If you study abroad in Prague during the summer, you may be surprised to learn there are strawberry fields located right within the city!

Picking strawberries is a tradition during the summer months as freshly picked strawberries are less expensive than you’d find at the local markets. When you study abroad through USAC, we make sure you get to experience all the great things the locals do, so we headed to the strawberry fields with our Summer Session 1 students. Not only did they get to pick their own strawberries but they went to a nearby community center where they learned how to make fresh strawberry jam and traditional Czech strawberry dumplings.

We couldn’t let our USAC Prague students get away with learning how to make traditional Czech dumplings and not sharing the recipe.

Czech Strawberry Dumplings / Jahodové knedlíky

Ingredients:
250 g / 8 ounces / 2 cups fresh cheese (quark, ricotta cheese)
2 eggs
0,5 kg / 1 lb. 2 ounces / 2 and 2/3 cups semolina
60 g / 2 oz butter
pinch salt
0,25 litre / 1 cup of milk

Whisk together all ingredients. Knead until you have a smooth dough. If the dough is too sticky, add some more flour. Let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes.

While the dough is resting, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.

Spread a thin layer of semolina flour over a clean work surface. Knead dough briefly and form the dough into a roll. Slice the dough into one-inch thick slices. Roll out each slice into a circle – 1/4 inch thick and four inches in diameter.

Put a strawberry on top and wrap it with the dough, making dumplings. Make sure strawberries are completely covered by the dough so that the dumpling does not rip open while cooking.

Carefully put the dumplings into the boiling water and let simmer at low heat for about 5 to 8 minutes.

When the dumplings get to the surface, they are ready. Take them out with a tablespoon.

Serve with some melted butter, sour cream or grated quark and sugar.

Dobrou chuť! / Enjoy your meal!

Watch this video for a step-by-step demonstration!