About
“Ideally, food should nourish not only the body but the soul…” Dvořák said that, and you can almost imagine him hunched over a steaming bowl of kulajda on some cold Moravian morning — the kind of morning when your breath fogs, your fingers sting, and every note you write needs a little warmth behind it.
Because kulajda isn’t just soup. It’s the Czech Republic in a bowl — wild forests, muddy fields, long winters, and the stubborn comfort people carve out for themselves when the world outside feels indifferent.
Picture a countryside kitchen, old wood stove ticking, mushrooms drying on strings above the window. That’s where kulajda was born. Not in some fancy Prague restaurant, but in the homes of people who used whatever they had: mushrooms gathered after rain, potatoes pulled from the earth, vinegar to wake everything up, dill chopped fresh because it grows like a weed and tastes like home.
The broth is thick, creamy, almost velvety — but with that sharp slap of vinegar that makes you sit up straighter. The dill floats through it like perfume from someone’s coat after a long embrace. Mushrooms give it earth and depth. Potatoes make it honest. And then there’s the egg — soft-poached, slipping into the soup like a secret you’re being trusted with.
Some families toss in smoked meat, because why not? Czechs have been smoking things since before half the world knew fire could cook. Bacon, ham, whatever was hanging in the cellar — it all found its way in. Every version is a little different, because kulajda isn’t a rigid recipe; it’s a memory, a tradition, a negotiation between what you want and what you’ve got.
And when winter hits hard — the kind of cold that gnaws at your bones and makes the whole world taste gray — kulajda becomes more than food. It becomes rescue. A reminder that the simplest ingredients can still make magic when you know what to do with them.
You sit down, spoon in hand, and with the first mouthful you’re connected — to forests, to families, to generations of cooks who understood that survival doesn’t have to be bleak. It can be delicious.
Kulajda isn’t pretty. It isn’t fancy. It’s Czech soul food, the kind that warms you twice — once in the bowl, and once when you remember it later.
Samp is meant to be simple and nourishing. Its texture can be adjusted easily: add more water for a looser porridge or simmer longer for a thicker, almost pudding-like consistency. It is one of the closest dishes you can make today to the foods shared at the earliest recorded harvest gatherings in New England.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. Let's explore international cuisine together!
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INGREDIENTS
250g mushrooms, preferably forest mushrooms (chanterelles or porcini)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
4 eggs
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 liter vegetable or chicken broth
300 ml cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vinegar
Fresh dill, chopped
1-2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
A light and flavorful mushroom and cream soup.
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Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and slice them. If using wild mushrooms, make sure they are properly cleaned to remove any debris.
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent.
Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot and cook until they release their moisture and start to brown. Remove from pan
Add remaining butter and flour to create a medium roux. Cook until golden color.
Gradually pour in the vegetable or chicken broth while stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Add the diced potatoes and mushroom mix and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Let it simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Remove from heat and slowly add cream. Don't add it too fast or soup will curdle.
Add vinegar.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Just before serving, stir in a handful of chopped fresh dill for that distinctive flavor.
Ladle the kulajda soup into bowls and garnish with additional chopped dill on top.
