12 Jan 7 Traditional Polish Dishes And Where To Find Them In Krakow, Poland
At the end of last year, we managed to tick off our 75th item on our Wanderlist by visiting my Motherland a.k.a. my family’s home country – Poland. For those of you following along regularly on Instagram (hey fammmm!!) you might remember me teaching you how to make Pierogis that one time? Or you might remember how I forced Stevo to try all the amazing foods I ate as a kid (ok, “forced” is probably not the best word, as he did so willingly)?
Well, if you’re not part of our Insta Crew (why on Earth not?!), and you did not know that Polish cuisine made up 99% of my diet as a kid, then – SURPRISE! Let me use this opportunity to not only share some of my recommendations for restaurants to visit in Krakow (arguably Poland’s most charming city), and some recipes in case you’re feeling inspired to bring Poland into your kitchen while you save up for the trip, but also to share our latest vlog with Stevo’s honest and transparent reactions to some of the toughest-to-pronounce-for-non-Polish-speaking-folk dishes, that I absolutely loved when I was growing up.
#FunFact Did you know that Krakow is the world’s most concentrated bar city in the world!? Try remember that the next time you’re planning a trip with friends!
Best Restaurants In Krakow Serving Traditional Food
The best place for PIEROGI: Przypiecek
They sell the Polish staple, pierogi (a delicious type of hand-made dumpling, often stuffed with meat, cabbage, cheese or fruit), and they sell it 24 hours a day. Don’t think I need to convince you any more why you should visit this place (at any time of day, of course).
Find it here
Image: @evelynlingg
The best place for PACZKI: Gorące Pączki
If I told you that you couldn’t find a tastier doughnut (FYI pączki are doughnuts), filled with a chocolate créme or raspberry marmalade or Ferrero Raffaello coconut cream, anywhere else in the world, would you believe me? Well I hope so, because I’m going to claim it.
Find it here
Image: @damianrobizdjecia
The best place for BIGOS and SWEET PIEROGI: Polskie Smaki
Telling you that we ate here everyday would not be an exaggeration. We ate here every single day during our trip, because the food was that good, and the price tag was that attractive. I’m only recommending it for bigos and the fruit-filled pierogi, but anything at this self-service restaurant would be amazing.
Find it here
Image: @magazynkuchenny
The best place for BARSZCZ and ZUREK: Kuchnia U Babci Maliny
Whether you’re after the red beetroot soup (always eaten on Christmas Eve) known as barszcz (what the Russians would also call borscht), or if you prefer the lighter cousin and what tourists often call “white barszcz” – more formally known as żurek – then you should visit this spot.
Find it here
Image: @anna_czy
The best place for MAKOWIEC: Zabarowscy
Ok I’m not going to lie. These guys (and almost all the bakeries and patisseries in Krakow…probably all of Poland) are spectacular, and you can’t go wrong, no matter which one you choose, and what you order. The Polish just seem to have their passion and skills for baking waxed, so please enjoy (and do give the poppy-seed cake, makowiec, a try – it’s delicious).
Find it here
Image: @nutritune
The best place for KIELBASA: 14 Grzegórzecka
Ok, this isn’t so much a restaurant, as it is a phenomenon, but there is a guy roasting fresh sausages over a flame, every night between 8pm and 3am. It sounds strange, and you might be skeptical, but after you see the queue (and taste the sausage – apparently) you’ll understand why it is the best place in town to get kiełbasa (Polish sausage).
Find it here
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdTjyF-FNiG/?taken-by=original_sam_crow
Image: @original_sam_crow
Now! If you’re not planning to visit Poland any time soon, but you’d still like to experience some Polish deliciousness, because the vlog made your mouth water a little, I went ahead and found some easy recipes which you can try at home, but please note: all these dishes are not vegan, so if after reading last week’s blog post about my pro-vegan ways you’re a little confused, let me just clear the air and say that this was a naughty trip for me, where I cheated (a few times) and was a bad vegan…or as I have come to call myself, a Travel Vegan. Hope you can forgive me, but I missed my Mom’s cooking and couldn’t resist Poland’s cuisine. I’m also very well aware that most of our readers are not vegans, so hey, this one’s for you!
Easy Recipes For Traditional Polish Food
Pierogi
The staple; the little treasure packed with a whole variety of goodness; and my reason for living when I was 6 years old, pierogi could be the best thing ever invented. There seem to be loads of recipes online (go figure) but I found this one because it was closest to my Mom’s recipe (and Mom knows best). Get the recipe for the dough here and try these different fillings
Pączki
I’m not going to lie – it’s going to be tough to master the art of pączki-making, but give it a shot as it will be well worth it if you crack it. Also, don’t forget to invite us over when you do make them #thanksinadvance. Get the recipe here
Bigos
Polish Hunter’s Stew. That interesting invention filled with sausage, meat, cabbage, mushrooms, and red wine is a popular main, but can also be eaten as a side dish (as it was often eaten in my home). It’s quite hearty, so keep it for a chilly day. Get the recipe here
Barszcz
An acquired taste for sure, but definitely worth trying. You can eat it hot, or cold, plain or with a dollop of sour cream. My family also always ate it hot, with a hard boiled egg inside, or with meat-filled dumplings known as “uszka” to make it a more substantial meal. Get the recipe for the soup here and for the dumplings here
Makowiec
Lastly, fill your afternoon with tea and many slices of the traditional poppy-seed roulade known as makowiec. Get the recipe here
To end this post, I thought I’d share a pic of me and my Dad exploring the forests of Zakopane (not too far away from Krakow, if you ever felt like you needed some snowy wilderness to walk off all the pierogi you ate)
CC
Didn’t get enough from this post? You can find us on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, search for #HowFarFromHome somewhere on the line, or buy one of our creations from our online store.
Michael
Posted at 14:30h, 25 JanuaryI’ve been in Poland only once – in Warsaw. The capital city is huge and it nearly impossible to see everything during just one weekend. Im always spending a part of trip time on checking the restaurants and pubs, so I visited https://restauracjaakademia.pl/. It’s been suggested to me to my best friend, who has been there before. Really nice food. I’ve always wanted to try real polish food and I wasn’t disapointed. 🙂 I recomend it to anyone.
howfarfromhomeblog@gmail.com
Posted at 19:03h, 25 JanuaryAh, that’s so great! Thanks so much for the recommendation 🙂