Skalický trdelník

The trdelník dough is fermented and sweet. It is stretched into strips, spiraled onto a thick cylinder called a trdlo, and coated with beaten egg white and chopped walnuts, almonds or apricot kernels. It is roasted while rotating in front of the heat, like on a spit, until golden, and brushed with butter during preparation. Once baked and still hot, it is sprinkled with sugar mixed with vanilla sugar. When removed from the cylinder, the pastry is hollow inside.

In Skalica, a town in the Záhorie region near the border with the Czech Republic, the custom is traced back to the 18th century: according to local tradition, the recipe arrived with a cook of Count Gvadányi, who came from Transylvania. By the early 19th century trdelník was already made in the town, and around the turn of the 20th century it began to be sold at fairs. Larger-scale production started in the mid-20th century.

In December 2007, Skalický trdelník was registered in the European Union as a protected geographical indication, the first Slovak product to receive that designation. Only trdelník made in the districts of Skalica and Senica, between the Morava and Myjava rivers and the Czech border, following the registered recipe, may bear the name. The town has an association dedicated to the pastry and celebrates it at Trdlofest, a festival with music, tradition and wine.