This is Gymnázium Česká a Olympijských nadějí in České Budějovice

Spring foods

Spring food, junk food, spare money

• Eggs, different kinds of herbs, white poultry meat , lamb or veal have become an integral part of the typical Czech menu of spring. People are also use to eating many varieties of vegetable salads in this time. Many of them even grow organic vegetable in their gardens. Recently a rediscovered asparagus has become popular in the Czech Republic. But there are also those people who do not care about healthy nourishment and prefer to purchase unhealthy fatty food ( such as hamburgers , french fries, or other cheap junk food .)

• And you may be asking what the reason is? It's simple. People spare money.. Particularly on food.

• Is it the same in your country?

Czech cuisine• The Czech Republic has a big choice of fish, vegetable or fruits and because of that our diet

is really varied. In the morning we eat a small snack – bread or yoghurt and we usually drink tea no matter what season it is. For lunch a soup is usually served.

• Then the main dish follows. After that it is usual to serve a delicious dessert – Apple Strudel is one of the most common ones.

• And what do we eat in the evening? Well, nothing special, some families eat up the leftovers from lunch or just something light-vegetable salads have been becoming more and more popular.

• And of course, our country is famous for one beverage– beer. And do you know which place does the Czech Republic zake in drinking beer? We are actually on the top of the chart inEurope!

• One of typical Czech dishes are fried potato pancakes called “cmunda”. And what’s that? It looks like an omelette made from potatoes. And what is more, it is fast , cheap and delicious!

• Its preparation is simple. Well, stir grated potatoes with an egg, flour, spice (marjoram, pepper, salt, garlic) – which is very important! Use milk to make a mixture from all the ingredients. Then spill a ladleful on a red – hot oil and fry it on both sides. You can serve the fried potato pancakes still hot, but it’s also possible to eat them cold.

What did Czech people ate in the past?

• The diference between the present and the past in celebrating Easter is for example in the quantity of food, which is consumed.

• Today, people think, that they should eat a lot and pick from thousands of dishes.

• Originally, people cooked just a few simple dishes as most of them were poor. And so the main Easter dish was a special stuffing made from many kinds of meat and chopped nettles. This dish is called „Hlavička“.

• And I can’t forget about another Easter dish, coming from the past: „Jidáš“ (in English it tis Judas). You can quess what it is. It looks like a snake, a spiral made from dough. The other one is called „Mazanec“ –actually a hot cross bun (which is here in the Czech Republic quite bigger than in the UK).

• At last but not least, the most specific pastry of Easter is „ EASTER LAMB“.

„j„HLAVIČKA“

Dying Eggs

• Dying eggs has a long tradition. Eggs are a symbol of newly born life, this tradition reminds Christians of Jesus rebirth.

• Nowadays, dyed Easter eggs are just a part of home decoration.There are a lot of differences between dying Easter eggs then and now. Peple used to dye only the eggs, which were laid in the time of Lent. These eggs were carefully collected and dyed.They used to use natural dyes such as onion skin for yellow and brown eggs, nettles for green and a beet-root for the red shade. Today, chemical dyes are more popular or people simply buy some chocolate or plastic eggs for treat.

• Girls dye eggs as a treat for boys who come to whip them. That is a very nice tradition but today kids rather sit in front of TV or computer all the time and they do not go treating anymore.But we still dye Easter eggs and we have brought some to show you.

Easter Lamb

• You can find the roots of its origin in history.• In fact sweet lamb is a kind of pastry - its dough is

full of raisins, nuts and dried orange skin. At first we pour this mixture into the prepared lamb-shaped mold. Then we bake it in the oven at 180 degrees. Finally, we coat this cake with melted chocolate (dark, milk or white), decorate with candies (we can use them as eyes and nose – as well as raisins) and tie a bow round the lamb’s neck.

Easter Lamb

Lent• Lent is the forty-day period of fasting before Easter. It´s one of the oldest christian

traditions.• Lent is a time when people used to eat mostly plant products, in some regions

they used to eat no meat but fish, somewhere all animal products were strictly forbidden. Alcohol was prohibited as well.

• Some people ate only one meal a day, others didn´t eat until mid- afternoon.... But in lots of places people used to abstain until the evening. The time of Lent may differ.

