I have hunted kolaches in Czechia and i learned two things. 1. They taste the same in Czechia as they do in Texas and 2. Czechs do not know they are so popular in Texas, but are pleasantly surprised to learn that they are.
Can confirm, I never knew they were so popular in Texas. I personally tend to not get these very often though, I tend to get our doughnuts (koblihy) way more often as a breakfast food along with a cappuccino on the go. But my fathers family has roots in the local culture around Beskydy mountains (Valašsko specifically) so Ive grown up eating frgále for most of my life. They are delicious but also definitely a calorie bomb so to speak, but if you ever visit this part of Moravia, I encourage you to try it (especially frgále with tvaroh).
@@nevermoreever2 Its a benefit of globalization in general, because when sicilians moved to work in Detroit, they didnt have their ingredients or ovens, so they had to resort to what was available and Detroit style pizza was born. Now, you have access to more stuff, so immigrants can bring their culture with them to new places and teach others about their methods.
My family immigrated from the Czech Republic to Caldwell, Texas in the late 1800s. In Caldwell every year there is a Kolache festival. During the festival there is a kolache baking competition as well as shops set up around the town square selling food and all kinds of things. Thats how popular kolaches are here in Texas!
Just a little correction... your family immigrated from Kingdom of Bohemia (officialy Lands of the crown of Bohemia) which was part of Austrian empire that time in late 1800s and not from Czech Republic which exists from 1993. 🙂
Okay, I knew that koláče/kolaches were popular in Texas but I had no idea that they were *this* popular. This was so heartwarming for my little Czech heart!
My best friend's wife is Czech, and I've been told that I MUST get my hands on some brinza (spelling?) cheese that is actually from there. Apparently, the N. American equivalents just do NOT cut it.
A Texas-Czech family moved to Utah and started a Kolache shop in Provo (they have other locations now too). It has a line around the block every day, they do small batches so that every Kolache is fresh from the oven. They open at 6am and close when they run out.
Never knew that Texans loved them. Heck, never even knew they made them! Greetings from Czechia, Ethan! Thanks for the video. PS: Very difficult to make them better than grandma. Sorry.
We have a pretty large Czech-descendant population, especially in Central Texas and the Hill Country. They're a bit overshadowed by the German influence, but still prominent enough there are some towns with Czech heritage festivals.
the popularity is astounding. every donut shop, regardless of who runs it, makes and sells them. i would wager 99% of the people here don't even realize they are Czech because of how ubiquitous it is.
As a Texan, I’m loving the coverage of Kolaches/Klobasniks. One version that if you’ve got the time you should look into is the cultural fusion seen predominantly (I assume as I can’t find them most other places as of now) is the Savory Kolache with a boudain/boudin filling seen on the borders of Texas and Louisiana. I see them a lot in the SETX (Beaumont/Houston) areas but not often outside of that region.
Howdy, there is a lot to love about the Chech who moved here and are an integral part of Texas culture....and families who are now Texans... hard working good food, etc....
Every donut shop I've ever been to in Texas had Kolaches. Three most common were regular sausage, sausage and cheese, and sausage and jalepenos. They are without fail delicious.
And almost all donut shops are run by Asian families so I never even associate kolaches with the Czech Republic. Also, I didn't know about sweet kolaches until I was an adult. It was all about sausage and cheese in DFW apparently.
Almost all the donut shop sausage ones seem to use “sausage” that is more like a hot dog than actual sausage. There are a few bakeries that use real sausage in them. The best one I have found is Green’s Sausage House outside of Temple TX. Their cream cheese kolaches are great too.
Its funny, because of here in Czech Republic we don´t have Koláče with saussage or cheese (except curd) or jalapeňos. Koláče here are sweet, not salty or sour. 🙂
@@dcs6500 The ones I've been to have both a cheaper hot dog version and a smoked sausage version. My favorite is the boudin version that some places in East Texas and parts of Louisiana sell.
Omg I didn't know our 'koláče' were so popular in Texas! Greetings from Czechia too. My favourite filling is plum preserve we call 'povidla' - be sure to try that if you get the chance. This video very much made my day.
The middle part of Texas has a strong German and Czech heritage, particularly towns like Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, Gruene, and West. Most German/Czech/Austrian-American culture was repressed in WWI and never really recovered (and what survived didn't make it through WWII), but some identifiable elements still live on in central Texas. Kolache are just as popular as he says they are around here. It's a neat part of living here! Ennis, Texas holds the National Polka Festival every year.
@@zaynelumpkin Chicago Czech American zde. Oh yes, the prune plum kolache are great. Taky mám ráda pivoňkové a višňové knedlíky. Bring on the vepro knedlo zelo and the svickova with žitný chléb a máslo.
My mind is blown. Never would expect Slavic dishes in texas. In Poland, we would call them "drożdżówki" which means "Yeasties". Much love to both Czechs and Texans.
There are tons of Polish and German communities in Texas in addition to Czech. So much so that it really shaped Central Texas culture in a major way. There are even communities that speak unique dialects of Slavic and Germanic down till today.
To the Czechs coming in: Alot of you who came across the seas to here settled in Texas! The area around Corsicana through to Tyler is thick with Czech villages. We also have many German and Bavarian villages as well.
I’m born and raised Houston. I had no idea Kolaches were a Texan thing till I was an adult. I think I ate a Sausage, cheese, jalapeño kolache every morning in highschool
There's some variant on the name "kolache" that has spread over a massive section of the world. In Iran, we have a walnut + cinnamon stuffed butter pastry called a "koluche." It also exists in some form all over the Balkans, Caucasus, and a big chunk of Central Asia. Even the Punjabi bread called "kulcha" shares the same root. Can't wait to try this version!
@@davidpelcn Russian, there are many words with the same root. Kolco which means ring (jewelry), okolo which means at/around, okolica which means the edge of a place, koleso which means wheel, okolotok which means surroundings, okolesica which means nonsense, okolny why means roundabout, okolaczivatsja which means to hang around etc.
Thanks a lot for this episode! I knew Koláče were popular in some parts of the USA, but not to this degree. It’s cool it created its own culture like pizza or pastrami did. It’s interesting to see the savory variants. They are something that we actually eat as well, but we wouldn’t ever call it a koláč - we would just use the term for the dough along with the ingredients and type of cooking. So instead of the "klobasnik", we could call it "zapékaná klobása v těstíčku", or something along those lines, meaning baked sausage in dough. It's sort of interesting, that we often don't use the regular terms for food, but they're diminutive forms that make them sound smaller and cute - "těstíčko" vs "těsto" for dough, or "koláček" vs "koláč". One of the aspects of koláče you missed is their traditional wedding variants. They are literally called "svatební koláčky" (small wedding koláče) and they are usually just tiny variations of the bigger ones, that can be eaten in one bite. Usually they combine the cottage cheese and plum-jam filling with a slight sprinkle of nuts (walnuts, almonds) and sugar crumb on top. These are incredibly delicious when fresh and you can easily eat dozens without even knowing.
