User:Krystian55/Polish cuisine

Understand

History

Poles as people of fields created cuisine based mostly on cereals and to a lesser extent vegetables. As such many traditional dishes are made from various doughs for example pierogi, placki. Bread is also very important part of Polish cuisine. Outside of cereals, soups are common usually a combination of various vegetables with bread on the side. Meat was reserved for wealthy with duck and goose being the meat of choice, church promoted carp eating (as it owned fish ponds), while city dwellers would eat pickled herring.

19th century brought a wide change with potatoes which overtook various cereals, notably buckwheat and barley and tomato which would become common vegetable in many dishes. Pork slowly became more common and Polish cuisine acquired a lot of mostly meaty meals from German and French cuisine, a bit of tomato based dishes from Italian cuisine and to a lesser extent cereal based Russian dishes, mostly in fringe eastern parts of the country. Thus occupiers had important influence on Polish cuisine, with some of the most lasting being beer/vodka preference, with beer being stronger in germanized West and South while vodka in russified East.

War and communism brought retrogression in Polish cuisine with promotion of cereal dishes as meat was not very available, many dishes were forgotten during this relatively short period and restaurant culture pretty much disappeared being replaced by state-owned dining. Since fall of communism there is considerable interest in reviving these dishes, for example stuffed ducks. But also dishes not native to Polish cuisine from former German territory like pierniki of Bardo.

Polish cuisine has greatly changed since 1990s with some of traditional dishes taking a bit of a backseat and others being brought again to the spotlight. Also more global and ready made dishes are now more important in Poland, especially rice has greatly expanded its foothold often taking place of potatoes. Restaurant and fine dining has exploded in 2010s and there are many spots where you can try the best of world and traditional cuisine.

Vegetarians

Poland is quite easy for vegetarians and most restaurants these days have dishes for vegetarians marked on menu. There are many traditional dishes which are vegetarian or even vegan safe like pierogi ruskie and will be readily available even in deep countryside however they are often on sweet side and very low in protein as they are cereal-based. It may be tougher for vegans as often veganism is conflated with vegetarianism in Poland and may be better to ask some additional questions while ordering food.

Meals

Breakfast

Śniadanie is first meal served usually between 07:00-10:00. It consists of sandwich (eaten open with bread only on the bottom), sometimes oatmeal or eggs may be present. Coffee is the beverage of choice.

Lunch

Obiad main meal of the day, traditionally served on 14:00 as a two-course meal with soup and main dish, though these days many people will skip on soup. Typical dishes on traditional Sunday lunch are Rosół or Chłodnik (in summer) as soup and Kotlet schabowy with beetroot/salad and potatoes as main dish.

Afternoon coffee

Podwieczorek optional meal, usually served on weekends 1-2 hours after lunch. A coffee and slice of cake is typical for this meal.

Dinner

Kolacja optional small meal similar to breakfast eaten at 18:00-19:00, some families prefer to eat their lunch at this time. This meal is much more important during parties and celebrations (especially Christmas Eve) where it will probably turn into full lunch.

Ingredients

Meat

• Pork is the main meat of Polish cuisine, often eaten fried, roasted or stewed, however it is most important as base ingredient of many sausages and hams.
• Duck/Goose traditional meat of upper class, served on special occasions, often stuffed with fruits, usually roasted or stewed. Blood of these animals is often used as ingredient in Czernina
• Chicken often used as replacement of pork, however on its own it is important part of Rosół

Staples

• Bread eaten on breakfast and rarely also on lunch (usually as a side to a soup) and dinner. Usually based on rye dough, rarely on wheat.
• Potatoes usual side served to main dish. Eaten boiled or roasted, sometimes served puree. Replaced buckwheat and other cereals in most dishes in 19th century.
• Buckwheat similar role to potatoes, often preferred if meat is shattered in parts
• Cabbage part of many dishes and most salads, often replaced by red cabbage or pickled into sauerkraut
• Onion indispensable part of most lunch dishes and sometimes it can find its way in the soup or on sandwiches
• Apple often found in cakes, pies, but also as part of salads and certain meat dishes

Extras

• Vegetables, including beetroot, cabbage and cucumber
• Mushrooms
• Dairy, especially smetana, butter and yoghurt

Dishes

Polish cuisine traditionally discerns dishes on meat, half-meat and non-meat (usually sweet) for main dishes. Soups, sides and confectionery are treated separately.

Soups

• Barszcz czerwony
• Chłodnik litewski
• Czernina
• Grochówka
• Flaki
• Kapuśniak
• Krupnik
• Pomidorowa - tomato soup, usually made on Rosół leftovers.
• Rosół - chicken (rarely pigeon) bouillon with carrots and parsley served with short pasta. Staple of Sunday lunches.
• Żurek

Pierogi

• Pierogi ruskie
• Kartacze (cepelins)
• Kluski leniwe
• Kluski śląskie
• Pampuchy

Meat

• Bigos (hunter stew)
• Golonka
• Gołąbki - meat (usually chicken) with buckwheat or rice rolled in cabbage leaf and dipped in tomato sauce.
• Goulash
• Stuffed duck/goose
• Rolada/Zraz (wołowy) - small pieces of meat (usually beef, rarely pork) rolled over bread, pickled cucumbers and ham.
• Kotlet schabowy - pork cutlet similar to Wiener schnitzel, usually served with potatoes and sauerkraut. Known since 19th century, however it was greatly popularized during 1970s as part of bar mleczny subsidized menu.
• Kotlet mielony
• Kaszanka - blood sausage made with pork organ meat (usually liver), blood and buckwheat. Often served with sauerkraut or onions. Quite savoury, some may even consider it bitter.

