a few of my favourite things
When walking through our town of Hluboká, Český Krumlov or a festival in Prague, you will most definitely happen upon a medieval looking stand selling trdelník. It got its name from the trdlo which is the round wooden pole that it is cooked on open-flame rotisserie-style giving it the traditional hollow shape. It is then rolled in a mixture of cinnamon, sugar and often walnuts and served piping hot. I have burnt my tongue many times. There is nothing like crunching on freshly fallen snow to a Christmas festival, ordering a trdelník, svařák (mulled wine), and vařene ořechy (roasted nuts). YUMMY!
Its production has a long tradition in Skalica, Slovakia (remember that up until 1989, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were one country so many of their traditions and specialties overlap). Earl József Gvadányi, a retired Hungarian general who was also happened to be a poet and philosopher, settled down in Skalica at the end of the 18th century. He employed a cook from Transylvania who brought with him a recipe for “trdelník“ and improved upon the recipe until it became the pastry known nowadays as Skalický trdelník. The Hungarian name of the original cake is Kürtőskalács.
Our cousin Chris enjoyed these while he was here visiting us. It takes a visitor to help us see with fresh eyes the things we have so easily taken for granted.
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