Treat yourself to noodles with poppy seeds on World Pasta Day

The world comes together today, which is World Pasta Day, to celebrate a food that's a beloved staple to millions. If you live in Czechia and want to mark the day the local way, you can make noodles with poppy seeds (or “nudle s mákem”).

While the pairing of poppy seeds and pasta may sound odd, this dish is a comfort food in the Czech Republic. A meal commonly made for children, it evokes fond childhood memories for many Czechs, and continues to be a favorite for adults and children alike.

The dish is eaten widely in Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and Hungary. Hungarians pride themselves on the fact that they have been eating the specialty since the 16th century.

In Czechia, the dish has historically been popular due to its relative cheapness. A meat-free dish, noodles with poppy seeds was a staple for many during the First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-38), when it was eaten Fridays to observe Christian fasting.

As one of the world's biggest producers of poppy seed, Czech culinary tradition continues to incorporate the dried seed into a number of recipes including koláče (a type of sweet pastry) and makový závin (a poppy seed roll similar to a strudel).

Although pasta with poppy seed is a sweet dish, it's usually served as a main course. An extremely simple, affordable, and quick (it takes less than 25 minutes to prepare) meal, try making some yourself today to commemorate World Pasta Day!

That's all there is to it. Your new Czech dish is ready, and you can show off your newly obtained Czech cooking skills to friends and family!