LibGuides: Polish Language: Cuisine (2024)

FAQs

What is typical Polish cuisine? ›

Complementary traditional Polish farmers food (bigos stew, pierogi dumplings, gołąbki cabbage rolls, skwarki cracklings) Various kinds of Polish kielbasa. From the top down: biała, kabanos, wiejska with mustard. Oscypek, a Polish smoked cheese and traditional food of the Goral people in the Tatra Mountains.

As medieval chronicles highlight, a typical Polish food is characteristically spicy, with lots of groats, cream, eggs, and meat. Traditional Polish cuisine applied extraordinary amounts of seasoning as compared to other European cuisines. Juniper, nutmeg, and pepper were the mainly preferred food seasonings.

The most typical ingredients used in Polish cuisine are sauerkraut, beetroot, cucumbers (gherkins), sour cream, kohlrabi, mushrooms, sausages and smoked sausage.

We might start off with savoury kanapki (open sandwiches with a variety of toppings) or sweet kasza – this means “grains”, but it's essentially porridge – and move on to something warm, such as scrambled eggs, a typical Polish black pudding with buckwheat groats, or a sweet omelette.

A baked cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts in Poland, made primarily by using twaróg, a type of fresh cheese. Apple cake called szarlotka or jabłecznik is made from sweet crust pastry and spiced apple filling.

Borscht, or beet soup, are on the menu, along with mashed potato–stuffed dumplings called pierogi. You'll also find cabbage every which way, from stuffed rolls to a speedy egg noodle and bacon sauté. Kielbasa, the king of smoked sausages, is also a must.

The European Wood Bison, Zubr or Wisent (Bison bonasus) is the Official “National animal of Poland” respectively.

Also known as fresh kielbasa or Polish white sausage in the United States, it's primarily made with pork and sometimes a bit of beef and/or veal. The spices are similar to smoked Polish kielbasa and consist of salt, pepper, garlic, and marjoram.

Pierogi is undoubtedly Poland's most famous and simple comfort food. But after tasting one of these delicious filled dumplings, you're likely to find yourself craving more. Perogis can be cooked or fried; stuffed with meat, vegetables, cheese, fruit, chocolate; accompanied by a sour cream topping or just butter.

What is the Polish signature dish? ›

Beef roulade

There is no Polish cuisine without roulades (zrazy), which are prepared in two ways. Zrazy Zawijane (stuffed rolls of beef) are slices of meat (usually beef) that are rolled out and wrapped around a stuffing. There are also roulades of rolled meat stewed in gravy with onion or mushroom sauce.

Poles often start the day with meat or eggs. They commonly have what they call 'a sandwich', meaning a slice of bread topped with cold cuts or kiełbasa, or scrambled eggs. There can also be a side of dairy – either kefir, or quark cheese mixed with radishes. Sometimes marinated herrings will make an appearance.

From its world-famous cuisine to vibrant cities, Poland is praised by tourists for several reasons. It is full of scenic natural landscapes, captivating historic sites, cultural artefacts and much more. Poland has a rich history, culture and traditions and is home to 14 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.