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Polish cuisine is an ethnic cooking style which originated in Poland, a Central European country located in the temperate zone. It is characterized by the predominant use of pork, beef, chicken, and fish, as well as root vegetables, legumes, cabbage, potatoes, and various kinds of groats. Polish dishes are often described as predominantly fat, salty and tart, a result of various food preservation techniques, such as pickling, marinating, and brine-curing, developed in response to Poland's long, cold winters. The country's central location in the North European plain means that local cooks have often borrowed from the culinary traditions of other nations, both neighboring and those further away, as evidenced by the names of such mainstays of Polish cooking as barszcz ukraiński ("Ukrainian borscht"), pierogi ruskie ("Ruthenian dumplings"), chłodnik litewski ("Lithuanian cold soup"), karp po żydowsku ("carp Jewish style"), ryba po grecku ("fish Greek style") or fasolka po bretońsku ("white beans Breton style"). While outside Poland and Polish diaspora, Polish cooking is not as popuar as FrenchorItalian cuisines, it is nonetheless famous for its kiełbasa (pork sausage), pierogi (filled dumplings), gołąbki (stuffed cabbage roll-ups), bigos (meat-and-sauerkraut stew), dill pickles, and a wide range of tart soups, such as barszcz (clear beet borscht), żur (sour rye meal soup) or kapuśniak (sauerkraut soup).
In Poland, the first meal of the day is śniadanie (breakfast) which is traditionally richer that the typical continental breakfast and consists of bread or rolls with butter, cold cuts of meat and cheese, and fresh vegetables, washed down with hot coffee, tea or cocoa. Eggs, boiled or fried in some form, are often also served. Children may be given hot milk soup over noodles, rice, oatmeal or cream of wheat, but this is being replaced by American-style breakfast cereals with cold milk or yoghurt. Schoolchildren and early-shift workers may have drugie śniadanie (second breakfast), or bag lunch, later before noon.
The main meal of the day is obiad (dinner), traditionally eaten around midday or early afternoon. It is typically a multicourse affair, almost invariably conisting of at least zupa (a bowl of soup) followed by drugie danie ("the other course"), i.e., the main dish. The latter usually involves meat with a starchy side (potatoes, groats, rice or noodles) and a vegetable side. Fish may be served instead of meat, especially on Fridays and other fast days. The main dish may be followed by a dessert. A particularly festive dinner may include a cold starter, such as a herring rollmoporsteak tartare, served before the soup, and a hot entrée immediately before the main dish.
Kolacja (supper) is the day's last, and usually lightest, meal. It may be simply a re-run of breakfast, but can also include sweet farinaceous dishes, like plum dumplings or crêpes, cooked vegetable salads, and cold fish or aspic dishes. Some people, especially children, may also have a light snack known as podwieczorek and equivalent to the English afternoon tea, between the dinner and the supper. Those Poles who follow a daily schedule more adapted to a modern urban lifestyle, may have a lighter midday meal, which goes in Polish under the English appellation of lunch, and a multicourse obiadokolacja ("dinner-supper" combination) in the late afternoon. The archaic word wieczerza ("evening meal") may be still used for a particularly festive evening dinner, such as wieczerza wigilijna (Christmas Eve dinner), traditionally the biggest meal of the year which begins when the first star appears in the sky.
| Course or side | Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soup | Meat broth with noodles | Tomato soup with rice and sour cream | Sour rye soup with boiled potatoes |
| Main dish | Breaded pork cutlet | Fried chicken | Beef stew |
| Starchy side | Boiled potatoes covered in gravy | French fries | Pearl barley |
| Vegetable side | Salad of sauerkraut and shredded carrots | Lettuce dressed with sour cream | Salad of brine-pickled cucumbers and onion |
| Dessert | Apple cake powdered with confectioner's sugar | Yeast cake with fruit topping | Cheesecake |
Source: AD/mp/WP Kuchnia (2015). "Ile kalorii ma tradycyjny polski obiad?" [How many calories does a traditional Polish dinner have?]. WP Kuchnia (in Polish). Wirtualna Polska Media. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
At a table, with fork and knife.[1] Poles have developed a great reverence for food, especially bread, and wasting it is considered sinful. An old tradition demands that a morsel of bread that has fallen on the ground be picked up and kissed. Eating at a table in a hat is considered disrespectful. It is customary to wait until all seats at a table have been taken before proceeding to eat. A Pole will typically begin a meal by wishing the others gathered at the table smacznego ("enjoy your meal") and conclude by saying dziękuję ("thank you") – thanking for the company rather than for the food.[2]
Gloger about eating bareheaded
| Polish | English |
|---|---|
| Restauracja | Restaurant |
| Gospoda, karczma | Inn |
| Naleśnikarnia | Crêperie |
| Pierogarnia | Pierogi bar |
| Kawiarnia | Café |
| Ciastkarnia | Patisserie, Konditorei |
| Bar mleczny | Greasy spoon |
| Stołówka, jadłodajnia | Cafeteria |
| Szynk, bar, knajpa, pub | Bar, public house |
| Smażalnia | Fish-and-chip shop |
| Mała gastronomia | Food booth, hole in the wall |
| Budka z piwem | Beer kiosk |
Hospitality in Polish proverbs:
Cereals and pseudocereals:
Root vegetables have been a Polish staple since times immemorial. They include the turnip, radish, parsnip, onion, celeriac, rutabaga, carrot, beetroot, and parsley. The leafy parts of the latter two are also used. Potato, which only gained popularity in Poland at the end of the 18th century, is now the country's predominant tuber vegetable. Legumes, such as white beans, runner beans, broad beans, green beans, peas, and lentils, also count among the nation's most popular vegetables. Cabbage – white, red, and to a lesser extent Savoy – is Poland's principal leaf vegetable; others include lettuce, Brussels sprouts, spinach, sorrel, and – now somewhat forgotten – kale. Cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, and pumpkin are widely used in Poland, as are cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, leek, rhubarb, and asparagus.
