Polish cuisine

10.08.05, 04:57
I would really like to know what you guys think about Polish food. Being away
from home, you must miss your own favorite dishes and little joints you used
to visit once in a while. Do you find Polish food tasty, maybe a little too
rich?,strange looking ( think "flaki", kiszka, etc). What are your favorites
that can't be found in your own country!...???

Kylie smile
    • usenetposts Re: Polish cuisine 11.08.05, 00:40
      The food is one of the best aspects, although I miss pies, and vinegar on chips.

      One of the ideas I had, and I was discussing it with the Ambassador's butler,
      who runs the Englsih tea company, importing fine English teas into Poland, is
      to have a grocery store specialising only in things foreigners missed from
      their own homes and couldn't get here.

      Things like ovaltine, marmite, branston pickle, dried coriander leaf, malt
      vinegar, diet drinks other than coca light and diet pepsi.

      Interestingly there are Polish shops in London that do the reverse very well,
      although in north London you can get the same at the Jewish shops, as much of
      the Jewish food has a distinctly Polish appearance and flavour.

      Certainly Polish bread is better than our English bread, but sometimes that
      cotton wool stuff has its advantages, and I do like to have it occasionally.

      Also the range and quality of fruit juices here is extremely good.

      Herring is excellent here, and not obtainable easily in the same form in the
      UK, although most of the rest of Northern Europe has the matjes fillet.

      And of course the soups are extremely good. I would put a chlodnik liteski in
      the same class as a gazpacho any day, except that the gazpacho will cost 3
      times as much for a smaller portion.

      Smoked eel and smoked halibut which are regularly seen on supermarket shalves
      here cost a fortune in Britain and only very expensive stores like Harrods even
      stock them.

      But of course the wedliny take pride of place in the Polish kitchen. Little
      wonder that Poles in England find our sausages unpalatable. And of course the
      big shame is, many of our sausages are made in Poland now - but big buyers like
      Sainsburys make the producers like Animex follow the English recipes and stuff
      them full of cereals.

      Still, better than what Constar did, I suppose...
      • ianek70 Re: Polish cuisine 11.08.05, 10:27
        I agree about the soups, especially tomato, grochowa and cucumber, but anything
        home-made's usually excellent. And barszcz. Poles unfortunately haven't
        mastered lentils yet, so I always make huge pots of lentil soup and thick
        vegetable broth in winter.
        Making their bread healthy and tasty is also an inspired idea, don't know why
        they don't try it in Scotland. But why does Polish toast-bread come in such
        small slices? And sometimes I miss morning rolls, which are even fluffier than
        English ones, basically a thin crust with a space inside ideal for a burger or
        fried egg.
        Polish cakes are good, particularly sernik, drożdżówki and some of the weird
        things with apples, and not as plastic and fake-tasting as what you get from
        British bakery chains. And makówki, a traditional Silesian Christmas dessert
        with bread, poppy seeds, milk, raisins, etc.
        I miss tatty scones (thin potato pancakes you fry for breakfast), and whenever
        I'm in Scotland I stock up on caramel logs (biscuit things) and shortbread. On
        special occasions I make a huge clootie dumpling, which Poles think is weird
        and exotic.
        I agree about malt vinegar, too, as I recently started pickling eggs. We had a
        debate in the pub about pickling, and how the only things Poles don't pickle
        are the two things Scots do pickle - onions and eggs. Why pickle eggs, since
        they're not a seasonal vegetable? Because they're good with chips, or beer.
        Every Scottish pub has a huge jar of pickled eggs on the bar. Anyway, we
        compared ideas and a few weeks later everyone brought in their own jar of home-
        pickled eggs, Polish style.
        There should be chip shops here, and more Indian restaurants.
        I don't understand the obsession the English have with marmite. Don't they
        realise it's foul, horrible stuff? Every English person in Poland has jars of
        it stored in their cupboard, which they offer to horrified guests for breakfast.
        • usenetposts Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 02:08
          ianek70 napisał:

          > I agree about the soups, especially tomato, grochowa and cucumber, but
          anything
          >
          > home-made's usually excellent. And barszcz. Poles unfortunately haven't
          > mastered lentils yet, so I always make huge pots of lentil soup and thick
          > vegetable broth in winter.

