Tradícia chovu, pečenia a podávania husacích špecialít, tzn. husaciny, ako tomu hovoríme v Slovenskom Grobe, je veľmi stará.
V našej rodine ju začala moja stará mama, pani Alžbeta Zápražná po druhej svetovej vojne. Dedko Dominik za to, že bojoval v SNP dostal osvedčenie, na základe ktorého získal licenciu na prevádzkovanie hostinca. V tomto hostinci podávali aj pečené husi s lokšami. Lenže v roku 1948 o licenciu prišli.
Babička Betka, ako sme ju volali, však s husacinou neprestala. V Slovenskom Grobe boli v tom období priaznivé podmienky na chov husí. Bola tu voda, lúky na pastvu aj na pestovanie kukurice, ktorá je hlavnou zložkou pri kŕmení husí. Z husi bol veľký úžitok. Nič nevyšlo nazmar. Masť po upečení husi zostala doma, pečienka, drobky, perie a hus boli predané. A tak v piatok dala babka upiecť husi u miestneho pekára a v sobotu išla s pečenými husami na trh do okolitých miest.
Studené husi boli síce dobré, ale lepšie by boli čerstvé. Toto si zrejme povedali kupujúci, a preto si začali pre pečené husi chodiť osobne. Časom sa im nechcelo čakať kým prídu domov a budú si môcť pochutnať na čerstvej husacinke. Začali si pochutnávať na husacine priamo v dome – v kuchyni, alebo v inej izbe.
Stávalo sa, že v každej izbe bola partia hostí. Pre veľký záujem priestory boli nedostačujúce. A tak sa babka rozhodla prebudovať dedkovu stolársku dielňu na miestnosť pre hostí, s kapacitou 45 ľudí. V tom období poriadali členovia ROH a brigád socialistickej práce zájazdy na husacinu. K husacine dostali lokše, uhorky a burčiak, alebo víno. Kto chcel vodu, napil sa zo studne. Kto potreboval ísť na toaletu, vzadu za domom bola utešená latrína.
Zájazdy z celého Slovenska a Moravy boli poriadané v piatok a v sobotu na objednávku, od septembra do Sviatku všetkých svätých.
Miestny národný výbor upustil od vyberania daní od občanov, ktorí ponúkali husacinu s odôvodnením, že reklama Slovenského Grobu podávaním husaciny, je cennejšia ako daň, ktorú by obec získala. Týmto spôsobom fungovala husacina približne 20 rokov.
V roku 1986 babička Betka ochorela a tradícia husaciny v našej rodine bola prerušená. Po dlhých deviatich rokoch v roku 1995 sa mi spolu s rodičmi podarilo naviazať na rodinnú tradíciu. Dedkovu stolársku dielňu a babkinu miestnosť pre hostí sme zrekonštruovali a otvorili sme reštauráciu pod názvom Husacina u Zápražných, na počesť zakladateľov.
Mali sme síce už aj nové toalety, aj bar, ale aj náročnejších hostí. A tak sme sa v roku 2004 rozhodli pre radikálnu zmenu. So starým sme sa rozlúčili a nové privítali.
Breeding and baking geese, as well as preparing geese specialties is a very old tradition in Slovenský Grob.
My grandmother started this tradition in my family shortly after the World War II ended. My grandfather fought at the Slovak National Uprising and as a reward for his service, he was given a licence enabling him to run a tavern. In this tavern, roasted geese and lokse (special type of potato pancake) were served. Unfortunately, my grandparents lost their licence in 1948.
But my grandmother, who we called Betka, never gave up on geese. During those times, conditions for breeding geese were very pleasant in Slovensky Grob. There was enough water, lots of meadowland for geese to graze on, and many fields where corn could be grown (corn represents the main component of geese food). Breeding geese proved very useful; nothing was ever thrown away – fat from roasting geese was used in the kitchen; and the goose along with its liver, entrails and plumage was sold. Every Friday, my grandmother Betka brought geese to a local baker for roasting and on Saturday’s she would sell them at the market in nearby towns.
Betka’s customers realized that although cold roasted geese tasted good, fresh ones surely tasted better. As such, they began picking up the geese personally at our house. Later, they decided that they did not want to wait until they arrived home to indulge in delicious roasted geese. This is how Betka’s customers slowly became guests in our house – they stayed and enjoyed the geese in our home, in our kitchen and all the other rooms. On many occasions, there was a group of guests in every room enjoying deliciousness of Betka’s specialty.
Due to such high demand, our house soon became insufficient in ability to accommodate our guests. My grandmother Betka therefore decided to convert my grandfather’s carpentry workshop into a eatery with a capacity of 45 people. During that period, many visits were organized by members of the Union (ROH) and the Socialist Brigade. They savoured roasted geese, lokse, gherkins, and enjoyed federweisser (freshly made wine) or wine, and drank fresh water from the well. For those needing to use a washroom, there was a nice outhouse directly behind the main house.
Every Friday and Saturday, from September to Saint’s Day, reservations were made from all parts of Slovakia and Morava to come and taste our famous roasted goose. The local council of Slovensky Grob decided to exempt its citizens from paying taxes for offering roasted geese and promoting Slovensky Grob, as such promotion was highly valuable and advantageous for our village. Such tax exemption system was in effect in Slovensky Grob for next 20 years. In 1986, my grandmother unfortunately fell ill and geese roasting tradition was then interrupted. In 1995, after 9 long years, family tradition was reborn by me and my parents. My grandfather’s carpentry workshop and grandmother’s eatery were reconstructed and we opened a restaurant called Roasted Goose by family Zaprazny, in honour of its founders.
New bar and washroom facilities were built. Demand in our restaurant was growing really fast and we therefore introduced a radical change in 2004. We farewell out of the old and welcomed the new. We have opened a new guest house right beside the restaurant, together with the parking area. We would like you to see and try yourself. Please come visit us and indulge! We hope you will like our services. Hope to see you soon!