Polish orchards provide an abundance of fruits, such as apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, sweet and sour cherries, as well as black and redcurrant. Strawberries, gooseberries, quince, and watermelons are also grown domestically. The undergrowth of Polish forests is a rich source of various berries, including woodland strawberries, raspberries, bilberries, lingonberries, and blackberries. Cranberries, elderberries and blueberries are also employed in Polish cuisine. Local climate is not suitable for citrus fruits, but lemons and oranges have been imported for centuries and have found numerous uses in Polish kitchens. Assorted nuts and dried or candied southern fruits, known collectively in Polish as bakalie, are used liberally in the preparation of many Polish cakes and desserts. These include hazelnuts and walnuts (both grown domestically), almonds, raisins, dried figs and dates, as well as candied citrus peels. Roasted chestnuts, once sold in the Polish streets, have become largely forgotten, but are still used in some Polish recipes for turkey stuffing.
Mushroom hunting is one of favorite family pastimes in Poland and wild mushrooms are used to enhance the flavor of many a Polish dish, soup or gravy. The cep (king bolete, penny bun) is the most prized mushroom species, known commonly in Polish as prawdziwek, or "the real mushroom". Despite the Polish saying, lepszy rydz niż nic ("a saffron milk cap is better than nothing"), Lactarius deliciosus is another choice mushroom, as is the chanterelle. Dozens of other edible mushroom species are picked as well. Among the most popular are the bay bolete, birch bolete, red cap, buterball, bare-toothed rusula, yellow knight, meadow mushroom, parasol mushroom, honey mushroom, oyster mushroom, and morel. Wild mushrooms are easily preserved by drying, pickling or brine-curing. The cultivated button mushroom is also widely used, but it is not the first thing the Poles call to mind when they think of grzyby (mushrooms).
As with any national cuisine, the distinctive character of Polish cooking is largely defined by the spices and herbs that are used for seasoning. Next to black pepper, Poland's most popular seasoning is probably marjoram, wich is used to flavor pork, water fowl and game dishes, as well as certain kinds of soups, stews, pâtés, and sausages. Allspice – known in Polish as ziele angielskie, or "English herb" – and bay leaves are used extensively in Polish soups, stews, sauces, marinades, pickling, and various savory dishes. Onion, garlic, and horseradish are also widely used. Juniper berries are mostly used to tone down undesirable off-flavors of game or mutton dishes. Caraway fruits are often sprinkled on sauerkraut, pork, and rye bread; they may be also used when making various sausages and sauces, and even caraway soup. Mustard seeds are widely used in pickling vegetables and mushrooms, and to season meats and sauces. Saffron, once among the most desirable spices of Old Polish cuisine – is still occasionally used to add a rich golden color and a soft mellow taste to soups, rice, and egg breads. Ground paprika, mild or hot, may be used to add color and flavor to various dishes, although in smaller quantities than in Hungarian cuisine. Savory is used, especially in the region of Greater Poland, to season legumes and meat dishes. Crushed poppyseeds are widely used in Polish cakes and desserts – especially those associated with Christmas; whole poppyseeds, as well as black cumin, may be sprinkled on bread and rolls. Other popular spices include capers, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. Dill is the most widely used garden green in Polish cuisine. It is commonly used in poultry stuffing, soups, and sauces or sprinkled over salads and boiled potatoes. Parsley leaves and chives enjoy similar popularity and are used in analogous ways. Other garden greens worth mentioning include lovage, chervil and garden cress – not to be confused with water cress, which most Poles would consider unfit for human consumption.
