About Polish food

Traditional Polish fare is a blend of Slavic influences, while it also shares roots with French and Italian cuisines. At the turn of the second millennium, root vegetables, wild mushrooms and coarse breads formed Poland’s basic food staples, but, over time, a variety of European influences began to appear.

When Italian Princess Bona Sforza became the Queen of Poland in 1518, she brought along her Italian court staff, who soon introduced ingredients previously unknown to the Polish, including tomatoes, lettuce, leeks, cauliflower and chives. Today, the Polish word (wloszczyna) for standard soup greens, including parsley root, celeriac, cabbage and leek, translates to "Italian stuff".

 

Poland’s relentless cold climate means soups play a key role in Polish meals. Barszcz, a bright red fermented beetroot soup, is often served with beans for festive occasions, as is Żurek, a soup made of sour rye flour and boiled meat. A hearty hunter's stew, bigos is the national dish of Poland, made from a combination of cabbage, mushrooms and various meats. Traditionally, the rich and dense stew is made from pork or Polish sausage, cooked over several days to intensify, but it can also contain venison or duck.

Cold beetroot soup (chlodnik).

Polish cuisine is also renowned for its distinctive dumplings, especially pierogi, dough filled with minced meat, brined cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes, onions or cottage cheese. Meanwhile, popular desserts include pastries and cakes, commonly made from yeast dough; including Polish doughnuts, paczki, stuffed with jam, chocolate or even liqueur.

 

But one of Poland’s most famous specialties is clear vodka, traditionally enjoyed neat, without ice or mixers. One of the most distinctive varieties is Żubrowka, known as bison grass vodka, where each bottle contains a blade of grass from Poland’s Białowieża Forest.

 

View our Polish recipe collection here.

Source: Chris Chen