• The most common dishes were mushed peas, groats and porridge. People also used to eat fresh herbs and fresh leaves of spinach or dandelions. There weren´t many things to eat in spring in the past. But there was also bread, the holly body of Christ....some people used to eat only bread all those forty days.

• Lent was a time of praying and remembering the last days of Jesus but it was also a time when nearly what was in stock had been eaten and people had to wait for a new harvest. That may be the reason why the time of Lent is between the end of winter and the start of spring.

MUSHED PEAS

NOTHING

Holy Wednesday

• Also known as Spy Wednesday or Holy and Great Wednesday and in Czech Republic known as Ugly Wednesday, is one day of the Holy Week. This day reminds us of the betrayal of Judas apostle as it is stated in the Bible.

• In past, Wednesday used to be the day when people cleaned their houses after the long winter to welcome the coming spring. On Ugly Wednesday people used to cook ugly (but tasty ) food (understand: on Ugly Wednesday-ugly food). Practically it meant they cooked something similar to pancakes and griddlecakes , but ripped them off on the pan on purpose. They simply wanted to make it ugly. And this is the way how another dish, called „trhanec“, originated.

TRHANECC

Maundy Thursday

• Maundy Thursday is according to the Christian tradition the fifth day of the Holy Week.

• People used to get up early this day, then they used to say a prayer and all of them used to wash off in dew.

• This day people used to eat healthy „green dishes“ – for example sauerkraut, spinach, peas, etc.

• They believed they would be healthy all the year round.• And according to the tradition the people were

expected not to quarrel with anyone as well as not to lend anything to anyone.

Good Friday

• Good Friday reminds us of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ every year. Bells don't ring and believers express their sadness about Jesus Christ's death. Formerly people used to go with rattles (they were supposed to replace bells) and some people used to go to fields and forests to find a treasure because people used to believe that Good Friday is a magical day. But now it's different. Bells still don't ring on this day but we don't go out with rattles and we don't look for a treasure in fields.

• In terms of food, Good Friday was formerly the day when people used to eat everything they wanted but this fact was changed and Good Friday became the day of strict lent.Believers didn't eat any meat and even their favourite food. Some people didn't cook at all this day and the only food they ate was bread and coffee.Other people – especially women used to cook at least a soup from some vegetable or peas. Speciality was a sweet mash made from cinnamon,flour,sugar and eggs ( looking like couscous in terms of its structure).

• Some of these customs for example not eating meat before Easter have been continuing up to now.

Holy Saturday

• On Holy Saturday, the Easter week is slowly reaching it's peak.On this day people used to keep many costoms.

• For instance: In the morning, before the sunrise, people used to sweep all the sweepings away from their houses, which was supposed to keep every insect outside the house. Or another old tradition was shaking fruit trees to wake them up (from winter slumber) so as they gave much fruit the following year.

Easter Sunday

• This day, Sunday, is the most festive day – the day of Jesus Christś resurrection.

• For us the day, when we consume ale the goodies.

Easter Monday

• Definitely, the most typical dishes on Easter Monday are from eggs, because when you go treating, you bring plenty of eggs home. And so what to do with the eggs? Czech women are very creative and so make up different recipes for egg spreads, egg salads or they simply put slices of boiled eggs on a piece of bread and butter! It tastes good.

Created by :• Gymnázium Česká a Olympijských nadějí

Links :• http://www.dama.cz/domacnost/tradicni-chut-svatku-jara-barevne-velikonocni-recepty-21605• http://clanky.vareni.cz/velikonocni-kuchyne-nasich-babicek-i-aneb-jak-to-vypadalo-na-svatecni-dny/• http://www.i60.cz/clanek_3852_svatky-jara-velikonoce-provazeji-oblibena-jidla.html7• http://www.mestoprodeti.cz/tematicke-clanky/tradice-a-zvyky/813-velikononi-poklady-ii-co-bylo-driv-slepice-nebo-vajicko.html• http://www.jimejinak.cz/2011/03/40-dni-bez-masa-velikonocni-masopust/• http://www.dama.cz/domacnost/tradicni-chut-svatku-jara-barevne-velikonocni-recepty-21605