Polish Cuisine

Polish food dates back to the middle ages.  Poland was one of the largest countries in the world and encompassed many regions with various culinary traditions.  Among these were German, Jewish and Hungarian.  Many of the foods we now consider to be Polish were foods of these other regions and were incorporated into the Polish culture.  During the period of the Communist occupation many of the traditional products were not available so new dishes evolved.    After World War II many of the products used in Polish dishes became available again but some of the newer dishes became part of the cuisine.

Polish foods tend to be very meaty and hearty.  They also like to use root vegetables.   Soups are a feature in most meals.  The use of grains and noodles are combined with meat and vegetables to make most of the meals.  A hunter’s stew called bigos is a combination of various meats, cabbage and mushrooms.  The golabki is made with ground beef and pork rolled in a cabbage leaf.  Most people refer to this dish as stuffed cabbage.  Kielbasa is a sausage that you can buy fresh or smoked.  I love fresh kielbasa when it has been cooked slowly and browned.  Smoked kielbasa needs some cooking to get it completely hot.  Another of my favorite dishes is the pierogi.  This is a dough filled with almost anything.  My favorite is ricotta cheese but it comes in sauerkraut, potato, mushroom etc.  Pierogi are served either steaming hot-boiled or fried.  

If you have never tried Polish food you are missing a real treat.   Restaurants serving this type of food are not easy to find unless you live in the Mid-West.  You can go on-line and order any of the foods I mentioned, but shipping can be expensive.  Some stores have these items in the frozen food area.    Give this food a try you will really enjoy the experience.