Houskové

Houskové is a Czech culinary term used as an adjective to describe foods that are made from, or include, bread or bread crumbs. The base noun is houska, meaning a small bread roll, and the form houskové appears in compound dish names such as houskové knedlíky or houskové těsto. The term signals that bread plays a key role in the preparation or texture of the dish.

One of the best-known uses is houskové knedlíky, bread dumplings that are a staple of Czech and Central European cuisine. These dumplings are typically prepared by tearing or cubing day-old white bread, then mixing the pieces with milk or stock, eggs, and flour to form a dough that is steamed or boiled until firm. The bread pieces give a light interior and they readily absorb sauces or gravies served with meats, stews, or soups.

Besides knedlíky, houskové appears in other bread-based preparations or descriptions, such as doughs that incorporate bread crumbs or bread-like textures. In Czech and Slovak cooking, the term helps distinguish dishes that rely on bread as a primary ingredient from those made with flour-only dough or other bases.

Cultural context: houskové preparations are a traditional element of everyday meals and festive dishes in the Czech Republic and neighboring regions. They reflect the long influence of bread integration in Central European cooking, where stale bread is repurposed to create new textures and flavors.