Monday, December 14, 2009

Prague Christmas Market Food - 2009

‘Twas the month before Christmas
And all throughout Prague
The tourists were swarming
Their eyes all agog

Their noses shone red
And sniffed at the air
Sweet smells drifted to them
From a packed Old Town SquareNo kitschy beer steins
No gloves for this dude
I didn’t need candles
I, too, wanted food

I walked the whole square
I looked high and low
The most popular item
Was the simple TrdloThis rolled sugar bread
Looked ever so nice
But at 50 Czech crowns
It ain’t worth the price

Some people just love it
I do not know why
It’s fire-cooked dough
That’s boring and dryNext was klobasa
Served on a baguette
The cost was the same
And a much better betIt could have been hotter
It could have been leaner
I still liked the taste
Of this smoky wienerPotato pancakes?
I’ll eat ‘em, just watch me
But I’ve often had better
Than these BramboráčkyDon’t bother with them
They’ll do you no favors
Just oil and garlic
And not enough flavorsI then saw my love
Under Týn Church’s spires
Slow turning meat
Riding spits over firesYou’ll sure pay a lot
For tasty Prague hams
It’s 89 crowns
For each hundred gramsI think it's worth it
There’s no better meat
So tender and juicy
A real winter treat

To wash down a meal
There’s plenty of beer
For 35 crowns
It adds to your cheerI paid a bit more
For something more fine
Czech’s call it “Svařák”
I call it mulled wineIt’s sweet and it’s sour
With spices like clove
It warmed me right up
Right down to my toesThe square grew quite cold
Which I took as a sign
It was time to head home
On the metro ‘A’ LineI was heard to exclaim
As I rolled out of sight
"Munich’s markets are better
if you’re out for a bite!"

13 comments:

Petr said...

Great rhymes and for Trdlo - if one wants a good one, he should visit Eger in Hungary and look for kurtos kalacs.

eatintravel said...

I'm sorry I was in Prague before this. If I'd known the klobasa and ham were better, I would have surely found them out (especially the latter). But this rhyme was just as good as last years.

Beer Sagas said...

What a great presentation of the Prague markets. I really enjoyed it!

I was at Old Town Square last December, by the way. The trdlo was not to my liking, but I liked both the svařák and the Czech sausages.

Anonymous said...

It seems i`m the only one who likes trdlo

and the sausages and the ham :D :D

Jaakob said...

Short video with some of treats mentionned here ;-)

http://www.vimeo.com/7905626

Richard said...

With the brambory you are completely right
they are fat and got a horrible bite.

A snack I didnt see in your list
It is called langoše , for me a new snack I never seen before
A pizza-like-thing from Hungary should not be missed.
But perhaps the fried thing is not something you will start to adore.

One question keeps me here
I saw the brewery U Fleku i also there
Do you know if they are selling their famous beer?
If so, then i will go this weekend back to the main square.

Stephanie Yamashita said...

I just read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to a bunch of 0-3 year old children. I think I like your version better!!

Aloha, Stephanie

Anonymous said...

For anyone who wants a video look at the market: http://vimeo.com/8324034

Anonymous said...

This food blog is slippin' (meaning dropping in quality).

Brewsta said...

Thanks for the feedback, y'all.

I've been on vacation and doing holiday stuff so not much posting lately.

Anonymous -- I do have my limitations as a relatively independent blogger -- any insight on the slippage?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Terry is right. I leave many comments under the "anonymous" moniker for the simple reason that I can't be bothered to sign up and I don't want to call attention to myself. But unconstructive comments? Ummm... not sure about anonymity then. Just my 2 cents' worth; pot calling the kettle black -- guilty as charged -- but it's a good point...

The Lone Beader® said...

Wow, looks fun! Wish I were there! :)

Anonymous said...

Was in Prague's Xmas Market 12/27/07-1/1/08.

Trdlo are pretty good, although there did seem to be a definite difference depending on which stand you bought them at.

I would have liked stronger mustard on the klobasa, but they were pretty tasty.

The mulled wine was kind of cruddy; we went to Budapest after Prague, and the mulled wine there was so much better, it wasn't even a comparison. On the other hand, the hot chocolate in Prague was great!