The short answer: The Moravian food worth trying starts with Olomouc cheese (tvarůžky), the Wallachian frgál pie and the Moravian sparrow, a pork dish with no bird in it. Add Znojmo gherkins, a glass of South Moravian wine and a careful sip of slivovice, the local plum brandy, and you have tasted the region.

What makes Moravian food different?

Moravia is the eastern part of the Czech Republic, and its kitchen is usually counted as Czech. Still, many dishes, drinks and customs are its own. Pork, goose and duck are the classic meats, and caraway, marjoram, onion and garlic do most of the seasoning.

Moravia also has more orchards than Bohemia, so plums and apricots turn up in dumplings, pastries and brandy. In the south, vineyards shape the table as much as the landscape.

The easiest way to taste the south is a day in the wine country. Our Wine & UNESCO Gems Tour from Brno stops in Mikulov, Lednice and traditional wine cellars.

Main dishes to order

Moravian sparrow (moravský vrabec)

Do not worry, there are no sparrows in it. The dish is made of chunks of pork, usually a cut with some fat, seasoned with garlic, caraway and salt and cooked with plenty of onion. The meat is first braised and then roasted. It comes with sauerkraut and dumplings. The name is said to come from the pieces of meat, which look a little like small birds on the plate.

Svíčková

Svíčková is a Czech classic rather than a Moravian one, but you will find it on menus across the region. It is beef roasted with root vegetables and served in a smooth, creamy sauce with bread dumplings, a spoonful of cranberries and a slice of lemon.

Roast goose in November

Around November 11, restaurants serve St. Martin's roast goose with the first young wine of the year. Read more in our guide to St. Martin's Day in Moravia.

Olomouc cheese: the one you will smell first

Olomoucké tvarůžky are small ripened cheeses with a yellowish color, a strong smell and a sharp taste. They are made from low-fat quark, a fresh cow's milk cheese, so they are very low in fat and high in protein. Not everyone loves them, and that is part of the fun.

The cheese is named after the city of Olomouc, where it was originally sold. It was first mentioned in writing in 1452, and since 2010 it has been an EU Protected Geographical Indication. Today it is made in Loštice, a small town near Olomouc, where the producer also runs a cheese museum. See the official Olomoucké tvarůžky website(in Czech). Locals traditionally eat it with beer.

Visiting Olomouc? Our guide to a full day in Olomouc covers the city itself.

Sweet things: frgál and Štramberk ears

The Wallachian frgál(Valašský frgál) comes from Wallachia, a mountainous region in eastern Moravia. It is a large round pie about 30 cm across, with thin dough and plenty of filling. The traditional fillings are pear, sweet curd cheese, poppy seed and plum butter (povidla). You can read more on the official Czech tourism website.

Štramberk ears(Štramberské uši) come from the small Moravian town of Štramberk. They are baked from flour, sugar, honey and spices, taste a little like gingerbread and are shaped like a human ear. The shape goes back to a local legend about Tatar raiders in 1241. Štramberk ears carry a protected geographical label, and the official Czech tourism website tells the whole story.

Znojmo gherkins

The town of Znojmo in South Moravia and its surroundings are known for gherkins, pickled in a sweet-sour and spicy brine. Gherkin growing came to the area in the 16th century, introduced by the abbot of the Louka Monastery near Znojmo.

The town still celebrates the tradition with an annual gherkin festival. More on Kudy z nudy, the Czech national tourism portal.

What to drink in Moravia

• Wine: Moravia grows about 96% of Czech wine. Look for local names such as Pálava and Moravian Muscat. Our Moravian wine guide explains the grapes and regions.
• Burčák: the cloudy, half-fermented young wine you can only get at harvest time. More in our article on burčák season.
• Slivovice: plum brandy, often called the "national" drink of Moravia. It is a tradition above all in eastern Moravia, where the climate suits plum trees, and many families with an orchard make their own. It is served in a small shot glass, and homemade slivovice is usually over 50% alcohol, so sip it slowly.

Where to taste Moravia on a day trip from Brno

Brno is a good base for food and wine. For the south, our small-group Wine & UNESCO Gems Tour visits Mikulov, the Pálava Hills, Lednice and wine cellars, with pickup in Brno. Start with our guide to Mikulov.

For central Moravia, the Austerlitz, Kroměříž and Olomouc day trip takes you to the home city of Olomouc cheese. Entrance fees are not included.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most typical Moravian food?

Olomouc cheese (tvarůžky) and the Wallachian frgál are among the best known, and Olomouc cheese is an EU-protected regional product. For a main course, try the Moravian sparrow, roast pork with sauerkraut and dumplings.

Is Moravian food different from Czech food?

It is usually counted as part of Czech cuisine, and you will find Czech classics such as svíčková everywhere. Moravia adds its own dishes, more fruit from its orchards, and most of the country's wine.

Does Moravian sparrow contain sparrow?

No. It is pork. The name probably comes from the small pieces of meat, which look a little like birds.

Why does Olomouc cheese smell so strong?

It is a ripened cheese, and the strong smell and sharp taste are its trademark. It is made from low-fat quark, so it is also very low in fat.

See Our Day Trips