Mariánskolázeňské oplatky

Appearance & taste

The wafers consist of two thin wafer sheets held together by the filling. They are round and even, have a slightly cracked edge, a characteristic break and, around the edge, a relief in the form of a stylised wreath of leaves; the relief in the centre differs from producer to producer. Depending on the batter, they are cream-white to light yellow.

The wafers are crumbly and well baked, the filling is grainy, and they taste sweet of their ingredients. By filling, a distinction is made between the hazelnut and cocoa varieties. They are sold in aluminium foil and boxes of 175 g; the name “Mariánskolázeňské oplatky” appears clearly visible on the front.

Production

The raw materials include wheat flour, sugar, hydrogenated fat, hazelnut kernels, ground nuts, milk fat, vegetable fat, cocoa, dried milk, dried egg yolk, wheat starch, salt, lecithin as well as lemon, hazelnut, vanillin and almond flavouring and cinnamon. The batter is mixed in a mixing machine and baked in a rotating baking device. The wafer sheets are removed by hand and then stored for about five days in humidity rooms at 90 % relative humidity.

Then the lower sheet is sprinkled by hand with a mixture of sugar, fat, hazelnuts and, depending on the variety, other ingredients, covered with the second sheet, and the two are baked together. The weighed wafers are wrapped in aluminium foil by machine and packed in boxes. Because they are crumbly and readily absorb moisture, they must be packed directly at the producer’s. They are stored at no more than 25 °C and keep for at most 180 days.

Origin & history

The area covers the municipalities of Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad) and Velká Hleďsebe in the administrative district of Marienbad. There is evidence of wafers in Marienbad as early as the 18th century. With the rise of the spa industry, home production for own use gradually became commercial mass production; industrial manufacture began in 1856. Almost 100 years later, improved machinery and wafers made from chocolate batter were added.

According to the specification, consumers associate the wafers in a unique way with the western Bohemian spa towns, whose centre is Marienbad; the composition and production are passed down from generation to generation in the local bakeries. Documents on their history are held in the town archive and the municipal museum. The name was entered in the international register of the Lisbon Agreement in 1967, has been protected by national law since 1974 and is also anchored in bilateral agreements with Switzerland, Austria and Portugal.