American’s first time making Bryndzové Halušky

Hello hello! I’m from the US, but my great-grandfather was from the High Tatras region (Poland side). After a recent deep dive into my family history, I traveled to Slovakia and Poland and visited his town and the surrounding area. While in Slovakia, I also stayed in Banská Štiavnica and Banská Bystrica — really amazing places!

When I returned to the US for the holidays, I was determined to make authentic bryndzové halušky for my family. I completely fell in love with it while road-tripping through Slovakia and having it at multiple kolibas and restaurants. This was my first ever attempt, and I’m honestly so proud of how it turned out. Once everything was assembled, it tasted nearly identical to the real deal!

I should note that I couldn’t find actual bryndza anywhere near me — even after checking several Slovak and Polish groceries in a nearby city. I was shocked but ended up using a blend of mostly feta with a bit of sour cream, and in my opinion it came very, very close.

I mainly wanted to share my appreciation for this dish and my pride in giving it a go. There are many descendants of Slovaks and Poles in my town, and I’m surprised this isn’t something I’ve seen around here (we do have plenty of Americanized pierogi and other regional foods thanks to the strong immigrant influence). Maybe I’ll just have to start making it for more people!