They're kind of a 'trendy' food here now! I was in Chicago recently, which never really had waves of Czech immigration en masse (but lots of Polish immigration!) and a ton of the local coffee shops were offering kolache from a local baker! Love the other info, i'm sure the wedding kolache are a treat! Thank you for sharing!
@@hannahc4266 "I was in Chicago recently, which never really had waves of Czech immigration en masse" - Lol. That's completely wrong, I mean, you couldn't be more wrong. Chicago had one of the biggest influx of Czech immigrants "en masse", going back to 19th century, Illinois is the second state with the biggest Czech-American population, making about 8% of the entire state population. One of the most famous majors of Chicago, czech born Anton Čermák, is revered to this day. Even Obama, who spent most of his early life there, spoke about him several times in official speeches.
@@samuelmahoney6878 OMG, YES! You have no idea how timely your comment is for me. I'm a Texan born and raised that's lived in Chicago for the past 13 years, and I'm moving to STL in 3 weeks.
I lived in Houston for a couple years. When I came back to my home state of Ohio, everyone kept saying I must've loved the Tex-Mex and barbeque. And, yes - those are delicious cusinies and I enjoyed them often. But my favorite thing I ate out there was kolaches. You've reawakened my passion for this heavenly food, Ethan! Can't wait to bake up some of these bad boys :)
I never knew they weren’t popular in the rest of the states until I traveled out of Texas. My family drives to visit family and we always stop to get koalches on the way down and back. They are absolutely fantastic
My wife and I grew up in Houston and live in south Florida now. We miss getting them at Kolache Factory. Now that I have the recipe, I'm going to start making these at home
I screamed when I saw this! I’m from Houston, lived all over the US, and have missed savory kolaches SO MUCH. I basically survived off of sausage, cheese, and jalapeño kolaches during college. I used to just get them at my local donut shop! I haven’t been able to find them anywhere else in the US, as you said, and no one but people from Texas know what I’m even talking about. I’m definitely going to make a batch of savory kolaches next weekend to power my week. Thank you so much for this video! I miss Texas food so much.
Born and raised in the Texas Hill Country.. Kolaches are my absolute favorite breakfast.. I'm in SE Texas now and frequently get Boudin and also sausage and gravy kolaches.
My grandmother was from Czechia before it was called that. She came to Texas and the rest is history. A few years ago I started learning the Czech language and cooking goulashes and other foods. Thanks for the video.
Hey, if you want to put your guláš on next level, use onion skins (that dry stuff most people usually throw away, cook it and use it instead of plain water. Also, guláš is always better the next day, not fresh. Give it time to work that flavors and spices. This is our little family secrets to best guláš.
If you say your granny was from Czech lands (Czech lands are Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia), you never make a mistake doesn´t matter which historical period.😉
@@cualsyx we were under austrian rule and before we were part of the HRE as autonomus kingdom, all the time there was Bohemia (czechia), Moravia and Silesia, so it was always called like that thats his point, the regions existed all the time even tho they were part of a bigger non-czech unit
Greetings from czech republic, Im happy atleast something nice from our country is famous. Looks delicious and you made me go to a bakery and get one with a nice filter coffee!
I love this kind of food. Every culture on earth has invented their own version of this. Bao, empanadas, pasties, perogies, calzone, they are the perfect ideal that all sandwiches aspire to be.
My Texan/Czech grandmother made these for me every time I visited her. They were heavenly and such a good memory growing up. Thank you for covering them!
As a Texan I had no idea Kolaches were pretty isolated to Texas until College but I was not surprised to find out there was yet another thing that makes Texas better than the rest of the country
I'm in Iowa where kolaches are extremely popular due to the area's population with Czech and Slovak heritage. Had no idea this was a thing in Texas! A poppy seed kolache from the local bakery is a regular weekend treat for me.
As a former Texan. 20+ years and did not know their was a sweet version of this delicious snack that you can find at any donut shop. The whole time I just thought the sweet ones were danishes. You learn something new every day.
Yea it's super interesting. The first time I had one I assumed they were primarily a savory item, but the more I looked I realized the origin is the sweet ones!
Ha, my experience was the opposite. Growing up with a Czech great grandma, I had only ever had the sweet version she made (they were incredible). The first time I heard of a sausage & cheese kolache was when a friend mentioned getting them from Shipley donuts. I looked at him like he was an alien when he said "sausage & cheese kolache" lmao
I know this is old, but I love this video. Been living in East Texas most of my life. When I was 19, a friend and I got a huge trash bag of kolaches a bakery had leftover at close. We went on a 3 day roadtrip surviving off that unrefrigerated bag of deliciousness. It was beautiful.
Man, that brisket and green chile kolache might be the most central TX food you could make! Love it, and I love that out austin food culture is making a positive impression on you!
In Romania we also have ,, colaci" (kolaches) but it's quite different from the one in Cehia, it's usually in a circle or ring shape,braided and topped with sesame seeds , it's a little sweet and it's usually served at funerals or Christmas Eve
If these are what you are referring to, I remember seeing them when I visited Romania, many years ago. Actually, 50 years ago. I saw, I shop windows, rings of bread, with a twist in the dough. Looked like a ring of rope. I’m not sure if I tried one; now I wish I had.
We have a similar thing in Poland called "kołacze" and your description matches too. I think the name comes from an old Slavic word but the product has evolved into something else in different parts of Eastern Europe.
@@howtomakeyourlifeeasier It's not the most popular, but it certainly exists! I'd say 95%+ of the ones I've seen sold are savory varieties(some combination of sausage/cheese/jalapeño) or sweet varieties with fruit or cream cheese. I've seen everything from poppy seed to venison sold though, they vary a ton even store to store.
@@Ibegood oooh, interesting! In Czech republic, it's basically 100% sweet (and we call it koláče [:colaacze:]) so I think I'll give your version a try!!
I’m from West Texas and it’s so cool we made the video! Czech stop is a staple of my child hood/ teenage years and middle of the night runs are still made by me till this day! If anyone Czech is reading this, thank you! Your creations are very much appreciated 😂. Infuriates me when people post “kolaches” from big chains like Dunkin’ Donuts that’s just a cheap weenie thrown in bad bread but they wouldn’t understand.
To be honest, I grew up on the crappy chain kolaches like Shipley's, so I like them quite alot. I definitely understand they aren't really close to the real thing, but I eat them on a regular basis.