| 1. Szyja (neck) 2. Karkówka (chuck steak) 3. Rozbratel (rib steak) 4. Antrykot (entrecôte) 5. Polędwica (tenderloin) 6. Rostbef (short loin) 7. Ogon (oxtail) | 8. Goleń (shank) 9. Udziec (round steak) 10. Łata (flank steak) 11. Szponder (plate steak) 12. Mostek (brisket) 13. Łopatka (clod) |
Polish cuisine has developed numerous kinds of sausages, pâtés, and smoked meats that are widely appreciated also outside Poland itself. Although such products are now commercially available in large quantities, home sausage-making and meat curing remains popular in rural areas.[4] Due to Polish climate, smoking, rather than drying, is the preferred method of meat curing. In fact, the very word wędliny, or the Polish equivalent of charcuterie (cured meats), derives from the verb wędzić, "to smoke-cure". Hardwoods, such as oak, beech, alder, maple, linden, pear, apple, cherry, or plum, are best fitted for smoking, juniper being the only coniferous exception.[5]
Tender, juicy and pink pork parts, such as ham, shoulder or loin, seasoned with pepper, allspice, cloves, bay leaves, and garlic, and then cold or warm-smoked for weeks, have been Polish favorites for centuries. Ham may be additionally cured in beer to produce szynka piwna. Baleron (smoked pork shoulder) and polędwica wędzona (smoked pork loin) are typically encased in pork skin and tightly trussed with a cord before smoking. Smoked bacon, pork ribs, and hocks are also popular, as are smoked beef tongues. Smoked goose breasts (półgęski wędzone) are an Old Polish gourmet specialty.[6]
While in English the word "kielbasa" refers to a smoked garlicky pork sausage, in Polish kiełbasa is a generic term referring to any kind of sausage. That said, most of Polish sausages are made of ground pork or pork-and-beef mixture, and highly seasoned. The best known varieties, like wiejska ("country sausage") or krakowska ("Kraków sausage") are cold smoked-sausages made of ground pork and beef that can be stored for a long time. Traditionally, wiejska is made using pork intestines as casings, while krakowska is made of larger middle beef intestines. Seasonings inlcude salt, pepper, allspice, garlic, marjoram, and nutmeg. Other popular types of sausage include kminkowa, seasoned with crushed caraway seeds; pomorska ("Pomeranian sausage") – with paprika; juniper-smoked myśliwska ("hunter's sausage"); and kresowa ("Eastern Borderlands sausage") with meat cured in vodka or rum.
An all-pork sausage that is only hot-smoked for a short time and then simmered in hot water is what usually passes for "Polish kielbasa" in America.
Polish rivers and lakes have long provided an ubundance of fish and crayfish. Among the most popular freshwater or anadromous fish are the carp, bream, tench, pike, zander, perch, burbot, salmon, and trout. The Baltic Sea is home to such fish as the herring, sprat, cod, mackerel, and flounder. While fresh marine fish are only available in the the maritime region of Pomerania, salted herrings are a staple food throughout the country.
Extensive use of fermented milk products is characteristic feature of Polish cuisine. These include sour milk, sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk and whey. Soured heavy cream, or śmietana is often used as a cold topping and as an addition to soups, salad dressings, hot and cold sauces, casseroles, etc.[7] Poles generally classify cheeses into two categories: twaróg, or ser biały ("white cheese"), and ser żółty ("yellow cheese"). The former is a firm, but crumbly, curd cheese, while the latter refers to any aged rennet-set cheese, typically similar to Dutch, German, and Swiss cheeses like Tilsit, Gouda, Edam, and Emmentaler.[8]
Until the advent of expensive imported cane sugar and then domestically produced beet sugar, honey was the only sweetener available in Poland. It is still used extensively not only in making cakes and desserts, but is also added to hot beverages, cordials, vegetables, stews and roast meat. It is the principal ingredient of mead. The flavor and color of honey depend on the species of flower that bees obtained their nectar from; common varieties include linded honey, buckwheat honey, and rapeseed honey.
Recipies/entries in Strybel:
Polish cuisine knows a plethora of various soups, hot and cold, savory and sweet, from hearty peasant meals in a bowl to clear gourmet broths. These are consumed in Poland on a daily basis, typically as the first dish of a dinner. Most of the hot savory soups are based on a stock of boiled fresh or smoked meats (pork, chicken, beef or veal) and vegetable. The usual soups greens, known as włoszczyzna, or "Italian stuff", is a mix of carrots, celeriacs, parsley roots, leeks, and sometimes also Savoy cabbage. The stock is typically seasoned with peppercorns, allspice, and bay leaves. Strained and served over noodles with chopped carrots retained from the stock, and sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley leaves, it may be a soup in itself, known in Polish as rosół. Countless other soups may be cooked, depending on additional ingredents mixed into the stock. Some of the national favorites include the mixed vegetable soup, tomato soup, wild mushroom soup, cauliflower soup, dill soup, potato soup, caraway soup, leek soup, split pea soup, bean soup, lentil soup, and thick onion soup. Meatier soups include the spicy tripe soup (flaczki) and oxtail soup. Red borscht (barszcz czerwony) is a ruby-colored broth of fermented beetroot juice. The hearty East Slavic variation of this soup is known in Poland as barszcz ukraiński, or "Ukrainian borscht". A related tangy soup of Polish origin is the white borscht (biały barszczorżurek) made from soured ryemeal. Dill pickle soup (ogórkowa) made from brine-cured cucumbers, sauerkraut soup (kapuśniak) and sorrel soup are also on the tart side. Krupnik is a Old Polish classic of boiled barley and vegetables.
beer soup (polewka piwna), fish chowder (rybna), crayfish soup (zupa rakowa)
