What to Eat in Poland: Traditional Polish Foods Every Traveller Should Try

Poland has a rich food culture built around family recipes, regional traditions and hearty dishes that have been enjoyed for generations.

For travellers, Polish food can become an important part of discovering the country.

Whether you are visiting Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk or a smaller Polish town, there are several traditional dishes worth trying.

Pierogi

Perhaps Poland's best-known food is pierogi.

These dumplings can be filled with many different ingredients.

Popular varieties include potato and cheese, meat, cabbage and mushroom, while sweet versions can contain fruit.

They may be boiled, fried or served with toppings such as fried onion or sour cream.

Żurek

Żurek is a traditional sour rye soup.

It is commonly served with sausage and egg and has a distinctive flavour that makes it very different from most soups visitors encounter elsewhere.

It is especially associated with traditional Polish cooking and Easter celebrations.

Bigos

Often known as hunter's stew, bigos is made with cabbage or sauerkraut combined with meat and other ingredients.

Recipes vary considerably between families.

Like many traditional dishes, some people say it tastes even better after it has been reheated and the flavours have had more time to develop.

Gołąbki

Gołąbki are cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling usually containing meat and rice.

They are generally cooked and served with sauce.

The dish has the character of traditional home cooking and is familiar to generations of Polish families.

Kotlet Schabowy

Kotlet schabowy is a breaded pork cutlet and one of Poland's classic main meals.

It is often served with potatoes and vegetables or cabbage.

Travellers familiar with schnitzel will recognise some similarities, although it has its own place in Polish cuisine.

Placki Ziemniaczane

Placki ziemniaczane are Polish potato pancakes.

They are fried until crisp and can be served in different ways depending on the region and preference.

They may appear as a simple snack or as part of a larger meal.

Barszcz

Barszcz is Polish beetroot soup.

It may be served clear or accompanied by small dumplings known as uszka.

Barszcz is particularly important during traditional Christmas Eve celebrations, although it is enjoyed at other times of the year as well.

Polish Sausages

Poland has a long tradition of producing kiełbasa, or Polish sausage.

There are many varieties, from fresh and grilled sausages to smoked versions with distinctive regional flavours.

Visiting a Polish market or traditional restaurant can introduce travellers to styles they may never have encountered outside Poland.

Pączki

For something sweet, try pączki.

These traditional Polish doughnuts are filled, often with jam or other sweet fillings, and finished with icing or sugar.

They are especially popular around Fat Thursday, although they can be found throughout the year.

Sernik

Sernik is Polish cheesecake.

Polish versions are traditionally made using a type of farmer's cheese known as twaróg, giving the cake its characteristic texture and flavour.

Makowiec

Makowiec is a rolled poppy-seed cake traditionally associated with Polish celebrations and holidays.

Its distinctive filling and rolled appearance make it easy to recognise.

Discovering Poland Through Food

For somebody revisiting Poland, food can be one of the strongest connections with the past.

A bowl of soup, the smell of a bakery or the first bite of pierogi can bring back memories of family, previous journeys and places visited many years ago.

For somebody visiting Poland for the first time, those same dishes become new memories.

That is one of the wonderful things about travel.

Food connects places with people and moments.

When you find a dish you love in Poland, photograph it, record its name and remember where you ate it.

Add the experience to your TravelPassport.

Years later, a simple photograph of pierogi or a Polish bakery may bring the whole journey back.

TravelPassport — Keep your travels. Keep your memories. Keep your story alive.

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