I’m a native Czech who grew up in Portland, Oregon… I remember hearing about the Kolače craze in Texas a while ago. This made me smile about it again. Thank you! Ps-it’s pronounced ‘cole aht sh.’
My grandmother and mother made these in South Dakota. Grandma's father emigrated from Moravia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Grandma made them as pastry squares, then brought the corners together and tied them over the filling, leaving openings to discern the homemade filling, apricot, prune or poppy-seed. Mom could never master the knot part and made them as open-faced rounds. I never before heard of savory ones.
I'm Czech 🇨🇿, born in Canada. My mom made these ALL the time! Sweet breakfasts & lunches are normal in our culture. Hot Plum dumplings with freshly ground poppy seed/ icing suget, drizzled with hot melted butter is a taste sensation! My dad's favorite! Cheers! 😃🥂 from Niagara Falls, CANADA 🇨🇦
As a native Houstonian, this video makes me so happy! I grew up only knowing a kolache for as a savory breakfast treat, and love sharing this piece of Texas culture with visitors.
Texas has all sorts of pockets of well preserved cultures. I live in California and this is inspiring me to go make the pepperoni Swiss Kolache I used to eat at Dos Gatos in San Marcos. Thanks for the help!
Nebraska has a Czech festival that features kolaches. This is a sample of Wilber, NE goods. Kolache, Caraway Rye Bread, & Czech Houska. The Savory ones are similar to the Latvian sausage rolls (Piragi). Great video.
Yes!! I love kolaches. I introduced my out-of-state husband to them, and now he goes out of his way to find some whenever we're on a roadtrip as a sort of tradition. Slovacek's is a required stop on the Austin - Dallas route for us. Brisket kolaches are my absolute favorite.
The Kolache Factory has invaded Indiana with three locations in northern Indianapolis/Hamilton County. Seeing the franchise outside of Texas is fascinating.
Yes!! I went to school in Provo, Utah, which is for some reason a strange foodie hub, and we had multiple kolache places around there. When I graduated, I moved to Oregon and haven't seen any kolache places since. I've been missing these! Excited to try to make some of my own. :)
My great great grandparents migrated to TX back in 1887 from Moravia. Grandfather learned Czech in his farm home (along with his 13 brothers and sisters). Texas had a HUGE Czech wave of immigration in the late 1800s, and their impact endures in a lot of foods-- sausage, beer, pickles. I always find it amusing that so many folks seem oblivious to this fantastic bit of history.
And "kolache" is a round pastry. "Klobasniky" is what a lot of people call a kolache (or pig in a blanket) but Grandpa would pitch a fit whenever he heard a klobasniky called a kolache. "WRONG! Wrong wrong wrong!" 🤣
Lol, I think some work notes made the final cut. Around 4:45 there's some white text on the white background that says, "Might pull some broll from UA-cam videos. I'll grab this tomorrow morning." which sits behind the montage of images. Also, Pittsburgh digs a kolache. Or at least, I've encountered them on a couple disparate occasions, so I assume Pittsburghers dig them.
We have the same buns in Poland, the round ones are called Kołacze (from their round shape), but generally they are called drożdżówki /droshjovky/, meaning a yeasted sweet bun with filling.
I live in Poland and see these everywhere, the sweet ones mainly. I always thought these were Polish. It's fascinating how food travels. Great episode.:)
This type of filled yeast bread is very popular in Brazil as well. The most common fillings are hot dog and cheese, ham and cheese, pizza (ham, cheese, tomato and oregano), a burger patty with cheese, shredded chicken with catupiry cheese, cheese only. We don't have sweet versions that I recall. I love that I can find something so close to home here in Texas. Thank you for sharing the history on them!
As a czech person who was borned in the centre of South Moravia where koláče are the most typical sweet pastry made at home, I am now tempted to move to Texas and start a koláče business haha
My wife's family is from West and a good portion of them still live there. On my first holiday family trip there it was a must to stop before and after. Before we took kolaches to the gathering. After was to bring them back for all of our family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to enjoy. I did not realize these wonderful pastries were as popular as they are. Thank you for your video, it was very informative.
Went to Texas for the first time just a few weeks ago & tried these for the first time at a coffee shop, & being from Cali, I’ve never heard of them before. They were at a gathering the next morning, & it was there I learned how much of a deal they are in TX. Definitely worth a try! Neat how cuisines, even in one country, can very so subtly but noticeably.
I have found similar examples of Kolach in Polish areas of Chicago and South Bend, Indiana which have a large Polish community. I believe you can find Kolach in a good polish bakery as well.
I first encountered these a couple years ago while working for a few months in southern TX, and I’ve missed them ever since. I never thought about trying to make them at home, but now I will have to try!
Those are HUGE in Southern Louisiana as well. Every Donut shop makes them are they are awesome. Had no idea they were Czech. I guess I just assumed French for some reason. Great video
Great video Ethan. Thanks for showing love to this little known Texas treat. I even grew up in DFW and I didn’t really know much about them until I went to college further south.
We in Austria love them as well, we call them "Golatschen". You can get them at most bakeries, normally they are closed and filled with a sweet cottage cheese and rasins filling. A little tip: if you use this dough, do the exact same thing like you did at 8:38 and then deep fry it without filling them (idealy in clarified butter) you get a "Kiachl" or also called "Bauernkrapfen". These are a delicacy of Bavaria and Tyrol. If you want a savory version you top them with cooked sauerkraut or if you want it sweet you top them with cranberry jam and a little bit of powdered sugar. You need to try that out, it is so good!
I grew up in Texas with my grandmother making homemade sweet kolaches back in the '60s! We loved them so much! It wasn't until I was an adult that I ever had a savory sausage kolache, and of course I fell in love with those as well!
I went to elementary school in rural Oregon in the early '80s and kolache rolls were a regular on our lunch menu. They were soft white dinner rolls with a dab of red jam in the center. I loved them so much and have never seen them anywhere else!
These are all over Chicago and New York. I eat them all the time. They are super common. Even the grocery store across the street from me sells their own and gas stations do as well.
Im living in Canada and my Mom's side of the family is Czech, I haven't had these things since my grandma got sick back in like 2008... Thanks for reviving this lost treat for me Ethan! My wife and I are 1000000% going to be trying this out! I had not idea they were popular in Texas of all places
Native Texan here who moved to NYC a while back. Brooklyn Kolache has introduced kolaches to the folks up here and it's wonderful. Def recommend to anyone in NYC craving kolaches.
Kolaches aren’t hugely popular here in Utah, but there are three kolache bakeries within a few mile radius. I’ve grabbed one on my way to work every Monday for the last year or so
Love to see you cover this part of Texas food culture that's practically a way of life here, but is unkown outside of the state. A visit to the doughnut shop is incomplete without a few savory kolaches as well!
