When I moved to the Czech Republic, six years agon, I learned that you might find a carp in the bathtub before Christmas. This was because fried carp is the national Christmas dinner. In the week or so before Christmas, you find these stalls all over the city with men selling live carp from giant plastic water tubs. They will let you take them alive, or they will kill them and clean them for you on the spot. :)
As a Hrvat living in the Chicago Area. First gen mind you. I am now around 45 years old. There is a huge Croatian community in the Chicago area. Most of my friends growing up and now are Croats. The birthday thing. We all just used to pay for each other. I even didn’t have to be a birthday. We are all family and friends and no matter how broke one of us was. The rest picked up the slack. As long as we were all together. That’s family
Very true. The birthday habit is different from the US one but outside of that, me and my friends in the US function the same - we take care of each other even tho we're all from different parts of the world 🎉
Chicago is like a more affordable NYC, lots of everyone. I figured there were a lot of Croats because there was always a lot of good Šljivovica at Liquor Barn.
@@wedrownysowianin9387 that sljilovica is garbage. Any True Croat makes their own like my dad (rip) or all his buddies that are still alive and those of us old enough but young enough to replicate that wonder.
@@wedrownysowianin9387 I'm from the area originally, and we used to call Liquor Barn the 'Russian Mafia Liquor Store'. That may just have been the location near my house.
We lived in Sarajevo for four years. Our daughter was aged 2-6. She has been back in the U.S. for 24 years and still won’t touch American bread or “toast” as it is known in the Balkans.
Hungarian here. Dear goodness, quite a good amount of nostalgia in these videos. :) The home made liver pate, my grandmother still makes it to this day. :D We also used the bathtub to keep and feed the turkey which my parents/grandparents bought for every single Christmas. xD Also Happy Easter Barbara !!!
My kitchen looks pretty much like yours and I live in the middle of Poland in a countryside. I still have a wood stove (piec na drewno) in my kitchen in case I have no gas or electricity :-) Funny how similar Slavic cultures are. You could find yourself in the middle of Poland and fit right in!
In Serbia, my grandmother use to make us Makarone ( pasta ) with poppy seeds and sugar as sweet meal to eat when we were kids. Did not know for cabbage and poppy seeds as combination, maybe that is Hungarian specialty. Regarding anger of East European, that so called “leave me alone” or “don’t bother me without anything smart to say” attitude, we in Serbia have this expression also; don’t give me that tv smile, or don’t give me that McDonald’s smile, that is how we usually see westerners as fake face expression people. So I hope this is Eastern European enough for you LOL
And interesting facts, Gomboce are Hungarian name, meaning something round, or German Knödel, that become, Knedle, the name that is Serbian is Okruglice, ili punjene (stuffed ) Okruglice, also Round one. Slovakien is halušky. English is dumplings. Slovenien IDK. But those sweets are still so popular that World Dumpling Day is celebrated on September 8, and it was celebrated for the first time in 2020. The initiators were dumpling lovers from Belgrade, Serbia, who started a petition on Instagram and Facebook, and in just 10 days, they received support from 41 countries. So, am I eastern European enough or not LMAO
Slovenia is Central Europe - and was basically also for like 1000 years part of the Holy Roman Empire with Germany as base - just like Northern Italy (Rome/Papalstates included), Austria, Switzerland the Netherlands, Belgium, today regions of Eastern France, Luxemburg, Lichtenstein, Czech/Bohemia, parts of Poland up to the Baltics and so on. And if one is not blind than already one glance on the cities/architecture, climate, flora&fauna, , music (a lot of folk music sound just like the Bavarian neighbors (Austria/Bavaria) - but also other music tastes are quite similar), same 4 season climate zone, its a Milk & Butter region, similar mentality etc. Everything is typical Central Europe/Mittel Europa, especially from a holistic view on Europe (not to talk about world's view). And what people also should really learn about history are the trade connections and meta structures. There is also a reason why the most populated area in Europe (the Blue Banana) follows exactly the Frankish Empire (the core 'Austrasia' was Western Germany, Netherlands and Belgium with Aachen/Germany in the center) and the Holy Roman Empire ... that was also the main transit and trade route with the highest traffic (between the to the Holy Roman Empire connected Maritime SubEmpires created by more autonomous cities, in the North the Hanseatic League and in the South Martime Empires and city states like Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Milan - and both connected through the land highway (and by water, especially the Rhein). Most trade and information in Europe fluctuated here. Here is also most industry (also today), most transit (also today), most cities, most castles, most innovations, basically ALL renaissances (the Karolingian ones at the time of the Frankish Empire, later the Northern ones, especially at the Hotspot Western Germany/Belgium/Netherlands and then the one in Northern Italy (but that was all the time connected and a all parts influencing highway). And the entire Metastructure is also for a reason more wealthy (the former left wing/socialist countries are going to catch up slowly to their old situation). Yes, there is also a reason why Northern Italy is more wealthy than South Italy. It is part of another cultural sphere for instance! and if you know that then you are also not 'surprised' that the known Italian food is also separated by such influences (North used more Butter, Milk, Cow, Swine., Sheeps just like all in the Alps etc.) and exactly like this was and is the food created - while in the South they were more Oil and more minimal (due to globalization you have of course nowadays all in most countries - but you still have certain differences).
