Svíčková, Hold the Meat

When someone first stops eating meat, their carnivore family members may be at a loss and
have no idea what to feed them. They may ask for tofu, but their family members may come
home with a block of cheese. In some places, such as Prague, many traditional dishes are
heavily meat-based, leaving few vegetarian options and making the once outrageous idea of
eating a slab of cheese as a meal all too real.

The only vegetarian dish available in some pubs may be the classic deep-fried eidam, usually
served with tartar sauce and potatoes. Some vegetarians may feel like they are missing out on
the local cuisine and decide to look for veganized versions of traditional dishes. However, it may
come as a surprise, but many traditional cuisines relied on what was available, which often
included vegetables.

Veganized version of Czech cuisine

In an article by Radio Prague International, Jitka Sobotková- curator of the culinary heritage
project at the National Museum of Agriculture- states that the traditional Czech cuisine was
determined by what was available historically. Sobotková points out that the ingredients in
traditional family homes were not actually meat based but rather consisted of vegetables like
potatoes, cabbage and legumes. When the Czech Republic was part of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, cities such as Vienna more distantly influenced the country’s culinary traditions and
after independence in 1918 Western allies, particularly France, inspired new recipes and
techniques. She insists that traditional Czech dishes are ordinary foods such as potato flatbread
and pastries made from yeast dough and not schnitzel or goulash.

The ethnographic department of the Czech National Museum contains an exhibit dedicated to
Czech culinary history. Petr Janeček, head of the department, in an interview with Radio Prague
International elaborates on the points brought up by Sobotková. Janeček confirms that
vegetables such as potatoes were a staple for common people and saved them from hunger
and famine. However, he points out that meat was not completely absent but dishes like Wien
Schnitzel did appear during festivals and holidays and that veal was also cheap and common.

Both Sobotková and Janeček state that there was a difference between the culinary habits of
the common people and aristocrats. Poorer classes usually ate one large meal at the end of the
day after working in the fields and it consisted mostly of items like legumes, mashed potatoes
and dumplings. Higher classes tended to eat multiple times per day in smaller quantities and
had access to exotic fruits, vegetables and spices. Janeček says that workers ate meat on
average twice a week and usually on the weekends, but that even aristocrats did not eat it every
day.

Janeček admits that traditional food was primarily established during the Austro-Hungarian
Empire. He describes food as being the “sort of cultural ammunition for various ethnic and
political groups to maintain their identity” which brings politics into the conversation of food
heritage. At the ethnographic museum there are dishes such as pork and dumplings that were
invented during that period and labelled as ‘national’, but Janeček admits that they cannot be
solely deemed Czech because of the large scope of similar dishes appearing in modern Europe.

Sobotková brings the debate on cultural authenticity from ingredients to the preparation of
meals. She describes the core of Czech cuisine as consisting of quality in the process of making
broths and sauces rather than the quality of ingredients themselves. Meals were based on
labour intensive cooking techniques that have lost their character in the fast-paced modern
world.

“Grandma’s kitchen was characterised by quality preparation,” says Sobotková.

The circumstances in Czech history, Sobotková says, have established the country’s culinary
traits. Long winters or poor harvests forced cooking to contain methods of preservation and a
degree of thriftiness. Using leftover scraps and spoiled ingredients is a unique attribute that
Sobotková gives to Czech culture in world gastronomy.

Potato pancakes and sauerkraut: a traditionally vegetarian dish

When it comes to veganized versions of Czech food, a name that came up a lot in
recommendations was Moment Bistro. Moment's vegan twist on the Czech national dish
includes a creamy root-vegetable sauce, speck bread dumplings, and jackfruit (which has an
eerily similar texture to the original tenderloin) all for 263 crowns. The food is comparable to
Sunday lunches at your grandmother's house: simple, filling, and delicious. This dish is a worthy
substitute for the traditional svíčková, and should help non meat-eaters satisfy any cravings for
the Czech national dish.

Vegan svíčková made with jackfruit

Their take on schnitzel was more obviously vegan. It consists of a breaded cauliflower steak,
which is then fried and served with mashed potatoes and a side of homemade vegan tartar
sauce. While it made for a tasty lunch, it is not comparable to the original breaded pork or
chicken and might not satisfy a craving for the traditional dish.

Vegan cauliflower schnitzel

Another popular classic is goulash, a thick stew made with beef, onions, and spices. A hearty
plant-based alternative can be found at Maitrea, a restaurant filled with Buddhist figures and
intricate wallpaper in the heart of Old Town. Their version of goulash is served with whole-wheat
dumplings and includes onions, vegetables, and soy "meat" which makes for a chewy texture.
The whole experience was a bit bizarre, but not necessarily bad.