There is a large Czech population in Nebraska too. A lot of Kolache love here too. My great great grandparents immigrated to Odell Nebraska. My full bohemian great grandma made the best kolaches. Love it
I had no idea these were a Texas thing! Grew up just on the other side of the LA/TX border and have fond memories of getting these from local donut places growing up.
Native Texan here. There's also a lot of German influence in Texas food. And I'd say the top 3 are: Barbecue, Chili and Chicken Fried Steak. I hope you enjoyed your visit!
My mother is Czech, my brother and I used to beg her to make us these all the time, she loves baking but she's not a fan of baking same thing twice in row, so we only got to eat these few times a year, but when she did make them, she'd make 2-3 kilos of those, and my brother and I would exclusively live off these and water for couple of days. Only ever had plum jam and cottage cheese ones though, I never knew there are other different types, I am happy to learn that they are popular elsewhere.
Ethan, there's another US town famous for Kolaches - Spillvile IA. Also made famous by a stay there of world ranked composer, Dvorak. The stay is credited with inspiring Dvorak to pen his New World opus and string quartet.
Kolache are made in Central Europe (again) but the story how they got to Texas and stayed is very interesting. When it comes to the savory version, in Slovakia we traditionally make from the same dough "posuch". It is basically pizza (well, pizza is yeast dough without milk) with traditional topings such as bacon and careaway seeds, sour cream and dill, ... Klobasniki sound like there is a Polish influence. Just a bit of etymology. Great story from the New World.
baton rouge, louisiana native here. we do have kolaches here, but the sweet varieties aren’t super common without a dedicated kolache shop (r.i.p. kolache kitchen). they mostly show up in doughnut shops, and are almost exclusively some sort of sausage and cheese thing.
Wow, I am from Czech Republic and I have never heard that "koláče" are so popular and Texas. Also I am little bit suprised about look of salty version even thought we make salty pastry too, however differently. Thank you for this video. In some bigger cities in CZ, there is now also new versions of "koláče" - kroláč. That is shape, look and filling of "koláč" but it is made from croissant dough. Therefore it is kind of similar to cronut and inspired also by France.
Texas always had a significant German influence. I lived there for a while. It wasn't unheard of to drink Shiner Bock beer with a Kielbasa sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla in cities like Fredericksburg and Pflugerville.
Shiner was my mom's favorite beer. She was from Louisiana but spent a lot of her life in texas where she met my father, had me and ultimately passed. Once i left texas and discovered that Kolaches were almost exclusive to my state i died a little inside. I then started reading online and was rather surprised by the blended nature of texas culture that i never really thought about before.
A couple years ago, I drove through West, Texas (which is of course not in West Texas...) without knowing about any of this, just amazed to see 3 big Czech restaurants there, and got some great Kolaches. Now noticing them all over Texas when I visit.
I have hunted kolaches in Czechia and i learned two things. 1. They taste the same in Czechia as they do in Texas and 2. Czechs do not know they are so popular in Texas, but are pleasantly surprised to learn that they are.
That's really cool that the taste and recipe has stayed the same after integrating into a new culture! It's not always that that happens.
Can confirm, I never knew they were so popular in Texas. I personally tend to not get these very often though, I tend to get our doughnuts (koblihy) way more often as a breakfast food along with a cappuccino on the go.
But my fathers family has roots in the local culture around Beskydy mountains (Valašsko specifically) so Ive grown up eating frgále for most of my life. They are delicious but also definitely a calorie bomb so to speak, but if you ever visit this part of Moravia, I encourage you to try it (especially frgále with tvaroh).
Am czech, can confirm the second point!
Kolaches are a treat all over Texas. We also wrap a tortilla around most anything.
are a treat all over Texas.
@@nevermoreever2 Its a benefit of globalization in general, because when sicilians moved to work in Detroit, they didnt have their ingredients or ovens, so they had to resort to what was available and Detroit style pizza was born. Now, you have access to more stuff, so immigrants can bring their culture with them to new places and teach others about their methods.
As a Texan, I felt summoned and immediately liked.
As a Czech person, me too!
My family immigrated from the Czech Republic to Caldwell, Texas in the late 1800s. In Caldwell every year there is a Kolache festival. During the festival there is a kolache baking competition as well as shops set up around the town square selling food and all kinds of things. Thats how popular kolaches are here in Texas!
Just a little correction... your family immigrated from Kingdom of Bohemia (officialy Lands of the crown of Bohemia) which was part of Austrian empire that time in late 1800s and not from Czech Republic which exists from 1993. 🙂
You should learn a bit about history, to know why and what they left.
Okay, I knew that koláče/kolaches were popular in Texas but I had no idea that they were *this* popular. This was so heartwarming for my little Czech heart!
Can confirm! Us Texans love them and you can find them in donut shops and grocery stores here.
Been eating them my whole life, whole little towns with Czech and Bohemian architecture all around central Texas, Texaner Germans there as well
As a Texas Czech who has a family recipe for kolaches, this video brought a smile to my face. 🥹
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@@ImAManMann sorry, I'm going to gatekeep a family recipe. 😅
Same here! I love kolaches
My best friend's wife is Czech, and I've been told that I MUST get my hands on some brinza (spelling?) cheese that is actually from there. Apparently, the N. American equivalents just do NOT cut it.
@Celtention lol... np... I had to try
A Texas-Czech family moved to Utah and started a Kolache shop in Provo (they have other locations now too). It has a line around the block every day, they do small batches so that every Kolache is fresh from the oven. They open at 6am and close when they run out.
Cool story bro
Can confirm - and it's actually where my now husband took me on our first date!
Ohh boy I might need to drive up to Provo this morning. Been a couple months since I had Hruska's.
Next time I go to Utah I gotta go to Provo 👀
Been there many times myself. Great stuff!
Never knew that Texans loved them. Heck, never even knew they made them! Greetings from Czechia, Ethan! Thanks for the video.
PS: Very difficult to make them better than grandma. Sorry.
We have a pretty large Czech-descendant population, especially in Central Texas and the Hill Country. They're a bit overshadowed by the German influence, but still prominent enough there are some towns with Czech heritage festivals.
Indeed granmas’ food hit differently everywhere
They're huge in austin. The 2 big chains we have are lone star kolache and kolache factory :) thank yall for gifting us this great food
@@Aperson156 🙋♂️ Texas-Czech reporting!
the popularity is astounding. every donut shop, regardless of who runs it, makes and sells them. i would wager 99% of the people here don't even realize they are Czech because of how ubiquitous it is.
