Prague was my first stop in Europe after spending a few weeks in Israel eating mostly veggies, hummus and falafel.

When I got to Prague, I gorged myself on all the rich traditional cuisine. It’s hearty stuff that helps soak up all the cheap pivo (beer) you’ll be drinking!

On my free walking tour of the city, I met a nice lady from upstate New York (hi Beth!) and we got lunch together. Beer battered deep fried mushrooms, a thick vegetable soup, and potato dumplings! The food was surprisingly flavorful for being so hearty, and the innocuous looking potato dumplings were my favorite part!

We also put back a few pints, as did everyone else at the place! Needless to say, Europe really doesn’t judge you for day drinking!

The beer of choice in Prague is Pilsner Urquell. First brewed in 1842 in the Czech town of Pilsner, this especially hoppy beer is found all over the world, but I was lucky enough to have it in cask condition in Prague: unfiltered, unpasteurized, and naturally conditioned like it was made in the 19th century.

There’s something else that Prague does especially well…

Gingerbread! I stumbled upon a gingerbread museum which showcased intricate icing work and beautiful designs. The fake lace look on the cookies was mind blowing, and how about that gingerbread castle?!

One of my favorite meals was beef goulash with bread dumplings, potato pancakes, thick cut bacon and fried onions. My new best friend, Andrée, who I met at my hostel, was on a mission to find goulash that day, and I’m so glad we did!

Another Czech food we happened upon was trdelník, a lip smackingly sweet treat of dough wrapped around a stick, coated in sugar and rolled over an open flame.

Based on a suggestion from my friend Kirstie who studied abroad in Prague, I ordered a plate of smažený sýr, which literally translates to fried cheese. We had Edam cheese that was breaded, deep fried and served with tarter sauce (and pivo!). Conclusion: how can you go wrong with anything fried?

One of the most sinful things I ate in Prague was actually for breakfast! Bakeshop, a delightful bakery and cafe located in the historic Jewish Quarter, provided a vast array of sweet treats to choose from. I picked two mini croissants to sample, and a cappuccino (my European coffee of choice).

Fun fact: Sugar cubes were invented in Prague!

My last meal in Prague was at a traditional Czech restaurant located underneath our hostel with another new friend, Tiger from Saudi Arabia.

We split a scrumptious starter of garlic tiger prawns, then I dined on beef steak in a cream sauce with raspberry and sour cream, served with a side of bread dumplings. Savory, sweet and totally satisfying!

Czech, please!