Slovakia

In Slovakia the main Christmas meal is dinner on Christmas Eve, called Štedrý večer, and presents are opened afterward. The first bite is oblátky s medom, thin wafers with honey and walnuts that mark the end of the day's fast, often handed out by an older family member with a spoken wish. Kapustnica, a sauerkraut soup with smoked meat and dried mushrooms, is the first course, followed by carp, baked or fried, with zemiakový šalát. Bobaľky, small baked dough balls, come both sweet with poppy seeds and honey and savory with sauerkraut. Braided vianočka is eaten at breakfast over the holidays.

The Slovak chapter leans on bryndza, sauerkraut and pork. Fazuľová polievka s údeným, bean soup with smoked pork, and demikát, a sheep cheese soup, are everyday winter soups, and strapačky s kyslou kapustou, potato dumplings with sauerkraut, and pirohy s bryndzou are home staples. Škvarkové pagáče use the cracklings left from rendering lard at the family pig slaughter. Roast duck with lokše and cabbage is a festive Sunday dinner. Fašiangové šišky, doughnuts with apricot jam or plum lekvár, are the sweet of Fašiangy, from January 6 to February 9, and žemľovka is a bread and apple pudding.

The Slovak menu starts with Vyprážaný syr s tatárskou omáčkou, a thick slice of Edam breaded and fried until the inside runs, with tartar sauce. The main course is Bryndzové halušky, the national dish of small potato dumplings tossed with bryndza, a tangy sheep's cheese, and topped with crisp bacon. Dessert is Laskonky, coconut meringue shells joined with coffee cream; the name sounds like láska, love, but traces to an old word for appetite.

The Slovak menu starts on Green Thursday, March 25, 2027, when Slovaks eat something green for health in the year ahead, often špenátový prívarok, a thick spinach dish served with potatoes and eggs. On Holy Saturday, March 27, families in eastern Slovakia carry baskets of paska, smoked ham, eggs and syrek, an egg cheese, to church to be blessed. Easter Sunday, March 28, brings šunka v ceste, ham baked in bread dough; pečka, a bake of rolls, eggs and smoked meat; horseradish cream with apple; and in western Slovakia roast kid goat. Tvarohový koláč, a sweet cheese cake, marks the return of dairy after Lent.