Trdelnik — a traditional specialty from Prague? - video Dailymotion

DW (English)

This tube-shaped pastry, baked over charcoal and filled with ice cream and fruit, is popular with tourists. But is Trdelnik really a Czech specialty?

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00:00In Prague, Trdelnik is everywhere, much to the delight of tourists.

00:04But among locals, the popular street food is one controversial pastry.

00:09I want to try it.

00:10I think it's all a cash grab.

00:12So why the two camps?

00:15And how did Trdelnik become so popular in the Czech capital?

00:19Many stalls advertise the Trdelnik as traditionally Czech,

00:23a label that resonates with tourists.

00:25Well, it's a traditional suite of the city.

00:30For us, it's just a Prague thing.

00:32But locals are skeptical.

00:35It was a surprise for me to hear it's like the old Czech tradition.

00:39So is Trdelnik even Czech at all?

00:42More on that in a moment.

00:45First, we visit one of the many Trdelnik stores in Prague.

00:49As a tourist, they're hard to miss.

00:51The dessert is made fresh to order in storefronts

00:54using firm yeast dough coated with plenty of sugar.

00:58It's finally just ready.

01:00We put something inside.

01:01Strawberry, vanilla, yogurt, strudel, chocolate.

01:06And on top, maybe ice cream, vanilla, or whipped cream, if you want.

01:11The classic, unadorned Trdelnik cost around 100 Czech crowns, about 4 euros.

01:18But where does the treat actually come from?

01:22The famous Prague pastry actually comes from Skalica in Slovakia.

01:28Trdelnik has been baked in the small town since the early 19th century.

01:33In 2007, it was even awarded the seal of Protected Geographical Indication by the European Commission.

01:39But strictly speaking, its true origins lie somewhere else.

01:44Maybe it's from here, or from Budapest.

01:47I'm not sure.

01:48We're getting warmer.

01:50If we go back even further, the Trdelnik trail leads us to Hungary.

01:54It's said that a Hungarian general and poet brought the pastry to Slovakia in the 18th century.

02:00Here in Budapest, the pastry is known as Kürtösch Kalács.

02:04Tunde Ondras and her husband Gaspar have made it their profession.

02:08They're from Transylvania, present-day Romania.

02:12But in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the region was part of Hungary.

02:16And it's Transylvania that is said to be the true origin of Trdelnik.

02:23Kürtösch Kalács is always fresh, kneaded on the spot and baked over charcoal.

02:28The outside is crispy with caramelized sugar, the inside soft and fluffy.

02:33This is what real Kürtösch Kalács tastes like.

02:38Typically, the dough is rolled in nuts, pistachios, cinnamon, coconut, or raspberry chips.

02:46But unlike the Trdelnik from Prague, the Hungarian version isn't filled with ice cream and fruit.

02:54So, it's clear then, that the Trdelnik sold here in Prague is not really a Czech tradition.

03:00In fact, the first of these street food stalls only appeared in the 2000s.

03:05Jan Valente grew up here and works as a food guide, showing tourists the best places to eat in Prague.

03:12But Trdelnik will not be on the menu.

03:15The main problem with Trdelnik is that there's not a single place that serves like artisanal version of it.

03:20Somebody that is a second-generation artisan of Trdelnik, I think it's all a cash grab.

03:25I think it's all college students on a gap year making it.

03:28So, if Trdelnik isn't truly typical here, what is authentically Czech?

03:34Oskar Novak opened two bakeries in the Old Town five years ago, serving up real traditional kolace.

03:40Well, kolace is a specific Czech thing.

03:46Kolace, it means it's round and it's our pastry and it's very traditional.

03:54Every family has their own recipe.

03:56The most popular or typical is poppy seed.

04:00Then we have cream cheese or quark and then we have plum jam.

04:06Kolace is a pastry for every occasion.

04:10Czechs eat it for breakfast, as a dessert, or all day at events such as weddings.

04:15But as far as Trdelnik goes, Oskar knows how to choose his battles.

04:20It's already part of Prague, whether we like it or not.

04:24Because it became so popular that a lot of people just know that when they arrive to Prague they should

04:31try it. And they would even know it's not originally Czech, but they want to try it anyway.

04:36So, I mean, I don't try to fight it. It's not like a thing that would disappear.

04:44Whether it's traditional or not, tourists in Prague's Old Town don't seem to mind.

04:50How important is tradition to you when it comes to food?

Trdelnik — a traditional specialty from Prague?

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