I call this slavic facial phenomenon you speak of "resting murder face." Not because of intent to commit murder, but just the cultural memory of witnessing death and despair lingering on the face and refusing to let casual smiles out.
Yes, it may be a look that doesn't want to express anything. Btw: bravo, Barbara 🤣🤣As was necessary in communist times. Expressing sympathy for someone in disfavour with the regime could cost you a lot.
The more I watch these videos, the more I, as a german, feel connected to my eastern european buddies. Bread? Ayo, we're *the* bread country in the world. I won't touch anything "Toast"-related unless its a sandwich. Pickled cucumbers? Yessir. Sauerkraut? Sure! Leberwurst? Eyo! The cliché of being unfriendly while also being the best when drunk? Gotcha! Marmorkuchen? We got it! It's like in 80-90% I was like: "Are we eastern european because that works for us as well!"
Hello there I'm french and I had an old decrepid kitchen in a socialist bloc and I also keep fond memories of this particular bloc because the walls were thick no way to hear the neighbur's noise or audio leakage from a room to another, my actual place is more modern and the walls are thin like 5 slices of cardboard glued together, the building is nicer looking architecturally but more recent and I miss my old and yet decrepid previous block because of a better quality of materials and building techniques of it's time, even if my new block is more elegant big terrasse, big verranda . I can relate to what you said about your small appartment that you used to like in a commie block mine was socialist block because in in 1981 the socialists ruled the country for 14 years. That's my message to try to add a bit of boost on the popularity of your channel that I'm currently bing watching. Keep care / Florent, Eastern France.
Paying on Birtthday is not only common in Slovenia or eastern europe. In Austria we also invite the friends. At 05:09 those are poppy noodles, in this case they usually made from potatoes. Instead of poppy you can also use nuts. We have them also in austria. Here you get thema also premade and frozen. It is a sweet dish like germknödel. Here we have somethhing similar called liver sausage. And you get it from different animals.
I am sure it's because many Eastern Europeans were part of Austria for a long time, hence our food is influenced by slavic cuisine. Especially in and around Vienna.
Never heard of that chicken liver thing... But those who criticise the Soviet style apartment buildings don't know about central heating and how affordable it is
Nothing like your friends ringing the bell and hanging out in front of blok while the nosey babi from the first floor makes sure you’re not doing something she will report to your mother
as a slovenian i totally love 5:30 the noodless with poppy seed and sugar, usually i use those long band noodless not the short ones but they are so yum its so nice to see other countries have that too! also def the resting bitchface club girl, good to know its an slovene thing i guess
Happy Easter moj Lepa! 🐇 I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. You're always beautiful, but you look extra-gorgeous with your hair all done up, and your dress. I find it funny how any things we still do from our roots and don't even realize it. I always squish the bread to check for freshness, and the same with fruits and vegetables, and thump melons (watermelons, cantaloupe, etc...) for a ripeness test. Most of that food looked epic. A smol kitchen is a cozy kitchen, where food is made with love and care. As far as the emotions from a guy, the man I was before I met you, nobody would have wanted to date...And hardly nobody did (I'm not embarrassed to admit this now, as I've come a long way). I had 3 emotions based on my childhood and how I grew up...And those were annoyed, angry, and pissed off. I was rarely ever happy, almost always ready to snap at someone, and just not a great person. I was nice to people I cared about, but was a real piece of work to people I didn't know, or some rando that pissed me off. I'm glad I'm not that guy anymore. Meeting your twin flame will do that to a person...It makes you want to be the best person you can be, and not for anyone else's sake, but for your own. Love you forever & always Smol Potat. 🙂❤🌹😘
I found your channel before coming to Slovenia. And was surprised how good are you speaking in English. But than I actually visited Slovenia and for me it was a cultural shock seing how many people actually know English here comparing to Ukraine. It's amazing and also Slovene language is great and it feels almost like home listening to it. P.S. I agree to literally everything in this video.
I dated a Filipina once and she said it's the same way in their culture in regards to Birthdays. It's no different than a wedding in that sense: if people come together on your behalf and it incurs an expense, then you cover the expense. Once she said it, it sort of made sense to me.
Barb, Great video, very funny. Informative to USA folks. Who knew the birthday person PAID to have others eat and drink in E Europe??. I didn't You put a lot of time into editing this video. Thanks! -Ed in Reno
What?!? I naturally just began to throw parties for my birthday, insisting i fund everything, inspired to do so from some unknown source. Felt so out of place in my state of Oregon, but I feel better knowing others out there think as i do! Go Barb!
5:20 thats dish called "Šúľance s makom" in Slovakia (Czechs have their version too, called "Šulánky s mákem" and Austrians/Germans have 20 types of Spätzle which are similar to that). Its a potato based dough (I think its boiled, but Im not sure as it wasnt a big thing in the region where I live), then you add a bit of butter, poppy seeds ("mak" means poppy/poppy seeds) and at the end you add a bit of powdered sugar (as shown, its then fried in the butter either on pan, or in the deeper pot) . Looks like poop, tastes great (comfort food) if done properly. EDIT: After being brought to my attention and some better inspection, its pasta (macaroni or penne, personally think its the latter) rather than "šúľance".