As a Texan, I’m loving the coverage of Kolaches/Klobasniks. One version that if you’ve got the time you should look into is the cultural fusion seen predominantly (I assume as I can’t find them most other places as of now) is the Savory Kolache with a boudain/boudin filling seen on the borders of Texas and Louisiana. I see them a lot in the SETX (Beaumont/Houston) areas but not often outside of that region.
Boudain Kolaches are the best!
With meat they are Klobasneks.... the others are Kolaches
As a Czech citizen, I'm loving that you took over our traditions quite well. Good job
Nothing more addicting than some boudain
I would definitely want to try!!!
Wow, didn't know our koláče are popular in Texas 😁greetings from Czechia
Howdy, there is a lot to love about the Chech who moved here and are an integral part of Texas culture....and families who are now Texans... hard working good food, etc....
Czech Republic!
Very popular in South Dakota as well. Many Czech immigrants in the late 1800's.
Have had em' in Gulfport, Mississippi as well.
As a Texan, I love Czech food
Your timing is impeccable as someone literally plowed INTO the Czech Stop yesterday, lol. No one was hurt, thankfully
Every donut shop I've ever been to in Texas had Kolaches. Three most common were regular sausage, sausage and cheese, and sausage and jalepenos. They are without fail delicious.
And almost all donut shops are run by Asian families so I never even associate kolaches with the Czech Republic. Also, I didn't know about sweet kolaches until I was an adult. It was all about sausage and cheese in DFW apparently.
Yeah, any independent donut shop in Texas would close down in a week from lack of customers if it didn't also have kolaches.
Almost all the donut shop sausage ones seem to use “sausage” that is more like a hot dog than actual sausage. There are a few bakeries that use real sausage in them. The best one I have found is Green’s Sausage House outside of Temple TX. Their cream cheese kolaches are great too.
Its funny, because of here in Czech Republic we don´t have Koláče with saussage or cheese (except curd) or jalapeňos. Koláče here are sweet, not salty or sour. 🙂
@@dcs6500 The ones I've been to have both a cheaper hot dog version and a smoked sausage version. My favorite is the boudin version that some places in East Texas and parts of Louisiana sell.
Omg I didn't know our 'koláče' were so popular in Texas! Greetings from Czechia too.
My favourite filling is plum preserve we call 'povidla' - be sure to try that if you get the chance.
This video very much made my day.
The middle part of Texas has a strong German and Czech heritage, particularly towns like Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, Gruene, and West. Most German/Czech/Austrian-American culture was repressed in WWI and never really recovered (and what survived didn't make it through WWII), but some identifiable elements still live on in central Texas. Kolache are just as popular as he says they are around here. It's a neat part of living here! Ennis, Texas holds the National Polka Festival every year.
I live in Canada. Guess I will have to make one of these since I cannot buy them locally.
I had poppy kolace from a family that was Czech. Delicious.
3:21
@@zaynelumpkin Chicago Czech American zde. Oh yes, the prune plum kolache are great. Taky mám ráda pivoňkové a višňové knedlíky. Bring on the vepro knedlo zelo and the svickova with žitný chléb a máslo.
My mind is blown. Never would expect Slavic dishes in texas. In Poland, we would call them "drożdżówki" which means "Yeasties". Much love to both Czechs and Texans.
There are tons of Polish and German communities in Texas in addition to Czech. So much so that it really shaped Central Texas culture in a major way. There are even communities that speak unique dialects of Slavic and Germanic down till today.
To the Czechs coming in:
Alot of you who came across the seas to here settled in Texas! The area around Corsicana through to Tyler is thick with Czech villages. We also have many German and Bavarian villages as well.
I’m born and raised Houston. I had no idea Kolaches were a Texan thing till I was an adult. I think I ate a Sausage, cheese, jalapeño kolache every morning in highschool
Shipleys first made them popular in Houston in the 80s.
That's wild. I'm from Iowa and had never heard of a Kolache till the year I lived in Houston
Houstonian here. Make a trip to Kolache Shoppe once a week and my mom worked in a kolache place my entire childhood. I grew up on them. So so good.
kolaaches from "the bagel shop" are next level
Sausage, cheese, and jalapeño? I'm sure that gave you wicked gas!
There's some variant on the name "kolache" that has spread over a massive section of the world. In Iran, we have a walnut + cinnamon stuffed butter pastry called a "koluche." It also exists in some form all over the Balkans, Caucasus, and a big chunk of Central Asia. Even the Punjabi bread called "kulcha" shares the same root.
Can't wait to try this version!
Very cool thanks for sharing all the variants.
In Serbian/Croatian it just means any type of smaller cake that you'd serve as a whole. (The big cakes which you serve is slices are called "torta")
Koláče in czech language are from the czech word kolo (wheel), because of their shape.
@@davidpelcn Russian, there are many words with the same root. Kolco which means ring (jewelry), okolo which means at/around, okolica which means the edge of a place, koleso which means wheel, okolotok which means surroundings, okolesica which means nonsense, okolny why means roundabout, okolaczivatsja which means to hang around etc.
@@HS-handle Can be, but in czech language is koláč from kolo, because of the shape of kolo (wheel)
Thanks a lot for this episode! I knew Koláče were popular in some parts of the USA, but not to this degree. It’s cool it created its own culture like pizza or pastrami did. It’s interesting to see the savory variants. They are something that we actually eat as well, but we wouldn’t ever call it a koláč - we would just use the term for the dough along with the ingredients and type of cooking.
So instead of the "klobasnik", we could call it "zapékaná klobása v těstíčku", or something along those lines, meaning baked sausage in dough. It's sort of interesting, that we often don't use the regular terms for food, but they're diminutive forms that make them sound smaller and cute - "těstíčko" vs "těsto" for dough, or "koláček" vs "koláč".
One of the aspects of koláče you missed is their traditional wedding variants. They are literally called "svatební koláčky" (small wedding koláče) and they are usually just tiny variations of the bigger ones, that can be eaten in one bite. Usually they combine the cottage cheese and plum-jam filling with a slight sprinkle of nuts (walnuts, almonds) and sugar crumb on top. These are incredibly delicious when fresh and you can easily eat dozens without even knowing.
They're kind of a 'trendy' food here now! I was in Chicago recently, which never really had waves of Czech immigration en masse (but lots of Polish immigration!) and a ton of the local coffee shops were offering kolache from a local baker!
Love the other info, i'm sure the wedding kolache are a treat! Thank you for sharing!
Super popular in St Louis, Mo as well. They got here from Texas and now we have a local chain as well. So good!
@@hannahc4266 "I was in Chicago recently, which never really had waves of Czech immigration en masse" - Lol. That's completely wrong, I mean, you couldn't be more wrong. Chicago had one of the biggest influx of Czech immigrants "en masse", going back to 19th century, Illinois is the second state with the biggest Czech-American population, making about 8% of the entire state population. One of the most famous majors of Chicago, czech born Anton Čermák, is revered to this day. Even Obama, who spent most of his early life there, spoke about him several times in official speeches.
