Poland

What to eat in Poland: top 10 dishes

Traveling to Poland? These are the ten dishes it is best known for, from everyday staples to festive classics, with a short background and a tip on where and when to eat each one. Ranked by how widely they are known around the world.

01
Bigos
Bigos, or hunter's stew, is a Polish dish of chopped meat of various kinds stewed with sauerkraut, shredded fresh cabbage and spices. It is served hot and can be enriched with additional vegetables and wine.
Travel tip A winter favorite found in traditional restaurants and home kitchens, and it is often better reheated the next day. Eat it with rye bread.
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02
Pierogi
Pierogi are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a filling and cooking in boiling water. They are occasionally flavored with a savory or sweet garnish.
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03
Zapiekanka
A zapiekanka is a toasted open-face sandwich made of a sliced baguette or other long roll of bread, topped with sautéed white mushrooms, cheese and sometimes other ingredients, such as ham.
Travel tip A popular street snack sold from small stands and kiosks, often late at night. Pick your toppings and add ketchup or sauce on top.
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04
Cabbage soup
Cabbage soup may refer to any of the variety of soups based on various cabbages, or on sauerkraut and known under different names in national cuisines. Often it is a vegetable soup, with lentils, peas or beans in place of the meat.
Travel tip Warm soups based on cabbage or sauerkraut are common in cold months at home and traditional restaurants. Try the sour version, kapuśniak, with bread.
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05
Cold borscht
Cold beet soup is a cold summer soup found in the cuisines of Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine.
Travel tip A summer dish, served chilled in restaurants and at home. It is often eaten with boiled egg and potatoes, and it is sold under the name chłodnik.
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06
Uszka
Uszka, ushka or vushka are small dumplings (a very small and twisted version of pierogi) usually filled with flavourful wild forest mushrooms and/or minced meat.
Travel tip Small dumplings traditionally served in clear red borscht at Christmas Eve dinner. You may also find them in restaurants that serve traditional soups.
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07
Czernina
Czernina is a Polish soup traditionally made of duck blood and clear poultry broth. Rabbit or pig blood can also be used as alternatives. In English it can be called "duck blood soup".
Travel tip A traditional soup that is rarely found today, mostly in country-style restaurants or home kitchens. Ask locally if a restaurant serves it, as it is a specialty.
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08
Krówki
Krówki, literally a diminutive form of the Polish word for "cow," are Polish fudge, semi-soft milk toffee candies. When hand-made, they are hard and crispy on the outside, but the inside is more fluid than solid.
Travel tip Soft milk candies sold in shops, markets and supermarkets across Poland. They make an easy, light souvenir to bring home.
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09
Mizeria
Mizeria is a salad which originated in Poland and consists of thinly sliced or grated cucumbers, often with sweet sour cream or kefir and vinegar, although in some cases oil.
Travel tip A fresh cucumber salad served as a side dish in summer, often with grilled meat or fried cutlets. It is creamy and cooling.
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10
Lazanki
Lazanki is a Polish, Russian, Lithuanian and Belarusian type of pasta.
Travel tip A home-style dish that you find in traditional restaurants and home cooking. It is often served with cabbage or other simple toppings.
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Description: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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