How Slovenian chef Ana Roš boosted the self-confidence of Czech gastronomy
The unique tasting dinner took place in the Čestr restaurant, which became a place to celebrate Czech cuisine and helped make the first major event organised by the Nová česká (New Czech) association. Ana Roš accepted the invitation to Prague, and with it the role of ambassador, the acclaimed chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant Hiša Frankowho has put the region of Slovenia, its tradition, nature and agriculture in the spotlight and encouraged the world to take a closer look at Slovenian cuisine.
"Tonight's dinner revolves around the season. You'll be eating food made from ingredients that have grown up around us, and that, in a nutshell, is the intention of the association. We want to cook and preserve and think about how they were cooked 200 years ago and how we can cook them even better today," said Oldřich Sahajdák at the beginning, who together with Ana Roš gradually introduced the individual courses. The menu itself, however, spoke, among other things, about the symbiosis between man and nature from which all regional cuisine is based.
The dinner guests tasted a six-course tasting menu which brought together what is currently being harvested in the Czech Republic and Slovenia and told the story of two different, yet close, cuisines.
"Regardless of political borders, we are still Central Europe, and although our countries have slightly different culinary identities, we face similar challenges. Slovenian gastronomy lacks local recognition and traditional establishments where one can taste Slovenia. In addition, a lot of tourists come to Prague and most of them want just that - to eat Czech food prepared authentically and from the best, food that tells the story of who you are."
"You have a valuable heritage, so play with it!" Ana said, elaborating on the answer to the question of what Czech cuisine needs to rise to the top of the world's gastro scene, when chefs not only use local ingredients, but also think about how to interpret their country and culture. Your cuisine is a glorious cuisine and has a strong foundation that you can develop further."
The menu served in Čestr was created in collaboration with the chefs from Hiša Franko and the New Czech association, headed by chef Oldřich Sahajdák and chefs Tomáš Kalina, Ondřej Koráb and other members of the association. Potatoes were served with peeled potatoes, mushrooms with caraway seeds or kohlrabi with horseradish, venison with raspberries and radish, pork neck with cabbage and Prague ham and also bun with pears. The dishes were paired with wines from Czech and Moravian winemakers, and waiters and sommeliers from various Prague establishments served the food.
The dinner took on an extra dimension. Proceeds will go to the educational activities of the New Czech. The association plans to organise talks and cooking sessions with apprentices in schools, pop-ups in school canteens or a professional forum that aims to bring the Czech gastronomic scene together.
Another goal is to connect chefs with farmers, because without this, Czech cuisine loses its quality, originality and uniqueness. The vision is shared by many professionals and partners. This time the dinner was supported by Robot Coupe and Czech Tourism's Czech Specials gastronomic project.
