The Unfortunate Origins Of Utopenci (Pickled Czech Sausages)

Hit any pub in the Czech Republic, and you'll quickly realize that pickled snacks go very well with beer. Utopenci are the crème de la crème of such tangy delights. These sausages, pickled in a spiced vinegar that perfectly complements the flavors in beer, are served cold, often with a side of bread.

As beloved as the snack is, utopenci's roots are obscure. However, depending on who you ask, you might stumble upon an origin story so grim that you'll think of it every time you see a jar of utopenci.

As the legend goes, about a century ago, a man named Šamánek owned a pub in Beroun, a quaint town in the Central Bohemian Region. He had figured out that pickling thick Czech sausages would extend their shelf life without refrigeration — and lend an interesting sour flavor to the pub staple. Soon, the marinated sausages became a hit and drew more customers to Šamánek's pub.

Unfortunately, Šamánek later died in a drowning incident while working on his mill. Given the Czechs' penchant for dark humor, people collectively decided they would call his special dish utopenci, which means "drowned men."