          Lentils are usually not done too well, except for the dhal in the Curry club
          indian restaurant on Marszalkowska.

          But that's not Polish cuisine.

          > Making their bread healthy and tasty is also an inspired idea, don't know why
          > they don't try it in Scotland. But why does Polish toast-bread come in such
          > small slices? And sometimes I miss morning rolls, which are even fluffier
          than
          > English ones, basically a thin crust with a space inside ideal for a burger
          or
          > fried egg.

          The toast bread is based around the French idea of toast, rather than the
          British idea, which is why you wouldn't want to eat that bread without toasting
          it, as it is not moist enough.


          > Polish cakes are good, particularly sernik, drożdżówki and some of the weird
          > things with apples, and not as plastic and fake-tasting as what you get from
          > British bakery chains. And makówki, a traditional Silesian Christmas dessert
          > with bread, poppy seeds, milk, raisins, etc.

          Trus. Sernik wiedenski is a particularly favourite, as is kremowka szwedzka.
          However, although these things as as Polish as you like, they cannot help
          naming them after places that really have nothing to do with them.

          Another example is ryba po grecku, which I am informed has nothing to do with
          Greek cuisine. Certainly the way they present 'herbata po angielsku' has
          nothing to do with the way I would want a pot of tea brewed.


          > I miss tatty scones (thin potato pancakes you fry for breakfast), and
          whenever
          > I'm in Scotland I stock up on caramel logs (biscuit things) and shortbread.

          Now shortbread you can get in tescos, in Mory, but I can't say it's exactly the
          cheapest source of it.

          On
          > special occasions I make a huge clootie dumpling, which Poles think is weird
          > and exotic.
          > I agree about malt vinegar, too, as I recently started pickling eggs. We had
          a
          > debate in the pub about pickling, and how the only things Poles don't pickle
          > are the two things Scots do pickle - onions and eggs. Why pickle eggs, since
          > they're not a seasonal vegetable? Because they're good with chips, or beer.

          One thing they picklie here which are quite good and we don't have is pattisons.

          > Every Scottish pub has a huge jar of pickled eggs on the bar. Anyway, we
          > compared ideas and a few weeks later everyone brought in their own jar of
          home-
          > pickled eggs, Polish style.
          > There should be chip shops here, and more Indian restaurants.

          Yeah, I could kill for pie and chips some nights.
          I know a few good places for fish and chips, but it's not exactly the British
          way. The worst of the lot is that so-called London steak house on the corner of
          Aleje Jerozolimskie and Bracka, with that old phone box outside. It is so dire.
          they haven't got a clue about British food and are serving up the usual clarts
          under false pretences.


          > I don't understand the obsession the English have with marmite. Don't they
          > realise it's foul, horrible stuff?

          It's the growing up spread.

          I can say it is no more an acquired taste than herrings.

          I gre up on marmite. It is yeast extract, an excellent source of B vitamins.
          It's flavour is good if you use it quite sparingly, with plenty of butter, and
          it goes well with lettuce.


          >Every English person in Poland has jars of
          > it stored in their cupboard, which they offer to horrified guests for
          breakfast

          I've got a couple of jars of it, right here.

          My wife never puts in in my sandwiches, because she cannot stand the smell of
          it.
      • nasza_maggie Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 01:41
        usenetposts napisał:

        > The food is one of the best aspects, although I miss pies, and vinegar on
        chips
        > .
        >
        > One of the ideas I had, and I was discussing it with the Ambassador's butler,
        > who runs the Englsih tea company, importing fine English teas into Poland, is
        > to have a grocery store specialising only in things foreigners missed from
        > their own homes and couldn't get here.
        >
        > Things like ovaltine, marmite, branston pickle, dried coriander leaf, malt
        > vinegar, diet drinks other than coca light and diet pepsi.

        Ooh la la! A british butler! My my - Hiacytnh Bucket would approvesmile

        You can get small things like HP Sauce in Tesco. And also, there is a
        delicatessen in Arkadia which sells things you mentioned Davey.

