Carp Diem in Czechia

Christmas doesn’t always smell of roast turkey —sometimes it wriggles in your bathtub

- By SOUMYA GAYATRI

Christmas in the Czech Republic comes with an unexpected star of the table: carp. Not turkey, not ham—carp. Every December, cities like Prague and Ceský Krumlov shimmer with fairy lights, mulled wine stands, and—most intriguingly—street vendors selling live carp from giant water tanks.

“We, Czechs, love our carp,” says Jan, a walking-tour guide in Ceský Krumlov. “We have been eating it for centuries, but we are still not tired of it... just walk into any hospoda and ask for carp any day. You won't be disappointed.”