5 classic Czech dishes worth trying in Prague

Often the only vegetarian item on the menu. Under the breadcrumbs you’ll often find deep-fried edam or hermelín cheese. As soon as it is placed before you on the table you have about 5 minutes to eat it, before it turns into a lump of rubbery cold cheese.

This marinated camembert-wannabe should always be paired with beer. Cut in half and stuffed with garlic, herbs or nuts, it keeps for a few days (sometimes weeks), developing more and bigger flavours as time passes. Love it or hate it but at least give this legendary cheese a try.

A delicious sirloin steak with a creamy vegetable sauce that has crossed the ocean all the way to Chicago (Czech ex-pats call it ‘comfort food’). Don’t be lazy. Make the short trip out of town to a village called Čakovičky - Na Pekárně to taste the best svíčková available.

This tripe soup is widely believed to be a hangover cure. No wonder it’s so popular in Eastern Europe. The Czech version combines paprika, onions and garlic, imparting the soup with a very distinct spicy flavour. In fact, it’s so delicious you might not even want to know it is made of cows’ stomachs…

A famous open-faced sandwich that recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Designed to be wolfed down in a few bites, it consists of a slice of white bread with a rich mayonnaise spread, and a slice of cheese, ham, egg and a pickle. Taste it in a deli or during a break in the National Theatre with a glass of sekt.