Bigos, Pierogi, Pączek anyone?

When I sat down to plan out what aspects of Poland I was going to write about for the purpose of this project, I didn’t plan on writing a post on Polish food. It’s such a generic topic, I thought. One can write a post on food no matter which country is being written about. But over the course of my reference for the rest of my posts, I realised just how intrinsic food is to various aspects of Polish life. The Polish love their food. And as it turns out, it’s not only the Polish who love it.

With a rich cuisine that varies from the simple to exotic, Poland is about as close to food heaven as you can get, especially for meat-lovers. By the look of it, there is much, much more to Polish cuisine than the sausages it is famous for, although sausages do form an important part of the

food. Polish food is not for weight-watchers, however. It is hearty, and uses a lot of cream and egg. It is rich in meat, especially pork, chicken and beef, and vegetables like beetroot, potato, cucumbers, sauerkraut, mushrooms along with sour cream and spices such as dill, caraway seeds, parsley etc. Soups form a very important part of polish cooking, with several varieties of soups being a part of the daily meal in Polish households.

The main meal in Polish households is eaten at about 2 p.m. or later and is usually composed of three courses. The first course comprises of a variety of soups, ranging from simpler variations such as hot cucumber soup (known as zupa ogorkowa), to the more elaborate varieties such as

the sour-tasting rye soup made with potatoes, sausage or egg, which is often eaten with bread (known as Urek).The more festive variation of soup is known as barszcz, which itself comes in multiple forms. Some of the more popular versions are either a thick sour wheat and potato starch soup sometimes had with cream or a clear red soup made from beetroot, garlic and mushroom and had with dumplings or a hard-boiled egg.The main course of the meal is all about the meat. Among the most popular Polish main dishes is the Bigos, also known as the ‘hunter’s stew’. It is said to be one of Poland’s national dishes, but doesn’t have one standard recipe as the preparation varies from household to household. Basically a stew of meat and cabbage, bigos can contain ingredients ranging from white cabbage, sauerkraut (kapusta kiszona in Polish), various cuts of meat and sausages, often whole or puréed tomatoes, honey and mushrooms. The meats may include pork (often smoked), ham, bacon, sausage, veal, beef as well as leftover cuts. Bigos is the dish for which the saying “some like it in the pot nine days old” seems to have been invented. Evidently, families prepare it days in advance as it is said to taste best at least

2-3 days after being cooked. Another typical polish dish is pierogi, which are basically dumplings stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese or fruit. A dish that is common to several Eastern European countries, Poland hasnonetheless made pierogi its own. The Polish version of the Pork cutlet, known as kotlet schabowy, is another favourite. Dessert is the regular fare of cakes, doughnuts, rolls and breads, although the Polish have lent each variety their own signature style. Babka is a raisin-covered, sugary cake, said to be very popular, while Pączek is a festive delicacy, which is basically a closed donut filled with rose marmalade or other fruit conserves. The Polish version of cheesecake however, is said to be to die for.

I can go on describing the various dishes that I have been told about and that I have read about, but the best way to experience any kind of food, is to sample it firsthand. As India unfortunately, doesn’t offer options for eating out Polish style, we’ll all have to bide our time till we can get ourselves to Poland and sample these delicacies firsthand. And after hearing and reading about all that culinary delights that Poland has to offer, I would say it is reason enough to plan that Polish vacation.