@@samuelmahoney6878 OMG, YES! You have no idea how timely your comment is for me. I'm a Texan born and raised that's lived in Chicago for the past 13 years, and I'm moving to STL in 3 weeks.
@@samuelmahoney6878 Please, any recommendations would be appreciated.
I lived in Houston for a couple years. When I came back to my home state of Ohio, everyone kept saying I must've loved the Tex-Mex and barbeque. And, yes - those are delicious cusinies and I enjoyed them often. But my favorite thing I ate out there was kolaches. You've reawakened my passion for this heavenly food, Ethan! Can't wait to bake up some of these bad boys :)
I never knew they weren’t popular in the rest of the states until I traveled out of Texas. My family drives to visit family and we always stop to get koalches on the way down and back. They are absolutely fantastic
My wife and I grew up in Houston and live in south Florida now. We miss getting them at Kolache Factory. Now that I have the recipe, I'm going to start making these at home
I screamed when I saw this! I’m from Houston, lived all over the US, and have missed savory kolaches SO MUCH. I basically survived off of sausage, cheese, and jalapeño kolaches during college. I used to just get them at my local donut shop!
I haven’t been able to find them anywhere else in the US, as you said, and no one but people from Texas know what I’m even talking about.
I’m definitely going to make a batch of savory kolaches next weekend to power my week. Thank you so much for this video! I miss Texas food so much.
How did it come out? As a former Houstonian I must know
Born and raised in the Texas Hill Country.. Kolaches are my absolute favorite breakfast.. I'm in SE Texas now and frequently get Boudin and also sausage and gravy kolaches.
My grandmother was from Czechia before it was called that. She came to Texas and the rest is history. A few years ago I started learning the Czech language and cooking goulashes and other foods. Thanks for the video.
Hey, if you want to put your guláš on next level, use onion skins (that dry stuff most people usually throw away, cook it and use it instead of plain water. Also, guláš is always better the next day, not fresh. Give it time to work that flavors and spices. This is our little family secrets to best guláš.
If you say your granny was from Czech lands (Czech lands are Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia), you never make a mistake doesn´t matter which historical period.😉
@@davidpelc Bohemia
@@cualsyx Yeah, and Bohemia is one (the biggest) of the Czech lands.🙂
@@cualsyx we were under austrian rule and before we were part of the HRE as autonomus kingdom, all the time there was Bohemia (czechia), Moravia and Silesia, so it was always called like that thats his point, the regions existed all the time even tho they were part of a bigger non-czech unit
Greetings from czech republic, Im happy atleast something nice from our country is famous. Looks delicious and you made me go to a bakery and get one with a nice filter coffee!
I love this kind of food. Every culture on earth has invented their own version of this. Bao, empanadas, pasties, perogies, calzone, they are the perfect ideal that all sandwiches aspire to be.
True, though I’d argue they’re closer to pies. Or maybe pies are sandwiches too!
My Texan/Czech grandmother made these for me every time I visited her. They were heavenly and such a good memory growing up. Thank you for covering them!
As a Texan I had no idea Kolaches were pretty isolated to Texas until College but I was not surprised to find out there was yet another thing that makes Texas better than the rest of the country
I'm in Iowa where kolaches are extremely popular due to the area's population with Czech and Slovak heritage. Had no idea this was a thing in Texas! A poppy seed kolache from the local bakery is a regular weekend treat for me.
Super popular here in Cleveland, Ohio too.
Which part of Iowa? My Texan born sister lives up there now, so I'll have to pass the word along to her :)
@@frcShoryuken Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area
Same with Nebraska
My family is part Czech and from Iowa too! I was hoping someone else would mention it. I've never seen savory ones there though.
As a former Texan. 20+ years and did not know their was a sweet version of this delicious snack that you can find at any donut shop. The whole time I just thought the sweet ones were danishes. You learn something new every day.
Yea it's super interesting. The first time I had one I assumed they were primarily a savory item, but the more I looked I realized the origin is the sweet ones!
Ha, my experience was the opposite. Growing up with a Czech great grandma, I had only ever had the sweet version she made (they were incredible). The first time I heard of a sausage & cheese kolache was when a friend mentioned getting them from Shipley donuts. I looked at him like he was an alien when he said "sausage & cheese kolache" lmao
You’re never a former Texan. 😊. Not unless you weren’t born here, I guess. 😢
@@delorbb2298 born and raised. Just moved 2 years ago.
@@traedariusbell1070 I was taught that there wasn't anything beyond the Texas border. j/k.
I know this is old, but I love this video. Been living in East Texas most of my life. When I was 19, a friend and I got a huge trash bag of kolaches a bakery had leftover at close. We went on a 3 day roadtrip surviving off that unrefrigerated bag of deliciousness. It was beautiful.
I love the history and cooking genres combined together. I think you are really onto something!
Love these two genres too!!!!
You have done your research sir. Your appreciation for Kolache made me smile, but when I saw Frgál I almost cried a single tear of joy. Bravo.
Man, that brisket and green chile kolache might be the most central TX food you could make! Love it, and I love that out austin food culture is making a positive impression on you!
I lived in Cedar Rapids Iowa for about 10 years. Kolaches are super popular there. There’s a very, very large Czech population there, so that’s why.
In Romania we also have ,, colaci" (kolaches) but it's quite different from the one in Cehia, it's usually in a circle or ring shape,braided and topped with sesame seeds , it's a little sweet and it's usually served at funerals or Christmas Eve
If these are what you are referring to, I remember seeing them when I visited Romania, many years ago. Actually, 50 years ago.
I saw, I shop windows, rings of bread, with a twist in the dough. Looked like a ring of rope. I’m not sure if I tried one; now I wish I had.
@@davidkantor7978 yeah i think we talk about same thing:)
We have a similar thing in Poland called "kołacze" and your description matches too. I think the name comes from an old Slavic word but the product has evolved into something else in different parts of Eastern Europe.
Thank you for showing the world Texas favorite breakfast food
Do you also eat poppy seed version? I heard many people in the US think we get drugged if we eat poppy seads 😂
The first time I had one I knew I had to make a video, it’s something everyone should try!
@@howtomakeyourlifeeasier It's not the most popular, but it certainly exists! I'd say 95%+ of the ones I've seen sold are savory varieties(some combination of sausage/cheese/jalapeño) or sweet varieties with fruit or cream cheese. I've seen everything from poppy seed to venison sold though, they vary a ton even store to store.
@@Ibegood oooh, interesting! In Czech republic, it's basically 100% sweet (and we call it koláče [:colaacze:]) so I think I'll give your version a try!!
