dumplings (houskové knedlíky), and a little scoop of cranberry jam, lemon, and whipped cream.
To be honest, I am not a big fan of the dish. My Czech grandmother used to make something similar, and I didn’t like it back then either. The combination of sweet cranberry sauce and savory gravy just doesn't work for my taste. Personally, savory and sweet flavors don’t mix well, and that's supposed to be what makes this dish so appealing.
