Demikát

What it is

Demikát is a soup where bryndza is not a seasoning but the main ingredient. A broth is made from potatoes and onions, removed from heat, and bryndza is melted in it: it should not be boiled, as it will curdle into lumps.

The soup turns out white, thick, and salty-sour. It is seasoned with paprika, parsley, green onions, and sometimes topped with fried bacon or grated cheese, while bread is crumbled into the bowl.

There are many recipes. The simplest starts with the water left after boiling dumplings: it is diluted with clean water in half.

Demikát is found less frequently in establishments than dumplings — look for it in the salaš of Liptov and Orava. It is a light first course before hearty dumplings or a standalone lunch with bread on a hot day.

History and name

Demikát was cooked where sheep were kept — it is food from the salaš, where bryndza, bread, and water were always at hand. In some regions, demikát made with cow's milk is also known.

Ingredients and allergens

Slovak bryndza150–200 gSoft crushed cheese made from matured sheep's curd — the basis for bryndza dumplings.Contains allergens: milk

Potato2–3 pcs.In the mountains, potatoes are called bulba, ripa, bandurky, or kompyr — the basis for riplianka, deruny, and pies.

Onion1–2 pcs.Fried onion in lard or oil is a common seasoning in Carpathian dishes.

Rye sourdough breadto serveA piece of black bread initiates the fermentation of oat sourdough for kiselytsia.Contains allergens: gluten

Ground paprikaoptionalThe main spice for bograch and Transcarpathian sausages.

Parsley (root and leaves)optionalRoot is used in soup, greens added at the end for aroma.

CreamoptionalSweet cream used to whiten soups.Contains allergens: milk

EggsoptionalChicken eggs — for the dough of hombovtsi, palačint, pasky, and deruny.Contains allergens: eggs

Smoked baconoptionalSmoked brisket is cut into cubes and rendered — it is poured over dumplings, pies, and mamaliga.

Also: salt

Contains allergens: gluten, milk
Depending on how it is served, may contain: eggs

Ingredients of the traditional recipe; every cook and every place may do it differently — please ask when ordering. We cannot guarantee the absence of allergens or traces.

How it is traditionally made

Serves: 4 servings

• Slovak bryndza — 150–200 g
• Potato — 2–3 pcs.
• Onion — 1–2 pcs.
• Salt
• Ground paprika
• Parsley (root and leaves)
• Cream
• Eggs
• Smoked bacon
• Rye sourdough bread

1. Pour a liter of water (or water left after dumplings, diluted with clean water in half) into a pot. Add a whole or halved onion and diced potatoes, and salt.
2. Cook until the potatoes are soft.
3. Remove from heat. Mash the bryndza with a ladle of hot broth and pour it into the pot, stirring. Do not boil again.
4. Season with paprika and chopped greens.

How it is served

Hot, with bread crumbled into the bowl or toasted cubes.

Variants

Richer versions are seasoned with cream and egg and topped with fried bacon.

The traditional method as described by our sources; every family does it its own way. We have not tested this recipe in a professional kitchen.

Where it is eaten

The area is approximate and based on the sources below. The dish is cooked outside it too, and ethnographic borders are blurred.

Shepherding regions of Slovakia — Liptov, Orava, Horehronie. The area is approximate, based on districts.

When it is eaten

Occasions: Polonyna (May — September) · Everyday food

FAQ