Professor Markéta Slavková, who works at Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA) has been a
vegetarian living in the Czech Republic for most of her life.

“I was given meat since childhood because it’s so heavy. My mom said I would never eat it
because I hated it. Around 15 or 16 in high school, I tried more vegetarian options as I got older
and realized quickly I preferred it more,” Slavková said.

Slavková said her reasons behind becoming a vegetarian were to protect and respect animal’s
rights.

“I decided I couldn’t ever kill an animal, I couldn’t eat it either,” Slavková said. “Another reason
was environmental. If we cut down our meat consumption, we would cut down so many ethical
issues related to animal care and food production. I refuse to partake in the mistreatment of
animals and treating them like objects.”

Although Slavková has been a vegetarian for many years now, people think she is limiting
herself by not eating meat in the Czech Republic because of how meat based many Czech
cuisines are.

Personally, I don’t feel limited, but other people think I am limited. Many people don’t know
vegetarian recipes in the Czech Republic, so they think vegetarian options don’t satisfy. If you
go to a Czech restaurant it’s very hard to find options for me but I cook a lot,” Slavková said.

When asked if it was hard to eat out in the Czech Republic as a vegetarian, Slavková said it is a
challenge for her which is why she mostly cooks at home.

“Fried cheese is almost the only option, sometimes even with ham in it, and they refused to take
it out. Some of those meals can include meat so it can be very limited,” Slavková said.

Slavková studies Anthropology which is defined as the study of the origin and development of
human societies and cultures. She uses this to help understand Czech culture and to teach her
Czech Culture, Food and Brewing Tradition class at CEA for study abroad students.

According to Slavková, the culture surrounding the Czech Republic during the communist era is
a large factor in food traditions in the Czech Republic today.
“During socialism the transformation had become industrial so animals were beginning to breed
in these houses and processed, sheep can’t be supported in this new system among other
animals so it diminished and pork became the new norm,” Slavková said.

The communist era lasted for 40 years in the Czech Republic, formally known as
Czechoslovakia, starting in 1948 after the second World War. Slavková said the 20th century
became very meat based in Czechoslovakia which made previously common Czech vegetarian
dishes disappear.

“Old Czech vegetarian recipes such as wild cabbage or green soup and eggs are not commonly
known anymore because in the 20th century everything was meat based due to the
industrialization happening at the time,” Slavková said. So many vegetarian recipes were
forgotten because they got rid of them during socialism believing they didn’t satisfy.”

Slavková also said that counting food and calories became very popular during the communist
era, especially the 1960’s and 1970’s. She believed this was another reason why meat based
meals were more popular at the time.

“The idea that our bodies were a machine that needed energy caused people to turn to meat
even more due to it being one of the only ways to get full at the time. During socialism,
consumption of meat was seen as leading to the development of stronger, more capable
bodies,” Slavková said.

Slavková notes that before communism, vegetarianism was practiced at large in the Czech
Republic because of the amount of Christians that would fast during Christian holidays.

“The Catholic Czechs are mostly Peskitarian and it was very normal hundreds of years ago to
fast for even half a year,” Slavková said. “Then, they decreased the number of fasting days, but
alternating between meat and vegetarianism was done more often then people will now.

Slavková explained that when people think of tradition they think of the last 50 years which
disregards so many original traditions the Czech Republic used to have.

“Before communism, vegetarianism was way more common and many old Czech cookbooks
showed so many feast recipes for fasting days that were all vegetarian.” Slavková said.

Because of the meat culture surrounding the Czech Republic due to the communist era,
vegetarian options are very scarce. However, as the vegetarian population begins to rise, so
has the process to create a solution.

Lab-grown meat is produced from animal cells, starting with the painless removal of a sample of
muscle tissue from a living animal, which is then transformed into masses of cells. Samples of
cows, chickens, rabbits, ducks, shrimp and even tuna were taken to laboratories in an attempt
to recreate parts of their bodies without having to raise, confine or slaughter the animals
themselves.

Slavková did not like the idea of this at first but has come around to the idea more recently.

“I think initially I wasn’t for it because to me it didn’t taste good or remind me of my childhood
when I used to eat meat because it wasn’t accurate yet,” said Slavková. “Now they’ve
developed it more and it does taste like actual meat that I can enjoy without compromising my
vegetarianism.”

