From bryndza halušky to cod in mayonnaise: 10 dishes from Slovak cuisine you should try
1. Demikát with posúch
This traditional country soup made with sheep’s bryndza, potatoes, and sweet peppers is deeply rooted in Wallachian and Slovak culture. In the past, it was a typical dish of poor cottagers. Originally, it was very modest — essentially the water in which halušky were cooked, seasoned with bryndza and onions.
Today, it’s a rarity on restaurant menus. “Gradually, the recipe became more sophisticated; paprika was added, and eventually the soup was refined with blended cream and fresh bryndza. It’s truly a unique soup of its kind,” says Tomáš.
At Skô, they make it using 100% fresh, unpasteurised sheep’s bryndza from Zázrivá. The soup is served with posúch — a leavened caraway flatbread baked right over an open fire.
2. Ham made according to a family recipe
Smoking and pig slaughtering have been, for centuries, the primary way to preserve meat for the winter in Slovak villages. Recipes for smoked meats were passed down from generation to generation , and every region and family had their own tricks, including the ratio of spices.
An example of this tradition is authentic homemade ham created in collaboration with butchers from Amaso, whose recipe is based on the family heritage of chef Tomáš Valkovič.
At Skô, they serve the ham with mild horseradish, which highlights the pure flavour of the meat without overpowering it. “We wanted to preserve the home-style character of the recipe while fine-tuning it over time so it could be produced in large quantities,” Tomáš explains.
And how did the ham’s development go? Find out more here:
3. Langoš
Langoš has its roots in Hungarian cuisine and its name comes from the word láng, which means “flame”. Langoš was originally baked as flatbread made from bread dough on days when bread was also being baked at home. In Slovakia, langoš has become a popular street and market food. It is traditionally served topped with ketchup, garlic, or sour cream and sprinkled with cheese.
The base of local langoš is dough with added caraway seeds and a specific proofing process, which gives the ideal texture. “Guests are often surprised why we add caraway seeds to the dough. But my mom always put them in, and I think it’s great to continue this family tradition,” explains the head chef.
The menu features both authentic classics and seasonal specials, such as those with sour cream, zucchini, fish roe, and spicy cheese, or with steak tartare.
Tomáš spent a long time perfecting the dough — it’s made from high-quality smooth wheat flour for elasticity, a pinch of whole-wheat flour for a richer flavour, and is left to rise for a full 24 hours in the refrigerator.
4. Hand-scraped halušky
Bryndza halušky are one of Slovakia’s most famous dishes. Their rise in popularity is linked to the spread of potato cultivation in northern and central Slovakia in the 18th century. Authentic halušky contain neither water nor eggs — the dough consists solely of finely grated raw potatoes and flour.
However, the most important factors are the preparation technique and the quality of the ingredients. In Skô’s version, halušky are made from stone-ground whole-grain flour from Krišnov farm, which gives the dough a characteristic darker colour and richer flavour. Each portion is scraped by hand from a wooden cutting board directly into boiling water, giving the halušky their irregular, rustic shape. They are served with fresh, unpasteurised bryndza from Zázrivá, rendered lard from Přeštice black-pied pigs, and washed down with žinčica.
5. Bryndza pirohy
Pirohy, or pierogi, are a shining example of how the influences of Slovakia’s eastern neighbours — primarily Ukrainian and Polish cuisines — have been reflected in Slovak gastronomy. In eastern and northern Slovakia, these stuffed dumplings made from potato dough were prepared on festive occasions and as a hearty meal for hard-working farmers.
In Skô, the dumplings are folded by hand filled with fresh bryndza from Peter Záň at the koliba in Zázrivá. According to Tomáš Valkovič, this is a dish that people enjoy ordering at restaurants partly because making them at home is labour-intensive. The boiled pirohy, made from high-quality potatoes and flour, are topped with Tatra sour cream and crispy fried onions and bacon.
6. Perkelt with tarhoňa
Perkelt (from the Hungarian pörkölt) is an example of the fusion of Slovak and Hungarian cuisines, which is particularly common in the southern regions of Slovakia. Compared to goulash, it has less sauce, and is based on slowly braising meat with onions and sweet ground paprika.
“The meat — specifically beef shank and pork shoulder, is roasted directly over the fire, which gives it an unmistakable smoky flavour,” Tomáš describes the traditional process, adding that the meat is braised in the fire pit with sweet paprika from the Šafárovci family and sausage oil.
