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Two Prague restaurants – the Alcron and Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise –have held onto the Michelin stars they were first awarded last year. Both restaurants are run by Czech chefs. Alcron has been run by Roman Paulus since 2008 and La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise by Oldřich Sahajdák since 2006. Several other restaurants were awarded in the Bib Gourmand category: SaSaZu, Le Terroir, Aromi, Divinis and Sansho.

In Magazine: an MP promises TV viewers “some serious mud-raking in the top echelons of power”, the citizens of Ostrava finally get a breath of fresh air, and, an 18-year-old amateur cook wins third place at the 2013 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

The Czech Republic became the latest country to be hit by the horsemeat scandal on Wednesday, after officials confirmed the presence of horse DNA in frozen lasagne labelled as containing beef. The imported lasagne – sold at a Tesco supermarket in the city of Plzeň – has now been withdrawn as Czech authorities carry out further tests.

The Prague City Hall will launch a month-long project in February, which will see nutrition consultants visit around 30 schools to advise their lunchroom staff on how to improve the daily menu. The Mlada fronta Dnes reported on Thursday that the consultants will have a taste of what kids are offered in the mess and will make suggestions on how to prepare tastier and healthier food. As part of the project, organizers will also hold discussions with the school children about healthy eating choices.

On the border of the districts of Vinohrady and Žižkov is where you will find The Tavern, a cosy bar and burger restaurant that has become a big hit since it opened just over a year ago. Indeed, a leading Czech food critic recently offered a simple explanation as why to The Tavern is always full: Because it has the best burgers in Prague. It’s owned and run by Lori Wyant Selby and her husband Dean, an American couple who are long-term residents of the city.

The Czech government will make a fresh effort to fight smoking and alcoholism, both of which have long been a serious problem in the country. After several failed attempts, the Health Ministry plans to introduce a general smoking ban in public spaces. In addition, the ministry will also push for a move that would oblige restaurants, bars and pubs to offer at least one non-alcoholic beverage at a lower price than the cheapest alcoholic drink.

In Magazine: two break-away villages celebrate their independence, getting rid of the wurst is no easy task, working pensioners rebel against the government’s austerity measures and a wristwatch that’s not for sale.

On Christmas Eve, most Czech families will like every year sit down to special dinner before rushing to the Christmas tree. They will unwrap their presents and some might sing a few carols, and even engage in some traditional Christmas customs such as floating walnut shells, halving an apple or even pouring melted led. But most people are just likely to sit back and watch TV which each year features all the popular fairytales. But what happens in families with mixed backgrounds? How do they celebrate Christmas and explain the different traditions

In Magazine: why did many young Czechs roll up their trouser legs on a cold day? Czech travel agencies publish a list of the most amusing complaints made by their clients and, Czech fisheries produce a healthier breed of carp.

In our age of celebrity chefs and cookbooks for all skill levels and wallet sizes, we may sometimes forget that food was an important element of life surrounded by special rituals, beliefs and values for many a decade. In this edition of Czech Life I decided to find out what importance food had a hundred or so years ago in this region. In order to do that, I headed to the ethnographic department of the Czech National Museum, where the exhibit Krmě - jídlo – žrádlo, or Dish-Meal-Grub is currently on display.