Slavková also said this was a helpful solution for her to get enough nutrients without having to
eat actual meat.

“When I was in Bosnia, there were almost no vegetarian options and there weren’t many meat
options either. I felt weak a lot so I began to eat fish which was a helpful solution for me at the
time but still compromised my beliefs. This way, I won’t have to,” Slavková said.

Slavková believes this can be a healthy alternative for vegetarians living in the Czech Republic
that don’t have access to a variety of options in a meat-based culture.

“Vegetarianism is not a new thing, it has been around for centuries. I think offering a decent life
for animals and making meat more of a luxury is important and lab-grown meat is just one
alternative.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that the demand
for meat will increase by more than two-thirds over the next 40 years – and the problem is that
the current production methods are already far from sustainable.

Livestock contributes to worsening climate change through the uncontrolled release of methane,
a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Increased demand will
significantly increase levels of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide and cause loss of
biodiversity.

In march of this year, the Italian government approved a bill that prohibits the use of food
produced from cells and animal feed, banning any kind of lab-grown meat. The measure still
needs to be ratified by the country's parliament, and the government says the measure is to
protect the country's food traditions.

In the Czech Republic, several cultured meat start-ups have popped up in recent years.
Brno-based Mewery is leading the cultured meat field in Central and Eastern Europe, according
to Radio Prague International.

According to seasoned vegan of 14 years and food politics writer, Christopher Sebastian, the
transition to an animal product-free lifestyle was “actually pretty easy” as “ethnic food tends to
be naturally vegan”. Sebastian mentioned that a lot of the difficulties that come with a
plant-based diet come from the idealised cultural norms of meat.

“From a young age we are fed propaganda to believe in this idealised version of a pig, who is
free living its life until it becomes a product,” he says. “But that is not the case, the pig may not
be lab-grown, but it is industrially grown.”

According to Christopher, the question of cultural identity in food is much more complex than it
may seem. McJetters brings the politics of veganism into the equation stating that capitalism in
the meat industry purposely puts itself in a position to become intertwined with nationalist,
traditionalist and conservative views that self proclaim cultural identity. What results is the
manipulated image of culture through propaganda by corporations that benefit from the meat
industry.

Vegetarianism and veganism are threats to that image and so preconceived cultural
conventions are constantly being repackaged and resold to realign people’s understanding of
culture with principles that support the meat business. Meat becomes the self proclaimed soul of
culture and what is truly deserving of the title gets lost in the capitalist race.

Sebastian links the idea of meat consumption to people’s own identities, and the role of tradition
in one’s image of self. He also mentions the fact that in a lot of cuisines, the meat is just one of
the ingredients, while other factors such as the preparation methods and ritualistic aspects of
culturally significant foods are the true basis of tradition.

McJetters calls for an examination of the definition of culture. Culture is not static but is
constantly evolving and forming new traditions through the centuries. The present is culture and
environmental threats will be another factor in history responsible for its metamorphosis.

“We have to find sustainable ways, by choice or by force, it has to happen”, says McJetters.

As for developing technologies such as lab-grown meat, McJetters views this advancement as
not a solution that bridges the gap between veganism and culture but rather transforms the
identity of culture. New identities will emerge in the 21st century.

Recent statistics show that while the

percentage of the population that identifies as
vegetarian or vegan combined is less than
10%, meat-free lifestyles are becoming more
popular amongst younger citizens and more
restaurants targeted toward a plant-based
audience (Times.CZ).

While the lab-grown meat industry is far from a

major player in the Czech livestock market,
one can hope it may help bridge the cultural gap created between meat eaters and plant-based
individuals by meat consumption and the role of animal products in national identity.

As sustainability demands innovation, cultural authenticity transcends perceived tradition and it

becomes clear that Czech cuisine extends beyond ingredients. Ultimately, Czech cuisine
reflects the country’s history and the circumstances that shaped its culinary traditions, including
long winters and poor harvests that led to the development of unique preservation techniques
and a degree of thriftiness. By understanding the roots of Czech cuisine, vegetarians and
vegans can find ways to enjoy local dishes without compromising their dietary choices.

232 Vegetarian restaurants in the Czech Republic

21.6 Vegetarian restaurants per million people
58% Increase in vegetarian restaurants from 2016 to 2020
1% Czechs who claim to be vegan
4% Czechs who avoid meat completely
Under 44 Majority age of vegetarians
82% Czech men who have meat at least once a week
77% Czech women who have meat at least once a week