Polish Food Recipes

It is easy to place Polish food recipes in the categories for Eastern and Central European cuisines. The recipes reflect Poland's history where influences have come from other cultures of Europe and Asia that have been present in Polish history. Thus they have many similarities with among other Turkish, German and Russian cuisines. Lets start with some history.

A Brief History
For a long time Poland has been involved in the big politic happenings of Europe. When Christianity was adopted in the year 966 AD, under the rule of Mieszko I, it is considered to be the beginning of Poland as an entity on its own. It was then inhabited by Pagan Slavic tribes. Poland remained, later together with Lithuania, autonomous until 1795 when it was divided between Prussia, Russia and Austria. Napoleon re-declared Poland's independence but it was as short lived as the career of Bonaparte. Following the First World War, Poland was declared sovereign again in 1918. This ended when Nazi Germany invaded in 1939, when the war ended in 1945 it had been to a large extent destroyed and the population had suffered immensely; the large Jewish population in particular. After the war the actual territory was moved towards the West, what Soviet took in the East they gained from Germany in the West. It came under Soviet influence and part of the Eastern block as a communist People's Republic. This lasted until 1990 when the Third Republic was announced after the communist rule had been over thrown. Today it has a functional market economy and is a member of the European Union. To this brief summary I must add that Poland has been involved in many wars and was partly invaded and in coalition by and with many other European countries. This led to an extensive cultural exchange that is quite visible when analyzing Polish food recipes. The cultural entities that have influenced most are probably Russia, Germany, Turkey, France, Austria and Hungary.

Polish Cuisine
Polish food recipes are quite typical for Eastern and Central Europe. Root vegetables like rutabaga, potatoes, carrots and beets are often combined with various types of meat. Dairy products are in ample use, so is cabbage and peas. The food is quite spicy. Common cereals are wheat, rye and barley. A lot of the cuisine has initially been introduced by the upper classes, sometimes as a fashion and other times as the consequence of intermarriage. For these reasons there is a French and Italian twist to many dishes. Poland also have seen large scale immigration, people from Armenia, Hungary, Germany, Russia and Lithuania all brought their traditions and foods. Bread in many varieties, most of the time made from rye or wheat flour, is eaten with most meals. There are many varieties of spicy and smoked sausages. Noodles are quite popular. Like all over the world, fast food is growing in popularity and creating health problems, to this there have been counter reactions that strive for healthier eating habits.

Some Foods And Dishes Of Poland

Smietana A fatty sour cream.
Pierogi Filled dumplings.
Czernina Famous soup based on duck blood and stock.
Golabki Cabbage rolls filled with meat, vegetables and rice.
Kielbasa A collective name for sausages.
Grochowka Pea soup.
Kaszanka Blood sausage.
Bigos A stew with sauerkraut and meat.
Kotlet schabowy Breaded meat, very similar to a 'Wiener Schnitzel'.
Gulasz A meat stew with vegetables, include red bell peppers. Hungarian origin.
Golonka Pork knuckle traditionally served with horseradish.
Flaki Beef tripe soup.
Sekacz A pyramid sweet cake enjoyed at festive occasions.
Paczki Is a doughnut filled with fruit jam.
Knedle Potato dumplings filled with fruit.
Chlodnik A cold beet soup with yogurt and sourcream.
Shalka Sweet wheat bread of Jewish origin.

Polish Beverages
Vodka, or wodka as it is called in Polish, have possible origins here, there are many spiced varieties. The Eastern European kompot is a cold fruit drink popular in the summer.

Submitted Polish Food Recipes
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