Stramberk Ears

Stramberske usi are made from a thin honey dough spiced with cinnamon, anise, cloves and fennel, baked flat and then rolled by hand into a cone while still hot and pliable, so they set crisp - and they must be shaped in seconds, which is why they are still made largely by hand. They hold EU protected geographical indication and can be produced only in Stramberk. The name and the shape come from a legend: that in 1241 a Tatar force camped below the town was destroyed when the townspeople broke a dam and drowned them in a storm, and that sacks of severed ears cut from Christian prisoners were found in the camp. There is no historical evidence for the episode and Czech historians treat it as later invention, but the town commemorates it and the pastry keeps the name. They are sold in the shops around the square.

What you actually see

• Rolled while hot - shaped into cones in seconds before the dough sets.
• Honey and four spices - cinnamon, anise, cloves and fennel in the dough.
• A protected name - EU geographical indication limited to Stramberk.
• A legend with no evidence - the 1241 Tatar story that gave them the name.

When to go

All year. An hour.

Honest expectations

They soften once opened. Similar cones sold elsewhere are not the protected product. The legend is not supported by evidence and the town tells it anyway - worth knowing before hearing it as history.

Nearby

Stramberk's tower and Sipka cave are above the square.