The finishing touch is a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. While the original pastry was done this way, many other regions in central Europe make a thinner dough, top it with cinnamon sugar, and sometimes even fill the open hole with jams, chocolate and fruits!
The poppy seeds are sold in shops, ready to be used in dishes. They even sell a poppy seed paste, so you can just spread it onto the dough while baking. I have not tried making a dessert with poppy seeds yet, but I would love to bake something soon!
The trdelnik is a traditional Skalica pastry. This pastry does not have any link to the local environment. However, it is protected by the European Union, meaning that only trdelnik baked in this town can be sold with the official name. This is because of the major cultural impact it has had on this region of the world. The dessert was also one of the first sweet foods cooked in this way, over an open fire on a rod. Today, you can purchase this treat at a few local stands and during town or village festivals. People from all over the bordering countries come to Skalica to try the original trdelnik!
As for the poppy seed pastries, these can be found almost anywhere in Slovakia. This is because poppy seeds grow very easily in the southwest part of the country. Farmers will grow this plant, harvest it using large machines, and then sell the seeds. Some farms will grow many different types of poppies because they each have a unique flavor. However, blue poppy seeds are the most popular in the country and what you will mostly find in dishes sold.