@@Pavol-Pivkahej pravda, sa mi zdalo že to sú šúľance pri prvom pozretí. Inak, nie sú to ani makaróny (duté úzke, mierne zahnuté) ako také, ale penne (široká dutina, rovné dlhšie 😂. Stále to je z kategórie "čo som našiel v chladničke a skrinkách na intráku"
I don't know where I've seen your videos before, but you are a hoot! I love you! Super funny, super pretty and just a pleasure to watch your content! I didn't live too far from Slovenia for a while. I spent 3 years in Slovakia and had the 3 best years of my life! I loved it there! Krasna!! xxx
I don't think it applies only to Eastern Europeans. Europeans in general are more grumpy. No service culture here. More smiles will not bring more sales.
The tradition of giving gifts to other when its your birthday always struck me as weird. America got it right this time. :D Im Slovakian Th poppy seeds with pasta is delicios, but it is hella carby. It should be considered a dessert and not a main meal....just like rice puding, which they also serve in schools as a main meal. The chicken liver pate on the other hand is much better nutritrion, i wish i had as a kid. I make it now
brutalist geometric minimalist architectural style.... best SCIFI style in the world, also the commy art, mosaics, sculptures....everything is so nice... too bad we lost it.
I love those kitchens❤️ American kitchens are built for utility, but are not very warm and homey. They aren't really places for families to spend time together comfortably.
It is it a Slovenian thing to pickle literally everything? And also lots of jam? Put cabbage in all of the food? Also, got to say, better to be inundated with Soviet apartment blocks than inundated with homeless people because no one can afford housing 🙄 And yeah. Seeing someone die, especially someone you love, changes you.
The only woman my wife ever got super jealous about when we were dating was from Lithuania. We worked together and the girl was very nice. She wasnt interested in me but she sure made my gal heat up ! It was pretty funny. I am a chef and I agree about your take on modern home kitchens. They are horrible. I dream of visiting the Tiaga in Russia and having the country wives there share their kitchens with me.
I’ve lived in the US most of my life, but I’m Ukrainian. I can relate to many, but not all, of those. Maybe my mom could relate to them more, since she grew up in the Soviet Union. It’s funny, I thought I had a bunch of medicine in my house because my mom’s a pharmacist, but I guess all the other Slavs have that, as well, even without pharmacist parents!
That chicken pate is something i eat regularly in Canada 🇨🇦 Called Paris Paté. American beer is like water, canadian beer is better, i bet slovenian beer is even better. I wish you the best Barbara. I like how you travel so much, I never even owned a passport. I took your advice I got you a Ko-Fi ☕️
the chicken liver patte thing is german 100% Aasace-lorraine and bavarian......my grandparents made that all the time for every holiday....i could eat 3-4 ritz crackers worth of it...mostly for the pickle and chives taste but yeah....nothing more than that. my uncles would eat it like they were starving. i remember the first time i had it i thought it was cake frosting and piled a 2-3 finger deep cracker in the stuff....that first bite NOPE NOT FROSTING!😅
Well, it's a good thing I'm on a special diet. If it gives me acid reflex, i don't eat it. I've done enough food journals. For most of every type of food you talked about, i will never eat. Whole grain and wheat sucks. White bread only. I like french bread a lot. Maybe i should say i have ulcerative colitis. I was watching some clips from the movie Venom the other day, and i must say tator tots and Chocolate sounded delicious. Personally, i don't care what the kitchen looks like as long as it works. Gas preferably. Plus, i spend most of my time in the kitchen sitting at the table. You know, i wanna be there when i get hungry. I don't eat at the table, mind you, you can't. It's usually cluttered with books and paper with numbers and notes that won't make any sense to you. Maybe just the song "lyrics i look up." Simply asking me what I'm doing will get "nothing" as a response, and i might act like you're rudely interrupting a conversation I'm in the middle of. So when I say nothing, i really mean i lost my train of thought or reason, if i had any that is. That reminds me of Poe songs, "if you could jack into my brain, you'd know exactly what you mean here." Hello, hello, are you out there. Anyhoo, I'm a bit wordy, so I'll go. Peace and Ahev
You posted the pic of the girl in the white tank top which leads me to my question: what percentage don't shave their armpits & what percentage go braless in the Eastern European area? FreeTheNipple! :)
Druže, to ti nije gibanica i to ti nije paprikaš. Gibanica su ti kore, sir, jaja ,l so i ulje a to je neki kolaš. A ovo drugo ti je GULAŠ. Greatings from Serbia.
I am Polish we stare in to the eyes all the time, it's very bad behaviour but I can't stop :). We so recognise ourselves in the crowd like that as well. That pate on a video looked like shit, but we do have something similar like on the next videos, more dense sometimes with a crusty skin on top. Polish bread is way better then Western - European ones. I like pickled cucumbers .
