Lomnické suchary

Appearance & taste

Lomnické suchary are slices at most 18 mm thick with an evenly sugared surface. When broken, they are evenly golden brown and evenly porous, without cavities or traces of poorly mixed dough. The texture is firm, short and crisp. Taste and smell are typical of the variety, with the aroma of orange or lemon peel; burnt, bitter or musty notes are not permitted.

There are four varieties: sugared, hazelnut, almond and peanut. The rusk contains at most 4 % moisture and, in the dry matter, at least 33.5 % sucrose and at least 11 % fat. According to the specification, the sugared surface is a particularity not found in rusks elsewhere, as is the flavouring with almonds, hazelnuts or peanuts. On cartons the name “Lomnické suchary” with the variety is larger than the rest of the text, and at least one side shows a picture of the rusk.

Production

The dough consists of fine wheat flour, sugar where applicable, baking fat, yeast, milk and egg yolk powder and orange or lemon peel; depending on the variety, cinnamon, vanilla or mace and ground hazelnuts, almonds or peanuts are added. The egg yolk powder may be replaced by fresh egg yolk, vanilla by vanillin. The ingredients are mixed in the mixing machine and made into a firm dough with prepared sourdough and drinking water.

The dough is cut into pieces which, after rising, are shaped into long loaves. These rise again for 10 to 20 minutes in greased tins and are then baked for 30 to 45 minutes at 200 to 250 °C. The cooled loaves are cut into slices of equal thickness, sorted and dusted with icing sugar; the slices are then dried in the oven at 190 to 200 °C.

All steps from preparing the dough to drying take place at the producer’s premises. The rusks are packed immediately after production, in aluminium foil and then in printed cartons or tins, because the short slices break easily and absorb moisture. For direct sale to consumers the foil is not needed.

Origin & history

The area comprises the Semily district with the towns of Lomnice nad Popelkou, Vysoké nad Jizerou and Jablonec nad Nisou, an area at the foot of a mountain range whose inhabitants used to live mainly from farming and small crafts.

The first references to the rusk date from 1810, when rusk production began in Lomnice nad Popelkou. At first they were baked at home and carried to the markets in baskets; in 1856 the founder’s grandson introduced machine production, and deliveries went throughout Austria-Hungary and to other European countries. In 1907 a factory was established in Lomnice. After nationalisation in 1948, production continued in state-owned enterprises until it was discontinued after privatisation in 1994. From 1995 new businesses took it up again following the old recipes; in 2005 the producers’ association was founded.

At the end of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century, the rusk was known under this name in Austria, Germany and Italy, and between the World Wars it was exported to America. The history is documented by press articles, documents in the town museum of Lomnice nad Popelkou and publications such as “Město sucharů a textilu Lomnice nad Popelkou” (The town of rusks and textile making, 1946). In the Czech Republic the name was registered as a designation of origin in 2003.