On Thursday night in downtown Salt Lake City, The Taste of Czech Culinary Roadshow brought renowned chefs and tourism personnel to explain Czech culture and serve typical dishes of the Central European country.
“Czech food is one of the things people miss most when they leave the country,” said Jonathon Tichy, the Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Salt Lake City. “We want to not only let people experience it, but teach them how to make it on their own.”
The evening began with a tour of the country’s beautiful landscapes and tourist destinations and proceeded to a sampling of a three-course meal.
“The veal tongue appetizer was tender and delicious,” said Lew Cramer, a BYU grad and president of the World Trade Center in Utah. “The dumplings also tasted authentic and were cooked to perfection.”
The event brought many Czech immigrants, returned missionaries who served in the area and locals wanting to discover new international tastes.
“The duck entrée brought me back to my childhood in Prague,” said Robert Santholzer, a Czech writer, geologist and musician. “My mother would marinate the wild duck we caught for three days before slow-cooking it for many hours. It would become so tender it would just fall off the bones.”
The Czech people have used different hunting and cooking techniques for centuries to provide a quality cuisine that sets itself apart from the rest of Europe.
“One of the most popular Czech proverbs is, ‘Love passes through the stomach,'” said Vojtech Kacerovsky, the host of the event and representative of the Czech Tourism Authority in Los Angeles. “This shows the great importance we put on our cuisine in the Czech Republic and our earnest desire to share it with everyone.”
For more information about the Czech Republic and travel guides, check out www.czechtourism.com.
