Food trends have changed in Slovakia. (source: Petitpress)
THE EATING habits of Slovaks have changed considerably over the past 20 years, with the average Slovak now eating, for example, half the amount of potatoes than in 1993, Poštová Banka analyst Dana Vrabcová has pointed out in her analysis.
She briefly summarised the statistics of Slovakia after the fall of communism and compared them to the recent studies. While potatoes have fallen from grace, consumption of pasta, coffee, and non-alcoholic beverages has jumped quite significantly.
“The wash-out of the past two decades is potatoes,” Vrabcová noted. “While the consumption per capita reached 89 kilograms annually 20 years ago, it was only 47 kilos last year. Meanwhile, Slovaks now eat 70 percent more pasta than 20 years ago, with Italian cuisine gaining in popularity in our country,” she said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that the consumption of pasta increased from 4.6 kilograms per capita per year in 1993 to 7.8 kilograms in 2013.
Interestingly enough, honey – which has been under threat recently around the world due to large-scale die-outs among bee colonies – has also become significantly more popular, with its consumption increasing by quite a decent 120 percent over the past two decades. The consumption of coffee, non-alcoholic beverages and tea has also increased by a factor of two. As the Poštová Banka analysis reveals, Slovaks not only consume these drinks at home, but also increasingly at cafés and restaurants.
“Coffee aficionados may see an increase in the cost of their pleasure, as we’ve been witnessing a steady growth in the price of coffee on global commodity markets. Coffee is now 90 percent more expensive than it was at the beginning of the year,” Vrabcová pointed out.
Slovaks now also consume significantly more cheeses, nuts and durable baked goods than they did 20 years ago. These products have replaced the traditional fresh bread, the consumption of which has dropped by almost one quarter.
“People also eat around 30 percent less legumes and eggs than in 1993,” the analyst quoted the findings. “From among alcoholic beverages, people have been increasingly abandoning spirits and beer, with the consumption of both dropping by around one fifth; however, they are affording themselves more wine than before.”
The consumption of meat has fallen by around one sixth compared to 1993. “On the other hand, Slovaks have come to like fish more, with the consumption going up by one third over the past two decades,” the bank analyst said.
Even though vegetable salads have graduated from a side-dish to a main dish, the overall consumption of vegetables has fallen slight-ly, by 2 percent. “Nonetheless, the consumption of fruit has recorded a far more significant slump – by 18 percent,” Vrabcová added.
