For Foodies: Jan Paukert Lahůdkářství

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Prized cognac collection
On a recent weekend visit, polished glass cases containing bottles of armagnac and cognac immediately caught our eye. The wide selection of French brandy carries on the tradition of the original shop. “Mr. Paukert hid a number of 19th-century bottles of cognac from the Nazis,” says Vaněček, “His son unearthed them after restitution.” Labels include Bas Armagnac Vaghi, Hennessey XO, and Baron de Sigognac; prices range from modest (650 CZK) to shocking (40,000 CZK).

Small, varied selection of cheeses
Though by no means exhaustive, the selection at Jan Paukert is good, especially if you´re easily overwhelmed by choice. Of those we sampled, the best-selling Ossau Iraty, a nutty sheep´s cheese from the French Pyrénées (79 CZK/100 g) stood out, as did the soft, ripe Munster (87 CZK/100 g), musky Comté (79 CZK/100 g), and tangy Spanish Manchego (79 CZK/100 g). Predominantly French, the offerings also included an Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano (73 CZK/100 g) which ended up in our soup later that weekend. Many of the cheeses were pre-sliced, weighed, and packaged for ease of shopping, but when we asked for a lesser quantity – English is spoken – the woman behind the counter got a little prickly, reminding me that despite the fact we were shopping for French cheese, we were still in a Czech shop.

Set apart by Paukert label, Czech goods
Jan Paukert distinguishes itself with upscale versions of Czech specialties, decoratively packaged and bearing the Paukert name. Jars of utopenec (95 CZK) and paštika (95 CZK), made in-house, may not be extraordinary but make nice gifts. Fresh loaves of herbed Karlovarský knedlík (45 CZK/piece) can be purchased for cooking at home, as we did. Jan Paukert is also one of the few stores in Prague where you can buy St. Antoine´s craft absinthe and other Czech-made spirits from Boršice u Blatnice-based distillery Žufánek.