I have a friend coming to visit me from Prague. As is the custom when folks visit you from off-world, I was asked if I wanted anything special brought from Prague.
Now I do a lot of on-line shopping, mostly for hard to get spices, organic foods, sometimes clothes or electronic tidbits. I did a google search for “what to buy in the Czech Republic”… it was all about glassware and dolls. Stuff I’m really not interested in. Anyone know what I might want from there? It could end up being nothing. No problem.
Glassware is the big one that I’ve always heard of. Otherwise, I don’t know if Customs would permit it, but you could ask for sausages and beer.
I was in a Czech restaurant once, and I discovered that when they ask if you’d like a small or a large beer, they mean one you can lift vs. one you have to just dip your head into.
If you drink beer, some good, fresh Czech beer would probably be something you’d like. I really liked Velkopopovický Kozel dark, and can’t find it in the US. The “original” Budweiser won’t look so impressive on the shelf, as in Czech it’s “Budějovický Budvar”, the bottle doesn’t look anything like US Budweiser, and the only real connection between the two is that the Czech ones say “Budweiser” along the bottom of the label somewhat unobtrusively.
Otherwise, glassware/crystal and garnet jewelry seem to be the big things.
Glassware and ceramics, but that’s kind of an expensive thing to ask for a gift. Prague also has beautiful marionettes; they come in all sizes. Other than that, I’ve seen some beautiful chess sets from Prague, there used to be an arts and crafts market by the bridge that had lovely woodwork and ceramics.
Ask him to bring you some Oblaten. “Oblaten” is the original German name from when the Sudeten-Germans were still in the country; I can’t remember the Czech name. But they’re delicious wafer cookies, very cheap, very light, and very Czech. Also those spa cups are nice novelty things that I believe are unique to the country.
Granted, those are very characteristic of the Bohemian spa lands in the west of the country, not of Prague, but they’re the first typically Czech items that come to mind that aren’t easy to come across in other places.
ETA: You could also ask for some kind of Good Soldier Svejk memento or the little cartoon mole. The Czechs are apparently crazy about both of those characters.
Beer, hockey and glassware! I brought a glass chess set, very nice!
I remember them having a pretty good luxury watchmakers however its been a while since i’ve been.
They are generally very nice and easy to get along with
I also got a can of Duff beer. The front is the normal English logos but all other text is in Czech, same with Coke; ribbon logo on front & ingredients, etc in Czech on the back.
Most of the Czech made absinthe isn’t very good and doesn’t taste like the original recipes. It’s a hold over from when absinthe wasn’t available elsewhere. If you want to try real absinthe, you could do worse than that made by Ted Breaux (http://www.bestabsinthe.com/), it is made in a vintage absinthe distillery in France with period recipes. Here’s a good article about it http://www.greendevil.com/New-Yorker-Feb-2006.pdf
That pistol is actually made in Croatia. As for the Czech Republic, I was going to mention CZ firearms. Well made and a good value. That doesn’t help much with bringing a gift to the US, but my CZ firearms are about the only think I can think of that I own from the Czech Republic.
