After six days of hiking through the Czech Republic, I can say that I am intimately familiar with the potato. Our trip wound past tiny kitchen gardens growing as many as a dozen crops, ranging from peaches to corn, then through untouched Renaissance villages with squares surrounded by colorful painted buildings.

The Czechs make lunch their main meal. It almost always starts with a soup. A favorite was aromatic mushroom soup, while a leak a potato concoction was smooth and savory. Sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables are perennials and potatoes cooked every possible way show up at lunch and dinner. Fried, baked, pancakes, croquettes –potatoes are ubiquitous.

Pork is another mainstay. Last night, we were treated to a grilled pig joint (or pig’s knee as one restaurant sign proclaimed). I can safely say that I have never tasted such sweet, succulent meat.

Walking through farmland, I saw fields of wheat, barley and oats. For a country that consumes so much pig, they keep the animal well-hidden. So far, I haven’t seen a single one.

Related posts:

1. Czech Republic: Food Curiosities
2. Czech Republic: Beer, Glorious Beer
3. Thanksgiving Recipe: Sweet Potatoes But Hold the Marshmallows Please