• Carp
• Roasted trout

• Kotlet de'volaille - (aka Chicken Kiev) is a staple of Polish restaurants and often a proxy for quality of dining with good chicken Kiev being indicator of overall good service. While it is actually taken from Russian cuisine it probably found greater success in Poland than at its place of origin.

Non-meat

• Crepes
• Mizeria - salted and dried cucumbers in yoghurt/smetana, dish from French cuisine
• Vegetables a la polonaise - any vegetable sprinkled with roasted butter with bread crumbs. Fat.
• Placki ziemniaczane - milled potatoes fried on a pan, usually served sweet with smetana or sugar.
• Racuchy

Confectionery

• Faworki
• Makowiec
• Pączek
• Piernik

Beverages

Non-alcoholic

• Coffee
• Kompot
• Maślanka
• Tea

Alcohol

• Beer
• Grzaniec
• Mead
• Nalewka
• Vodka

If you are someone's guest

• Be aware that Polish hosts tend to be overly modest and will often tell/allow you to do stuff they do not really want as a hospitality gesture. Some of these gestures you need to look out for:
  • it is customary to take off shoes when entering house. There is usually separate room or space on hall for these. Host will customarily tell you to not take shoes off which you are expected to refuse (often several times).
  • when leaving you should help your host, take whatever dishes you used and bring them to kitchen or other place for cleaning. Host will customarily tell you to leave them alone, but you are expected to bring them to kitchen. Extra points for you if you clean them, but you do not have to.

• Host usually takes care of the party (except for alcohol) and you are expected to either provide a gift or host another party in the future of reasonable value (not necessarily the next, simply invite host to some party in the future). If you fail to do so, you may be not invited next time and host is unlikely to tell you the real reason.
• If you drink alcohol you should bring some with you. Bring amount you expect to drink or more so that other party members do not feel cheated on.
• It is in good taste to be a little (5-10 minutes, not 15 or more minutes) late to the party (especially informal one) to allow host to finish preparations on time. However closest guests/relatives should arrive first, preferably in time.
• If you arrive early, try to help your host, usual activities are bringing plates and cutlery to the table, moving tables, chairs and other heavy furniture or finishing decorations
• In formal setting (family meeting, major celebrations) host begins eating and you should never start before. If party members are more religious it may be also preceded by a prayer. Try to not hurry up with eating as you will be usually eating all night.

Going out

There is not much of a going out culture in Poland and people prefer to party at home, however there are still many options for eating outside home and some events, especially family gatherings can happen in a restaurant.

Customs

• There is not much of culture around who should pay for dining. Usually host pays for food, however in larger gatherings multiple family heads may pay for their part of family.
• It is rare to split a bill if there is less than 6 people at table.
• Tip is either 10% or rounded to next large number usually related to banknote nominals (eg. if you have to pay 238 zł you give 250 zł).
• Restaurant owners will usually appreciate if you pay with cash though card payment is also possible. Bad establishments will look down on you if you try to pay with cash.
• Table picking and service is highly variable between restaurants
• Restaurant visit will often be followed by home visit for afternoon coffee. Yes, going out is often just a part of the party not its substitute unlike in many cultures.

Establishments

• Bar mleczny dying type of eating place, probably the cheapest place to eat something if you are on very tight budget. There are very few of these remaining and generally offer poor quality of food due to low turnover. However the prices tend to be low, especially for subsidized non-meat dishes (usually various pierogi and placki).
• Bistro successor of bar mleczny, a little bit more expensive, but pretty much ubiquitous in entire Poland. Other names include bar and kuchnia. These serve okay quality and generally cheap Polish food. Most common in suburbs and office parks, but may not be present in large city centres.
• Food stall ("buda z jedzeniem") often a truck or caravan located somewhere on street or parking lot serving fast-food or confectionery. Usually rather cheap and not too great quality. Typical foods include grochówka, roasted chicken or zapiekanka on savoury side and ice cream, waffles, kołacz on sweet.
• Kebab locations selling doner kebab took Poland by the storm and are especially popular among people on hangover and football fans. Good way to fill your stomach on cheap with something fat. Often quite unhygenic as doners (meat) lay on the floor and staff tends to be foreign not knowing both English and Polish.
• Restaurant typical location for going out. Most Polish restaurant gravitate towards rustical, highlander style with lots of wood making for a cozy vibe. Another common variant is renovated manor which usually is more high-end and cater to weddings and other expensive parties. You can expect to have waiter service and many dishes from Polish cuisine. Most expensive of the bunch. Restaurants in larger cities may serve foreign cuisine.
• Smażalnia ryb restaurant usually serving roasted trout from local pond with chips and sometimes a salad. If it is located on coast it may serve more types of fish, though note that these will be frozen fish, not fresh. On expensive side, however you can expect large portions. Prices will often be shown per 100g which can create a feeling of being cheap when it's actually not.
• Viet-Thai thanks to large Vietnamese diaspora there are a lot of establishments where you can eat Viet-Thai food. Usually very large portions and cheap, also simliar to kebab often unhygenic with dirty kitchens.
• Zajazd trucker bars, something between restaurant and a bistro often located on busy main roads. Dishes here tend to be larger and more meat-heavy with a bit lower prices. They experienced a bit of decline since expansion in highway network, however can still be found if you are on a road.