I’m from West Texas and it’s so cool we made the video! Czech stop is a staple of my child hood/ teenage years and middle of the night runs are still made by me till this day! If anyone Czech is reading this, thank you! Your creations are very much appreciated 😂. Infuriates me when people post “kolaches” from big chains like Dunkin’ Donuts that’s just a cheap weenie thrown in bad bread but they wouldn’t understand.
To be honest, I grew up on the crappy chain kolaches like Shipley's, so I like them quite alot. I definitely understand they aren't really close to the real thing, but I eat them on a regular basis.
I’m a native Czech who grew up in Portland, Oregon… I remember hearing about the Kolače craze in Texas a while ago. This made me smile about it again. Thank you!
Ps-it’s pronounced ‘cole aht sh.’
My grandmother and mother made these in South Dakota. Grandma's father emigrated from Moravia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Grandma made them as pastry squares, then brought the corners together and tied them over the filling, leaving openings to discern the homemade filling, apricot, prune or poppy-seed. Mom could never master the knot part and made them as open-faced rounds. I never before heard of savory ones.
My grandmother in Minnesota did the exact same thing. My dad's favorite was poppy seed and that became mine too
I'm Czech 🇨🇿, born in Canada. My mom made these ALL the time! Sweet breakfasts & lunches are normal in our culture. Hot Plum dumplings with freshly ground poppy seed/ icing suget, drizzled with hot melted butter is a taste sensation! My dad's favorite! Cheers! 😃🥂 from Niagara Falls, CANADA 🇨🇦
As a native Houstonian, this video makes me so happy! I grew up only knowing a kolache for as a savory breakfast treat, and love sharing this piece of Texas culture with visitors.
Anytime I pass through West I always stop at Czech Stop right there on I-35. The pizza kolache is my favorite
I grew up in Houston, and would frequent The Kolache Factory. Kolaches have a very special place in my heart.
Texas has all sorts of pockets of well preserved cultures. I live in California and this is inspiring me to go make the pepperoni Swiss Kolache I used to eat at Dos Gatos in San Marcos. Thanks for the help!
Nebraska has a Czech festival that features kolaches. This is a sample of Wilber, NE goods. Kolache, Caraway Rye Bread, & Czech Houska. The Savory ones are similar to the Latvian sausage rolls (Piragi). Great video.
People from smaller countries will understand but we Czechs are always so happy when someone talks about our culture hahaha :)
Yes!! I love kolaches. I introduced my out-of-state husband to them, and now he goes out of his way to find some whenever we're on a roadtrip as a sort of tradition. Slovacek's is a required stop on the Austin - Dallas route for us. Brisket kolaches are my absolute favorite.
Have you tried sausage and gravy kolaches? If you can find someone who makes them, they are absolutely amazing..
The Kolache Factory has invaded Indiana with three locations in northern Indianapolis/Hamilton County. Seeing the franchise outside of Texas is fascinating.
Yes!! I went to school in Provo, Utah, which is for some reason a strange foodie hub, and we had multiple kolache places around there. When I graduated, I moved to Oregon and haven't seen any kolache places since. I've been missing these! Excited to try to make some of my own. :)
haha never thought I'd watch a video about Czech cuisine (pastry) on your channel, Ethan. Greetings from Czechia! 🙋🏽♂
Oh man when I moved away from Texas I never knew how much I'd miss Kolaches.
My great great grandparents migrated to TX back in 1887 from Moravia. Grandfather learned Czech in his farm home (along with his 13 brothers and sisters). Texas had a HUGE Czech wave of immigration in the late 1800s, and their impact endures in a lot of foods-- sausage, beer, pickles. I always find it amusing that so many folks seem oblivious to this fantastic bit of history.
And "kolache" is a round pastry. "Klobasniky" is what a lot of people call a kolache (or pig in a blanket) but Grandpa would pitch a fit whenever he heard a klobasniky called a kolache.
"WRONG! Wrong wrong wrong!" 🤣
They have started to become popular in Utah too. The first bakery opened in in the 70's and there are more that are popping up all the time here.
Native Texan here and you're always the office hero when you bring these in to work for breakfast!
West, Texas is absolutely the Kolache Capital. I’ve got such fond memories of driving to college and stopping there for food
Your channel deserves much more subscribers dude !
Cheers from San Diego California
Thank you, Ethan! We have Kolaches in Oklahoma as well and they are my fav! NOW I can make them at home! I'm so excited!!! 🙂
Yes. Prague, OK is known for its annual Kolache Festival.
Lol, I think some work notes made the final cut. Around 4:45 there's some white text on the white background that says, "Might pull some broll from UA-cam videos. I'll grab this tomorrow morning." which sits behind the montage of images.
Also, Pittsburgh digs a kolache. Or at least, I've encountered them on a couple disparate occasions, so I assume Pittsburghers dig them.
We have the same buns in Poland, the round ones are called Kołacze (from their round shape), but generally they are called drożdżówki /droshjovky/, meaning a yeasted sweet bun with filling.
I live in Poland and see these everywhere, the sweet ones mainly. I always thought these were Polish. It's fascinating how food travels. Great episode.:)
This type of filled yeast bread is very popular in Brazil as well. The most common fillings are hot dog and cheese, ham and cheese, pizza (ham, cheese, tomato and oregano), a burger patty with cheese, shredded chicken with catupiry cheese, cheese only. We don't have sweet versions that I recall. I love that I can find something so close to home here in Texas. Thank you for sharing the history on them!
As a czech person who was borned in the centre of South Moravia where koláče are the most typical sweet pastry made at home, I am now tempted to move to Texas and start a koláče business haha
This was one of my favorite parts of visiting family in Texas when I was a kid, hell it's still one of my favorite parts!
My wife's family is from West and a good portion of them still live there. On my first holiday family trip there it was a must to stop before and after. Before we took kolaches to the gathering. After was to bring them back for all of our family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to enjoy. I did not realize these wonderful pastries were as popular as they are. Thank you for your video, it was very informative.
They used to be a huge part of Czech culture up here in WI! Although I can't find them near me anymore, glad to see their still alive in Texas!
Went to Texas for the first time just a few weeks ago & tried these for the first time at a coffee shop, & being from Cali, I’ve never heard of them before. They were at a gathering the next morning, & it was there I learned how much of a deal they are in TX.
Definitely worth a try! Neat how cuisines, even in one country, can very so subtly but noticeably.
I'm glad someone has made a video about this. I ate so many sausage kolaches in Texas.
I have found similar examples of Kolach in Polish areas of Chicago and South Bend, Indiana which have a large Polish community. I believe you can find Kolach in a good polish bakery as well.
what a fascinating history!! these look like they could be great for picnics this summer
In Missouri and Illinois, there are a few American Kolache locations. I discovered these a month ago and fell in love!
