IPSO FACTO We are what we eat - vol 2 | Page 14

Beer: a traditional Czech product Beer is a drink made from water, hops, yeast and malt. It has a really big tradition in Czech Republic. The first Czech beer was brewed in Břevnov monastery in 993. There are six big tanks in the room. The room is really cold, only five degrees celsius. This is where the fermentation takes place before the beer is served to the customers of the biggest restaurant of the country. Why is beer so popular in Czech? The answer is simple. It is an old tradition for the Czech people. It used to be even healthier than water. Beer fermentation continuously for over 500 years. U Fleků was founded in 1499. We had a tour of the brewery with a guide who works there. He was speaking several languages and it was really interesting. After the tour we received presents, beautiful glasses. Beer is made by brewing. First malt is mixed with hot water. This is called mashing. Then hops are added during boiling. The hops give the beer aroma, flavor and bitterness. Next the beer is cooled down and then the yeast is added. Now the fermentation starts and it lasts for several weeks. During this the wort becames the real beer. Then we had lunch at the restaurant U Fleků. We ate a traditional Czech meal called Svíčková or vegetarian version of the meal. It was delicious and we enjoyed it. Also there was a guy who was playing accordion. He played songs from Italy, France, Finland and Czech Republic. We visited a small brewery U Fleků in Prague. It is one of the oldest smaller breweries in Central Europe which has been brewing 13