It is served with tarhoňa — traditional small pasta balls, which, according to the head chef, are a perfect accompaniment to hearty sauces. It’s popular not only in Slovakia but also in eastern Moravia.
7. Cod in mayonnaise
This is a purely Slovak phenomenon that has no parallel in the Czech Republic or anywhere else in the world. It originated in the 1950s at the state-owned enterprise Ryba; the recipe was devised by Július Boško, a chef from Košice. The goal was to create an affordable and tasty fish salad for the working class. It was typically eaten “on the go” at cafeterias and fast-food joints.
At Skô, they serve it as a hearty, artisanal appetiser — it tastes best with a roll or fresh bread and a beer.
8. Plum jam perky
The restaurant’s signature dessert. The word “perky” itself is highly regional — it comes from the Tekov region, where Tomáš Valkovič is from. In his family, these potato dumplings have always been called “perky.”
It used to be a simple sweet dish, made from ingredients that were always on hand at home — potatoes, flour, and hearty plum jam (povidla)—sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs and sugar and drizzled with butter.
The fillings at Skô vary depending on what’s currently in the pantry. In addition to plum jam, cooks also use quince or cherry jam.
9. Krémeš
Krémeš (from the Hungarian “krémes”) is an icon of Central European pastry-making and an integral part of Slovak coffee culture. Its history dates back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, when, in aristocratic salons and Viennese cafés, the famous French dessert mille-feuille (“thousand leaves”) took root. The Slovak version became particularly popular in the south and in small towns with a strong pastry-making tradition. It consists two sheets of puff pastry joined by a generous layer of egg-yolk vanilla cream, which is often topped with a layer of whipped cream.
However, the classic krémeš often suffers from the pastry becoming soggy under the heavy cream. At Skô, therefore, they approached the traditional recipe with a modern respect for texture. “Our version of the krémeš is a nod to the classic. I wanted a simple dessert where it’s clear at first glance — and upon tasting — what it’s made of,” explains Tomáš Valkovič.
Unlike classic krémeš cakes that set in the baking pan, the one at Skô is assembled just before serving. This prevents the light, airy cream made with real vanilla from becoming soggy, and helps the sheets of puff pastry from the Myšák pastry shop remain crispy. And the best part? That satisfying moment when you break through the crust with a spoon.
10. Open-fire dishes
Cooking over an open fire and in hot coals (pahrebe) forms the very foundation of Slovak koliba and salaš culture. When the Wallachians gradually settled the Slovak Carpathians from the 14th to the 16th century, fire in wooden koliby was essential for survival. It provided heat in the cold mountains, protected the herds from predators, but above all, it was used for cooking. Over the fire, shepherds used copper cauldrons to heat the whey left over from making sheep’s cheese, which was used to make the legendary drink — žinčice.
The open hearth and the beechwood fire pit are the heart and centrepiece of Skô. Over the fire, they prepare poultry, fish, sausages, and beef, giving them a distinctive smoky flavour. All dishes cooked over the fire are served with a sauce made from žinčice and homemade paprika sausages.
“The oven creates the atmosphere and gives the food a flavour that no spice can replace. I’ve always been fascinated by cooking over an open fire — at the cabin, I cook exclusively this way, even though it requires skill. I’ve always been inspired by the fire in the middle of traditional kolibas,” explains Tomáš, describing why he loves this element so much.
Aperitifs, or the traditions of Slovak distilleries
An integral part of the heritage of Slovakia’s regions is distillation, and the culture of serving aperitifs or digestifs. The production of spirits has a long history in Slovakia, from the renowned fruit spirits made from plums, pears, or apricots, to the production of borovička made from juniper berries . A high-quality spirit was not merely an alcoholic beverage; it has always been a symbol of hospitality, serving as a welcome toast and a folk cure-all.
The menu at Skô restaurant reflects this rich tradition and complements it with modern experiments. As an aperitif or, conversely, to settle the stomach, the restaurant serves a refreshing grapefruit schnapps or the bold Apollo Nova, a beetroot schnapps. But the menu wouldn’t be complete without time-tested classics. “We have plenty of varieties of borovička as well as authentic fruit brandies from Slovak distilleries — from pear brandy to apricot,” Tomáš lists, adding that his favourite is Navrátil’s Distillery.
