Poland Food and Drink

You've not really experienced Poland until you've had a plate of pierogi. Crescent-shaped and made from dough, they are a bit like ravioli in that they are stuffed with a whole range of fillings, including cottage cheese, potato and onion, minced meat, sauerkraut or even fruit, then fried or boiled.

There's much more to Polish food than its pierogi, however. A wide range of ingredients populate the kitchen here, including dill, marjoram, caraway seeds, wild mushrooms and sour cream, which is frequently added to soups, sauces and braised meats.

Soups play an important part at mealtimes and are usually rich and very thick. A staple soup is żurek made with stock, bacon, onion, mushrooms and sour cream, and is given a distinctive, almost sour taste with the addition of kwas, a kind of fermented rye flour. It's often accompanied by hard-boiled egg or kiełbasa (Polish sausage).

Main courses include fish dishes using trout, carp and herring, as well as stuffed cabbage leaves, pork chops and other heavy-going, meaty fare. Polish cuisine is also noticeable for its pastries; you'll find a wide selection in the cukiernia, a patisserie or cake shop. Poles traditionally wish each other smacznego, the Polish equivalent of ‘bon appetit’, at the start of a meal. They end it in a delightful way too – by saying thank you to one another!