Around the world in a single menu: How Spanish "ptáček" and Italian salami arrived in the Czech Republic
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The Italian salami from Rybná Street
Boiled sausage made from young beef and pork neck was first introduced in the Old Town at the end of the 19th century, when the Italian sausage maker Uggé arrived. People nicknamed him the Italian, and gave the same name to his delicacy, which had a special spicy taste. "The Italian", sometimes also called "ugg" (snail), was stuffed into beef casings and contained pepper, ginger, cardamom and garlic, or thyme and lemon zest. Try ordering a 'uzovka' in a Prague pub sometime, and be surprised by the reaction of the staff!
The Spanish "ptáček" had luxurious ancestors
The Spanish "ptáček" (bird) as we know it today in Czech kitchens indeed has a southern ancestor: el nino envuelto, a veal roll stuffed with anchovies, onions, parsley, egg yolks and cracked pepper, which was a specialty of Spanish cooks who moved to the Czech court of Rudolph II in the 16th century. The first recipe for 'How to make Spanish birds' appeared in the 17th century, in the Strahov Cookery Book by Košetický. Mrs Rettigová, the cook, imagined a cabbage leaf stuffed with pork mince as a Spanish bird.
The Dutch schnitzel didn't come across the border
Dutch schnitzel is of purely Czech origin. It is only linked to Holland by the towns of Edam and Gouda by the cheese it contains, which is grated into minced pork belly and mixed with eggs and parsley. However, we have not been able to find out exactly when and how Dutch schnitzel became a Czech speciality.
America, Russia, or France: where did tartare come from?
Almost all gastronomic routes lead to France. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, steak tartare became a Parisian delicacy, served with capers, egg yolk and onions, later with Dijon mustard. In restaurants, it was ordered under the name of American steak, but only until tartar sauce began to be served instead of egg. Tartar sauce was an experiment by French chefs who added pickles, garlic, shallots and various spices to mayonnaise, and though they did not win the battle with the egg, the name "tartar sauce" remained.
To Frankfurt for sausages, and then straight to the Czech train station
The sausage sold in Frankfurt is said to be the grandfather of all sausages. Not surprisingly, the first sausage was said to have been enjoyed in Austria as early as 1487. They were made from lean meat and were considered a luxury food that was not missing from the table even at the coronation of the emperor. From Frankfurt, the sausages spread all over the world. Not much is known about where the Frankfurter soup originated, but it can probably be attributed to the imagination of the cooks of the early buffets and train stations.
