TRADITIONAL POLISH FOOD: WHAT YOU REALLY SHOULD TRY

After visiting Poland, I realized that traditional Polish food deserves an exclusive post. Are you ready to gain a few pounds?? So let’s see what delicious dishes I tried and tested in this beautiful country.

Polish national dishes are very hearty, but, despite this, they are very tasty. Most Polish treats are meat dishes that are prepared in a variety of ways. Personally, I recommend trying soups, breaded pork, bigos stew, golabki, and pierogi.

In Poland, they bake excellent bread and make delicious sausage. Also very popular are various pickles made from cucumbers, cabbage, and tomato.

Every lunch and dinner began with soups! In Polish cuisine, there is a wide variety of soups. Mushroom soup (zupa Grzybowa) ?has become our favorite! Wherever we ate, the first dish we always had was this soup, however, each restaurant or cafe would prepare it a little different.

Sometimes during cool days in Greece – I still dream about this soup.

Another very popular soup is Zurek. This is an authentic Polish dish and in each region of the country it is prepared in its own way. The only thing that remains unchanged is the soup base, which is made from rye flour, fermented on rye crusts. There are other essential ingredients in Zurek: homemade pork sausage, often smoked and boiled egg.

Polish Flachki (flaczki), which has become a traditional Polish dish, is borrowed from Lithuanian cuisine as a result of the mutual cultural influence of the two countries. Boiled, and then steamed beef stomach which creates a thick soup texture. The meatballs in the soup, are created from either beef or pork liver, as well as dumplings and blood sausage, usually served with Flaczki.

READ MORE: “THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TRAVEL TO POLAND ON A BUDGET: PART 1 – KRAKOW ON A BUDGET”

The next dish that you should definitely try is Pierogi. For me, this is a familiar dish, since we also prepare them in Ukraine (vareniki). Although in Poland I was surprised by the various different varieties of Pierogi. You can choose meat, cabbage, fruit or sweet fillings, fried or boiled.

Bigos (a traditional meat stew) is one of the most famous dishes of national cuisine outside Poland. It is made from meat (pork) and sauerkraut, sometimes mushrooms and sausages are added, sometimes even rice – there are a lot of options. Very high-calorie dish, but worth trying.

Also, Poles like cabbage rolls (gołąbki) are stuffed with minced meat and rice, stewed in a light tomato sauce. Mushrooms and other ingredients can also be added to the filling (cereals, potatoes, etc.). Just delicious!

Polish plyatski or potato pancakes (placki ziemniaczane) – are prepared from raw grated or boiled and mashed potatoes, fried in butter and served with sour cream or apple sauce. Perfect replacement for fried potatoes.

Another popular restaurant hit that should definitely be tried in Poland is the duck with apples (Kaczka z jabłkami). Young farm ducks are marinated in mead, after which their meat becomes surprisingly tender and tasty. The second indispensable ingredient of the dish is the country’s main agricultural pride: Polish apples.

And of course the famous Polish sausages (kielbasa). They are very similar to the German bratwurst but much tastier! Prepared from several varieties of meat, sometimes with the addition of cereals or potatoes. There are many types of Polish sausages – garlic, marjoram, and other spices make them really special.

Golonka – pork leg in a Polish style. It is very similar to the Czech and German shank. In the process of its preparation beer is also involved. The Pork drumstick is first boiled and then baked in the oven, constantly pouring beer. The result is a tender meat and beer golden crust – an excellent combination.

If you prefer fish, I suggest trying zander (sandacz po polsku). One of the most popular dishes is the gastronomic combination of the three natural gifts of the generous Polish land. Delicate zander meat roasted in thin puff pastry with stewed chanterelle sauce and crayfish tails – this is how this top Polish dish is cooked in the best Warsaw restaurants. Since this is a lake fish uncertainly we don’t have it in Greece.

READ MORE: “THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TRAVEL TO POLAND ON A BUDGET: PART 2 – WARSAW ON A BUDGET“

Cheese. Try the excellent Oscypek cheese made by Polish highlanders! If you visit the ski resorts in Poland, be sure to try and grab this delicious sheep or goat cheese for your family and friends, which is prepared according to a unique recipe.

Do you still have room for dessert after such a meal?? Oh, don’t say “no!” ?- you have not seen and tasted them yet.? So, let’s start with cookies with jam (kolaczki), a wonderful cake, which is baked from shortbread dough (mazurka), a poppy seed pastry cake (makowiec), light-as-air pastries (chrusciki), tiny filled doughnuts (paczki), and of course the famous “Polish Babka (Grandma”! This cake is made from yeast dough: high shape poured on top with fruits, or chocolate, or creamy icing…just mouth watering.

And that’s not all! For sure, do not forget about the drinks during meals. Polish cuisine is created specifically to accompany it with vodka. Not a simple one, but special – Żubrówka. This vodka is a pleasant yellowish hue; it is drawn on the grass that the bison eat. As a result, the Poles get a very fragrant and slightly tart drink. Zubrovka, among other things, has a great effect on digestion, so it is imperative to drink it under fatty meat snacks.

Beer (Piwo). What is Poland without this intoxicating drink? In terms of beer consumption, Poland occupies a leading position not only in Europe but throughout the world. The tradition of Polish brewing is one of the oldest in the world.
Here is a list of the most popular beer brands in Poland:
✅Wojak
✅Okocim
✅Kasztelan
✅Zywiec
✅Warka Jasne Pelne
✅Harnas
✅Tatras
✅Zubr
✅Tyskie

WooHoo!!!! This list of dishes and drinks can be continued indefinitely.

What would you like to try, or what did you try and really like from traditional Polish food? Comment below! 🙂

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