Kolaches were/are a big part of my life. They are delicious and found everywhere! Great shout!
I first encountered these a couple years ago while working for a few months in southern TX, and I’ve missed them ever since. I never thought about trying to make them at home, but now I will have to try!
Those are HUGE in Southern Louisiana as well. Every Donut shop makes them are they are awesome. Had no idea they were Czech. I guess I just assumed French for some reason. Great video
I have lived in Texas all my life. I honestly had no idea that Kolaches were so regional! I used to go to the Kolache Factory multiple times a week.
Great video Ethan. Thanks for showing love to this little known Texas treat. I even grew up in DFW and I didn’t really know much about them until I went to college further south.
I've seen kolaches in the midwest and (oddly) Tallahassee, FL. We were such fans that we began making our own about ten years ago
We in Austria love them as well, we call them "Golatschen". You can get them at most bakeries, normally they are closed and filled with a sweet cottage cheese and rasins filling.
A little tip: if you use this dough, do the exact same thing like you did at 8:38 and then deep fry it without filling them (idealy in clarified butter) you get a "Kiachl" or also called "Bauernkrapfen". These are a delicacy of Bavaria and Tyrol. If you want a savory version you top them with cooked sauerkraut or if you want it sweet you top them with cranberry jam and a little bit of powdered sugar. You need to try that out, it is so good!
I grew up in Texas with my grandmother making homemade sweet kolaches back in the '60s! We loved them so much! It wasn't until I was an adult that I ever had a savory sausage kolache, and of course I fell in love with those as well!
>Why I'm obsessed with Kolaches, the Czech pastry that took over Texas.
Because you are Chlebowsky
I went to elementary school in rural Oregon in the early '80s and kolache rolls were a regular on our lunch menu. They were soft white dinner rolls with a dab of red jam in the center. I loved them so much and have never seen them anywhere else!
These are all over Chicago and New York. I eat them all the time. They are super common. Even the grocery store across the street from me sells their own and gas stations do as well.
awesome video, ethan! i just moved to texas and had never heard of kolaches before, but they truly are everywhere. and super delicious!
Im living in Canada and my Mom's side of the family is Czech, I haven't had these things since my grandma got sick back in like 2008...
Thanks for reviving this lost treat for me Ethan! My wife and I are 1000000% going to be trying this out! I had not idea they were popular in Texas of all places
Native Texan here who moved to NYC a while back. Brooklyn Kolache has introduced kolaches to the folks up here and it's wonderful. Def recommend to anyone in NYC craving kolaches.
Kolaches aren’t hugely popular here in Utah, but there are three kolache bakeries within a few mile radius. I’ve grabbed one on my way to work every Monday for the last year or so
Love to see you cover this part of Texas food culture that's practically a way of life here, but is unkown outside of the state. A visit to the doughnut shop is incomplete without a few savory kolaches as well!
i remember getting kolaches from donut shops while i was growing up in north texas, so glad you made a video on these amazing pastries.
There is a large Czech population in Nebraska too. A lot of Kolache love here too. My great great grandparents immigrated to Odell Nebraska. My full bohemian great grandma made the best kolaches. Love it
I had no idea these were a Texas thing! Grew up just on the other side of the LA/TX border and have fond memories of getting these from local donut places growing up.
I've been to the Kolache Factory. The jalapeno popper & sausage and gravy ones were my "go to's."
Native Texan here. There's also a lot of German influence in Texas food. And I'd say the top 3 are: Barbecue, Chili and Chicken Fried Steak. I hope you enjoyed your visit!
Love me some beans in that chili.
I think he actually moved to Texas. The last few videos have had quite a few HEB products featured.
@@MichaelAlthauser enjoy your goulash :)
Central Texas is a hotbed for German and Czechoslovakian culture! We live in Austin and love taking little day trips to nearby towns.
Yea, I can't imagine a list of Texan foods that doesn't have chili on it.
My wife and I had our first date going to West and trying the different kolache places. Love your breakdown of how they came to be so popular!
My mother is Czech, my brother and I used to beg her to make us these all the time, she loves baking but she's not a fan of baking same thing twice in row, so we only got to eat these few times a year, but when she did make them, she'd make 2-3 kilos of those, and my brother and I would exclusively live off these and water for couple of days.
Only ever had plum jam and cottage cheese ones though, I never knew there are other different types, I am happy to learn that they are popular elsewhere.
Ethan, there's another US town famous for Kolaches - Spillvile IA. Also made famous by a stay there of world ranked composer, Dvorak.
The stay is credited with inspiring Dvorak to pen his New World opus and string quartet.
Kolache are made in Central Europe (again) but the story how they got to Texas and stayed is very interesting. When it comes to the savory version, in Slovakia we traditionally make from the same dough "posuch". It is basically pizza (well, pizza is yeast dough without milk) with traditional topings such as bacon and careaway seeds, sour cream and dill, ... Klobasniki sound like there is a Polish influence. Just a bit of etymology. Great story from the New World.
baton rouge, louisiana native here. we do have kolaches here, but the sweet varieties aren’t super common without a dedicated kolache shop (r.i.p. kolache kitchen). they mostly show up in doughnut shops, and are almost exclusively some sort of sausage and cheese thing.
We had no idea this was a Texas delicacy. A sweet Kolache is a mandatory breakfast requirement!! Cheers from Prague.
Člověče, já bych si dala ke kafi i ten koláček s klobásou 😅
Just visited Prague in December 2022 ~ some of the best food and nicest people I’ve met! Greetings from Connecticut, USA!
Wow, I am from Czech Republic and I have never heard that "koláče" are so popular and Texas. Also I am little bit suprised about look of salty version even thought we make salty pastry too, however differently. Thank you for this video. In some bigger cities in CZ, there is now also new versions of "koláče" - kroláč. That is shape, look and filling of "koláč" but it is made from croissant dough. Therefore it is kind of similar to cronut and inspired also by France.
Texas always had a significant German influence. I lived there for a while. It wasn't unheard of to drink Shiner Bock beer with a Kielbasa sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla in cities like Fredericksburg and Pflugerville.
Shiner was my mom's favorite beer. She was from Louisiana but spent a lot of her life in texas where she met my father, had me and ultimately passed.
Once i left texas and discovered that Kolaches were almost exclusive to my state i died a little inside. I then started reading online and was rather surprised by the blended nature of texas culture that i never really thought about before.
Don't forget Walburg! 😁
A couple years ago, I drove through West, Texas (which is of course not in West Texas...) without knowing about any of this, just amazed to see 3 big Czech restaurants there, and got some great Kolaches. Now noticing them all over Texas when I visit.