Why is Prague obsessed with Chimney Cakes?
Prague, Czech Republic
Chimney cakes or Trdelník are Czech only in name. An ancient practice of rolling the dough around a stick & baking it over an open fire or hot coals before the advent of bread ovens & stoves is something most parts of Europe indulged in.
So, where, why and how did this become Prague’s favourite street food? Available at every little street corner that usually rolled in Cinnamon Sugar, these cakes are served filled with ice-cream, Nutella, berries and other traditional sundae toppings.
The best place supposedly is The Good Food Bakery right off Charles Bridge on the very touristy Karlova. They do flavours like Mac & Cheese, Activated Charcoal, Strudel, Cheesecake & Pistachio. After having tried both the street food version & the gourmet one, I can genuinely say I don’t see the hype.
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For something that has at best Transylvanian origins, it’s a sweet bread that looks very pretty but lacks taste. It’s just an overhyped cone masquerading as cake. I would any day pick Spanish Churros, street food or gourmet dipped in chocolate or a vanilla crème. At least, they do justice to the cinnamon sugar that here gets lost in the doughiness.