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For decades, Czechs have faced a minor yet persistent lunchtime dilemma: standard sliced ham simply does not fit properly into a classic rohlík. The cylindrical bread roll, a staple of school lunches and office snacks, has long required either folding, trimming, or strategic placement of ham slices to achieve full coverage.
But frustrated Czech snackers may have finally found an answer to this age-old dilemma, as supermarket chain Lidl has unveiled a product designed to solve this problem once and for all.
Pikok Šunka na rohlík, as the name suggests, is a ham slice specifically shaped for a rohlík—longer and more rectangular than the traditional square-cut cold cuts found in supermarket refrigerators. Available across Czech Lidl locations as of March 2025, the new product promises to streamline sandwich-making by eliminating the need for modifications.
A small change with big implications
According to Lidl, the idea came from its purchasing department, which sought to fill a market gap no other manufacturer had addressed. Despite the enduring popularity of the elongated rohlík, cold cuts designed specifically for the Czech product had never been developed.
"We really enjoy innovating and developing new products, and thanks to our private labels we have the space for that," Lidl Czech Republic spokesperson Eliška Froschová Stehlíková said through a press release.
"Our new product Pikok Ham on a Roll was created as an idea from our purchasing department, and we wanted to come up with something original and at the same time we wanted to fill a gap in the market. No one else offers a ham that would exactly match the size of the roll and allow the customer to enjoy it comfortably."
The ham is produced by MP Krásno, a Czech meat processing company, and contains 80% pork. Lidl describes it as "selection-quality" ham, though some social media users have expressed a desire for a higher meat content or a premium version under Lidl’s Pure range, which avoids preservatives and artificial additives.
For now, the product is in a test phase, with Lidl monitoring customer interest before potentially expanding the selection.
A revolution in Czech cold cuts?
For many parents, this minor innovation has been met with enthusiasm. "My daughter doesn’t like when ham sticks out from her rohlík, so we always had to tear or cut it to fit," Nikola, a mother from Prague, told iDnes.cz. "It’s a small thing, but honestly, I think it’s genius."
Priced at CZK 22.90 per pack, the ham has quickly gained attention on social media, with some heralding it as a game-changer in the world of quick and easy sandwiches. For those who have long struggled with overhanging ham edges, it may just be the most significant Czech food innovation since the invention of the rohlík itself.
Still, there may be room for further innovation, as rohlík-shaped cheeses and other sliced meats await similar development.
