About Vafimoleva

A personal guide to Czech culinary traditions

Why This Site Exists

Czech cuisine has a reputation problem. Outside of Central Europe, most people associate Czech food with heavy pub meals — pork knuckle, fried cheese, beer. Those things exist and they have their place, but they represent only a small slice of what Czech cooking actually is.

The real tradition is far more nuanced. It is built around slow techniques, seasonal vegetables, careful sauce-making, and a deep respect for the kind of food that takes time to prepare properly. Svickova takes two days to make correctly. Good bread dumplings require practice. Czech cuisine rewards patience in a way that fast food culture has largely forgotten.

I started this site because I wanted a place to document recipes as I learned them — from family members, from older cookbooks, from conversations with people who grew up making these dishes. The goal is not to produce a comprehensive encyclopedia of Czech food, but to share the specific recipes and techniques that I have found worth understanding properly.

About the Author

My name is Petra Novakova. I grew up in Prague and have spent the last several years cooking through the Czech culinary canon — starting with the classics and working outward into regional variations and historical recipes. I am not a professional chef, and this is not a professional food publication. It is a personal record of things I have cooked, learned, and found worth sharing.

All recipes on this site have been tested in a home kitchen. Where I have adapted a traditional recipe, I say so and explain why. Where I have followed a traditional method exactly, I try to explain the reasoning behind it rather than just listing steps.

Traditional Czech svickova — the dish that represents Bohemian home cooking

What You Will Find Here

Tested Recipes

Every recipe on this site has been cooked multiple times. I include notes on what can go wrong and how to avoid it, because most recipe failures are predictable.

Historical Context

Czech food has a history worth understanding. I try to explain where dishes come from and how they have changed over time, drawing on reliable sources where possible.

Honest Opinions

Not every traditional recipe is worth making exactly as written. Where I think a technique can be improved without losing authenticity, I say so and explain my reasoning.

Practical Advice

Ingredient substitutions, equipment notes, storage tips — the practical information that recipe books often omit but that makes a real difference in the kitchen.