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Slovakia’s national dish is called Bryndzove Halusky. Bryndza is a type of soft cheese made from sheep’s milk. It is paired with bacon and potato dumplings called Halušky. Since most of Slovakia’s early inhabitants were farmers, they developed this dish from farmed potatoes and homemade cheeses. This dish can be found in households and Slovak restaurants. It is typically made for the Halušky Festival held in Turecká. Traditionally, a glass of sour milk or zincica is drunk with Bryndzove Halusky.
Slovakia or the Slovak Republic (Slovak: Slovensko, Slovenská Republika; both names are officially recognized), is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria to the west, the Czech Republic to the northwest, Hungary to the south, Poland to the north and Ukraine to the east.
Although ethnic Slovaks make up a majority of the country’s population, Slovakia retains a significant Hungarian-speaking minority, comprising nearly 9.4% of the total population. Hungarians make up a majority of the population in Slovakia’s deep south, close to the Hungarian border and in the Danubian lowlands.
Bryndzové Halušky is the national dish of Slovakia and a defining symbol of Slovak rural cuisine. The dish consists of soft potato dumplings known as halušky, tossed with bryndza, a tangy sheep’s milk cheese, and topped with crispy bacon and rendered fat.
The dish emerged from Slovakia’s agrarian past, when farming communities relied heavily on potatoes and sheep’s milk. Bryndza production became widespread in mountainous regions, where sheep grazing was common, making the cheese an accessible and essential ingredient. Combined with potatoes, it created a filling, calorie-rich meal well suited to physically demanding farm work.
Bryndzové Halušky is widely eaten in homes and restaurants throughout Slovakia and holds cultural importance beyond everyday meals. It is the centerpiece of the annual Halušky Festival in the village of Turecká, where cooks compete to prepare the best version of the dish using traditional techniques.
Traditionally, the meal is accompanied by žinčica, a sour sheep’s milk drink that balances the richness of the cheese and bacon. Today, Bryndzové Halušky represents national pride, simplicity, and the enduring connection between Slovak cuisine and its agricultural roots.