Stramberske Usi

On my last day in Prague, when I should have been packing, I went for one final walk around downtown to soak up the Christmas charm. Like most folks, I suppose, I will do anything to postpone unpleasantness, which is probably why I'm blogging now instead of finalizing my grades. Anyway, while walking through an outdoor market I stumbled across Stramberske Usi (Stramberk's ears), which are a traditional Czech delicacy. Stramberk is a town in north Moravia and the story (at least one of the stories) is that they were being beseiged by the Tartars in 1241. The Tartars, as was their wont, were chopping off the ears of the villagers to prove to their khan how many prisoners they had captured. The people hunkered down and prayed to God for assistance - and the combination of a terrible storm and the villagers breaching the dam - washed away the Tartars (again, there are other versions of the story, but I like this one). All that remained was a bag of ears. To commemerate their deliverance the Czechs still bake Stramberske Usi. They are something like ginger biscuits with honey and spice - and do sort of look like rolled up ears. The conical shape would allow for them to be stuffed with whipped cream and other goodies, which I guess is quite common. They were a popular gift for several of my friends, and actually made it back to the States unbroken.