 Some fun Czech candies (i.e., 4 sójový bars and a musli). You should give them a try. A Slavic friend once joked that these candy bars “taste like communism”. English information is difficult to come by for Sójový, bars in general, but some brands like Zora – maker of Sójový Řezy – have been in continuous production since the 1950s. Thus, they have survived not only communism, but the cold war and the many horrors of disco. Non-Czechs may be puzzled by this longevity when they first open the wrapper, though. That is because these tiny treats look like small cylindrical slices of very firm playdough. In the Sójový Řezy bar you will find no colorful layers of ganache, nougat, or caramel - and certainly no peanuts – but will only gaze upon a uniform off-white color that leans toward an unhealthy, somewhat jaundiced, flesh tone. Both the firmness and the color likely result from the main ingredients: sugar and ground soybean flour. Ubiquitous in many bars as a filler, soy takes center stage in these treats. But what do they taste like?  A Zoro Sójový Řezy bar from Czech Republic. Tasting Notes You will first notice the texture of these bars. They are quite chewy and firm. Not quite gritty, it is clear that pressure was used to form these little soy joys into cylinders. You will then notice that they are not sickeningly sweet like many US and UK confections, but pleasantly sugary and mild. Next, you will taste something seemingly unexpected for a Central European candy: tropical flavors! Though not overpowering, coconut is very much the dominant tone. Hints of artificial rum seem present as well. We should note, however, that there are other versions of sójový bars we may review later which use other flavorings (e.g., vanilla, chocolate). Coconut is the original, and from our humble perspective, the best.  Our typical candy haul when visiting Czech Republic. More posts will be coming on these strange and delicious things. We love these things. From a traveler’s perspective, they are brilliant. They are compact and resilient, too. Easy to carry in a rucksack or your pocket, they will not get crushed like many other snack bars. We’ve all had that feeling of profound disappointment when a chocolate melts or a wafer candy disintegrates into powder. This will never be an issue with the beloved Sójový bar.
As they are made of soybean flour, they also have a good bit of protein (13 grams x 100 gram bar). So, if you fancy a snack half-way between candy and a protein bar, your dreamboat has docked. We should also mention that we buy loads of these when in Czechia, and sometimes forget about them. Interestingly, they seem to stay fresh and flavorful way past the “use by date” listed on the package, but doing that is obviously up to your own discretion.  Nietzsche’s boyhood home in quaint Röcken, Germany. You can almost picture the young antichrist frolicking around… The tiny, idyllic village of Röcken, Germany isn’t known for nightclubs or theme parks. Unless you’re one of the 170 or so people who live there, Röcken may just be seem like another one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” towns scattered throughout rural Deutschland. You may only seek it out as a destination if you needed to relax for a few days or perhaps fancied a quiet place for writing. Many visitors may be unaware of the fact that a GIANT is buried in Röcken’s teeny tiny little church courtyard. No less a person than Friedrich Nietzsche lies there in final repose. Yes, author of Zarathustra, The Antichrist, and On the Genealogy of Morals. He also spent a good bit of time there when he was alive, as he lived in the house that rests on the grounds nearby when he was just a little antichrist. For our money, Nietzsche is the most important philosopher of the 19th century. His works influenced not only philosophy, but also psychology, aesthetics, philology, and literature. Always an iconoclast, he had no problem criticizing what he viewed as the more problematic and excessive parts of European culture. Sadly, his books were also prescient, and he successfully predicted some of the more terrible aspects of the 20th century. If you’ve never read his book Twilight of the Idols, you should do yourself a favor and pick it up on Amazon.  Art installation over Nietzsche’s faux grave. Rumor has it that two people mistakenly thought this was his actual gravesite and decided to make some whoopie on it. However, as philosophy is not necessarily a proper degenerate topic, we should get back to the travel bits… There is a little museum in Friedrich’s old house. Very informative place. Later, while on a tour of the grounds, we learned an interesting tidbit from the guide. One night a couple – I pictured two goths with black clothing and even blacker lipstick – broke into the churchyard and, shall we say, got a bit frisky on the Nietzsche’s final resting place. We’re not sure why he was viewed as such an aphrodisiac. Maybe it’s that irresistible walrus moustache? Regardless, these turned-on trespassers should have done a bit more reading and a bit less heavy petting: they had sex on the wrong grave. There are actually two “graves”, and the more visible of the two is actually part of an art installation. They chose poorly… And - in case anyone is wondering - we are aware of the irony of visiting Nietzsche’s grave. Were he alive, he would have found this very amusing and probably wither us to the core with an acid-tongued comment. However, we would humbly say that it’s ok to pay a little tribute to people who have been important to you. And, just to be clear, paying tribute does NOT mean having sex on top of their moldering corpses.  The true grave of Frederick Nietzsche. Assessment
This is a good place to visit, especially if you are a Nietzsche nerd. It’s not too far from the city of Leipzig and you could easily turn it into a nice history-themed day trip. Information on location and hours can be found below. The entry fee is low and it would be nice of you to give them some additional euros to help with maintaining the grounds. http://www.nietzsche-gedenkstaette.de/engl/memorial.html  Buckfast Tonic Wine from Buckfast Abby UK. "Commotion lotion"... "Wreck the hoose juice"... The infamous Buckfast Tonic Wine has gone by several popular names over the years. Formulated by Benedictine monks in beautiful Devon (UK) this holy libation with an unholy reputation is 15% ABV with about 45 grams of caffeine per every wine glass. No, that is not a typo…  Buckfast Abby near Buckfastleigh, UK. Started in 1018 C.E. this Benedictine monastery is known for its manicured gardens and energizing tonic wine... Tasting Notes
When cold, it tastes of sweet cherry cough drops, orange, apricot pits, and gummy bears with a powerful burst of artificial vanilla. It also has a strange, but not unpleasant, bitterness that could be chemical caffeine but we don’t care enough to check. As it warms you get a bit of a hint of barnyard funk and it begins to become less palatable over time. Though marketed as a fortified wine, it tastes like it is probably some sort of grape must that has been fortified with a high proof spirit. Cheap and sort of fun to drink (i.e., better than most reviewers would imply), we wouldn't recommend it too close to bedtime. It’s also fun for its “ned” (i.e., Scottish gopnik) associations. We will try it in cocktails in the near future. |
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