There is so much history behind today's recipe. Frgál is a traditional dessert of the Wallachians -a branch of the enthic group called Vlachs who live on the Czechoslovak border.
All Vlachs originate from Romania and their name, whose root is German, means 'the people who speak Latin'. Especially in the Middle Ages, the provinces inhabited by Vlachs were conquered by their neighbours. Between the 14th and 19th centuries, however, they formed a powerful state, whose rulers influenced the political and military history of the Eastern Balkans. Large or small minorities of Vlachs exist until today in Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Moravia and even Poland. This migration, which took place very gradually, resulted from their economy and not from diplomacy or war because the Vlachs were shepherds and constantly on the move, looking for better pastures. Nineteenth century artists influenced by Romanticism have beautifully portayed the national costumes of the Vlachs, including items made of sheepskin. Accordingly, most of the Vlach cuisine is based on dairy products.
Moravian Vlachs settled in Central Europe between the 13th and 18th centuries, during which period they were slavicized. Their dialect incorporated Czech and Slovak elements but the vocabulary referring to pastoral economy is Romanian. Even though Vlachs were shepherds, the lands inhabited by the Moravian branch around Vsetín, Valašské Meziříčí and Rožnov pod Radhoštěm (where I had the good luck to eat frgál in the 199os) were not deprived of agriculture. Compared to Greek Vlach dishes that I know of, Moravian Vlach recipes, like Christmas gingerbread and frgál, are highly sophisticated. Frgál is a kind of flatbread that was originally topped with dried pears but in the course of time other fillings were added: thick jam, soft cheese, poppy seeds etc. This website also notes that, historically, poor families topped frgál with savory ingredients like carrots, beetroot, turnips, and cabbage.
FRGÁL
The version shared below is adapted from a recipe by Eva, the Czech friend who also told me how to make Wallachian gingerbread. I made some changes because I used 300g flour instead of 1kg but couldn't divide everything by three. I also improvised a little with the fillings: the original recipe didn't mention carrots and suggested that dried pears be mixed with raisins, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest. Another popular filling that I didn't use is Quark cheese, which is often flavored with rum. The streusel topping was excluded from the original recipes but I used it anyway to balance the sweetness of plum jam.
I n g r e d i e n t s
(makes 2)
for the dough:
200g strong flour
100g plain flour
1tsp dried yeast
1tsp vanilla sugar
1tsp grated lemon zest
a pinch of salt
150ml whole milk
3tbsp butter
3tbsp sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
for the filling:
450g carrots, boiled and mashed
6tbsp sugar
1/2tsp ground cardamom
OR
450g plum jam
2tbsp Heering or similar liqueur
2tbsp water
OR
450g pears, boiled and mashed
6tbsp sugar
1/2tsp vanilla extract
for the streusel topping:
25g plain flour
25g confectioner's sugar
25g butter
50g walnuts or almonds, ground
M e t h o d
To prepare the dough: Sift the flours, yeast, salt and flavorings together. Heat the milk, butter, and sugar until lukewarm. Add the egg, saving a little for brushing the dough in the end. Combine the liquid with the dry ingredients and set aside for 15 minutes, under a towel. Knead for 15 minutes, shape into a ball, cover and leave to rise for 2 hours or until doubled in bulk. In the mean time, prepare the fillings by mixing all the ingredients. Set the oven to 180-190C. Knock back the dough, divide into two parts and roll out each of them in a small greased pizza pan, lifting the edges so the filling will not run. Spread the filling (or fillings) evenly on top and brush the edges with the remaining egg. Leave to rise for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the streusel topping by mixing all the ingredients until it looks like crumbles. Sprinkle on top of the filling and place the pans into the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges of the dough are golden brown and the jam filling almost bubbles. (You will need to rotate the pans after 20 minutes of baking.)
N o t e
If the pear filling is thin, add 4tbsp custard powder before spreading on the dough.
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