Kulajda
Photo: Chmee2 · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Kulajda comes from south Bohemia and the Sumava forest region, born from the foraging-and-dairy economy of the highlands. The classic version uses dried wild mushrooms in winter and fresh hribky (porcini) in autumn. The poached egg is the structural finish, breaking into the soup to enrich it further. Eska in Karlin runs a refined version with house-fermented cream; older pivnice serve the rustic version with a heavier dose of dill and vinegar. Always finished with a drizzle of vinegar (rather than lemon) to lift the cream.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 50 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 30g dried porcini or mixed wild mushrooms (or 250g fresh chestnut or porcini, sliced)
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 500g waxy potatoes, peeled and diced 1.5cm
  • 1L good vegetable or light chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp caraway seed lightly toasted, 1/2 tsp white peppercorns
  • 300ml full-fat soured cream (smetana ke slehani 30 percent)
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (plus more to taste)
  • 1 large bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 4 large eggs (for poaching)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • To serve: thick slices of dense rye or country bread, butter

Method

  1. If using dried mushrooms, soak in 300ml warm water for 30 minutes; lift out, chop, and reserve the soaking liquid (strain through muslin).
  2. Melt the butter in a large pot, add onion, cook 6 minutes until soft. Add garlic and caraway, cook 60 seconds.
  3. Add the chopped soaked mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms), cook 5 minutes until any liquid has reduced.
  4. Add the potatoes, stock, mushroom soaking liquid, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and cook 18 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not collapsing.
  5. Whisk the sour cream with the flour into a smooth paste, then whisk in a ladle of hot soup to temper. Pour back into the pot, whisking; simmer gently for 5 minutes to cook out the flour. Do not boil hard or the cream may split.
  6. Stir in the vinegar and the chopped dill; season with salt, pepper, and more vinegar to taste (the soup should have a clear sour note).
  7. Poach the eggs in a separate pan of barely simmering vinegar-water for 3 minutes for a runny yolk.
  8. Ladle the kulajda into four warm bowls, lower a poached egg gently into the centre of each, finish with a final scatter of fresh dill and a drizzle of cream. Serve with buttered rye bread.

Tip from the editors. The vinegar must not be skipped; lemon juice does not give the same lift. Foraged wild mushrooms (autumn porcini, parasol, suchohrib) make the dish; cultivated chestnut mushrooms with 10g of dried porcini for backbone are the home cook's best substitute.

Where to eat kulajda

Kulajda in Prague

Eska Karlin ★ 4.5

€€ 280-450 CZKBrunchBakery-restaurant brunchKarlin

Eska Karlin runs an all-day brunch in the bakery-restaurant: bread 33 sourdough toast, eggs, fermented vegetables and the kitchen's morning pastry plate.

OrderBread 33 toast, eggs, fermented Czech vegetables

TipBook Saturday brunch in advance; bread 33 sells out by noon weekly.

Directions

U Modre Kachnicky ★ 4.2

€€ Czech TraditionalMala Strana

U Modre Kachnicky in Mala Strana cooks the old Czech repertoire, roast duck and venison, in two Baroque-era dining rooms a five-minute walk from Charles.

OrderThe duck with bread dumplings and red cabbage.

Directions Book

Cafe Savoy ★ 4.5

€€ 350-650 CZKBrunchGrand-cafe breakfastMala Strana

Cafe Savoy serves Prague's grandest brunch in a neo-Renaissance Mala Strana room, with daily Mysak pastries, eggs in every form, and a working all-day.

OrderSavoy breakfast plate with the pastry of the day

TipReserve the window booth; the breakfast goes all day, weekend queues are real.

Directions

Mistral Cafe ★ 4.1

€€ 180-380 CZKBrunchOld Town all-day brunchStare Mesto

Mistral Cafe near Staromestska does the easiest central Prague brunch. All-day egg dishes, weekend brunch boards, daily soups, the office crowd at lunchtime.

OrderWeekend brunch egg plate

TipArrive at 09:00 for window seats; the lavender lemonade is the house drink.

Directions

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