Food and Meals

It is very important what we eat, and how we eat, because food is one of the basic things for people. Most people usually have 3 meals a day, breakfast, dinner and supper. In some cases for example in illness, or on sliming diet we have a special program for catering (stravování.) All nations have their characteristic cuisine (kuchyň), but people all over the world can prefer china food like a fish, rice etc., or Italian food, like a spaghetti and pizza.

Breakfast in our country consists usually of tea, cocoa or coffee, bread, butter and some salami or cheese. People who want to be fit eat müssli, bananas or some fruit. We don’t have so much time for our breakfast, because everything in our country starts earlier than in Britain, so we don’t think it is the most important meal of the day.

Dinner is the most important meal of the day. Mostly we eat soup, main course )hlavní chod) and afters (zákusek). It usually take a place between 12°° and 13°°, sometimes later or earlier according to the custom or family.
The supper can be warm or cold, some families don’t have supper. Or if someone wants to be slim, we have a proverb (přísloví) for to stay hungry in the evening: “Have a breakfast alone, Have a dinner with friend and give your supper to your enemy.”

Eating manners are different in every country. In our country you shouldn’t speak when you eat, you should sit evenly (rovně) and have your  elbows near your body. If you are in restaurant you must have your legs under your chair. In Britain it is necessary talk with your friends or a host (hostitel). In China people sit on the floor and eat with little crook instead of knife and fork.

We can not forget to a drink. Aperitif – it is a drink before eat to have a good appetite. It is for example campari, Ciznano, Cora, Martini, with food you drink something for good digestion like vine. After the meal people usually drink whisky, gin or something harder on a full stomach.

Special Czech food is knedlo-vepřo-zelo it is a traditional food with dumplings. You can order it in every  Czech pub or in a good restaurant. Sometimes the pubs are better, because the prices are lower, waiters more helpful and friendly. But if you don’t like this and if you prefer big nonpersonal restaurants, you can order this meal in hotel Intercontinental, Atrium, or in another luxury hotel as Czech speciality.

Some people prefer sweet food. It is for example pancakes, Waffles, and a speciality of Czech fruit leavened (kynuté) dumplings with cherry, peach, bilberies, strawberries, apricot or raspberry and blackberry. Usual is the apple pie as dessert or semolina cake (bábovka).
English people have a nice custom to have a tea  at 5 o’clock. It is not like in our country when we have a snack. It is a special occasion. People eat slices of white or brown bread and butter with cheese, fish or ham, perhaps some vegetables, and jam. English people drink tea and coffee with milk.

American food is not so good, it is usually some sort of fast-food like hamburgers, Coke, chips. This is the  country of big extremes. Some people eat in fast-foods and they are fat, other people eat in a healthy way and they have no problems with weight.