        I miss Cadburys chocolate and choc chip cookies and salt&vinegar crispssmile))
        The Cadburys here tastes grizzly. But I guess nothing beats Ptasie Mleczkosmile)))
        • usenetposts Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 01:54
          Really? In Arkadia? I missed that one. YOu don't remember the name of it, by
          any chance?

          Was it really only 8 months ago I was at the opening of that place, with free
          food and drink all over the place?

          Fine evening that was. I probably put on 2 kg in one fell swoop.
          • nasza_maggie Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 02:04
            I don't remember but it catches your eye. There is a restaurant on its left
            hand side, and the shop is on the right.
            They do a good lasagnesmile
            • usenetposts Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 02:34
              nasza_maggie napisała:

              > I don't remember but it catches your eye. There is a restaurant on its left
              > hand side, and the shop is on the right.
              > They do a good lasagnesmile
              >

              Is it on the ground floor or up on the first floor?
              • nasza_maggie Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 11:01
                Ground floor. Opposite the carrefour I guesssmile
                • usenetposts Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 21:57
                  Thanks, Maggie.
    • waldek1610 Re: Polish cuisine 11.08.05, 06:35
      Well, it just happens that I grew up in Poland eating kanapki (sandwitches with
      cold cutts)washing it down with lots of hot tea, 6 cups daily minimum.
      Since I moved to US, and and especially when serving in military here, I got
      sick once after I ate the "Paprykarz" spicy and oily fish with pepers, that was
      brought by my family visiting while they were visiting.
      Well, although I used to eat this stuff all the time back in Poland as a kid, I
      got sick that time so bad I had to go to the Navy Hospital. I guess the truth
      is that Polish food is way too rich and after 4 years of eating mild american
      foods my stomach got used to this.
      Now, me and my polish wife eat more oriental,and other ethnic foods with some
      polish dishes.
      • kylie1 Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 03:55
        >Well, although I used to eat this stuff all the time back in Poland as a kid,
        I got sick that time so bad I had to go to the Navy Hospital.


        Did you belch and burb big wads of orange flames? smile
        I hope the medical officers knew they had a "Paprykarz case" on their hands. I
        am pretty sure they had been "Paprykarz" trained before.
        Aaah, those navy officers, they look so handsome in their blue uniforms!

        smile
        • waldek1610 Re: Polish cuisine 12.08.05, 12:17
          kylie1 napisała:

          > >Well, although I used to eat this stuff all the time back in Poland as a k
          > id,
          > I got sick that time so bad I had to go to the Navy Hospital.
          >
          >
          > Did you belch and burb big wads of orange flames? smile

          No, I remember I just felt so weak and dizzy, it was a food poisoning.
          Paprykarz has a curious combination of oil and spices soaked into the fish and
          rice and lots of pepers.

          > I hope the medical officers knew they had a "Paprykarz case" on their hands.
          >I am pretty sure they had been "Paprykarz" trained before.
          > Aaah, those navy officers, they look so handsome in their blue uniforms!
          >
          > smile
          Sure, but the Marine's Dress Blues look better!
    • bartis_ervin Re: Polish cuisine 11.08.05, 09:52

      In many ways Transylvanian cuisine is very similar to Polish, except fish of
      course. This is why I just love hering, salmon in every form. My favourite is
      smoked salmon which I ate in Prawda, a small place near Lodz. I guess I still
      find this salmon the best rather for sentimental reasons, after all it was my
      firstsmile

      We were in Ljubljana when my wife made me first time pierogi. Then I didn't like
      it (of course I didn't tell her then), but now I'm one of the biggest fan.

      Those who know Transylvanian and Hungarian cuisine understand why I miss raw
      sausage and a lot of spicy paprika. Thank God that Pick - Szegedi szalami is
      well known so I can find it here. I had some problems with finding good spicy
      paprika, eventually I managed, but in the meantime I started to grow some of my own.

      I haven't tried flaki yet (shame on me!), but there is something very similar in
      Hungarian cuisine too. Probably the only thing that I can't and won't eat is
      kasanka (probably the spelling is not ok), the bloody sausage (for British it
      might sound like a cursesmile) so rather the sausage with blood.

      Ervin
      • kylie1 Re: Polish cuisine 11.08.05, 20:57
        > I haven't tried flaki yet (shame on me!),...

        Don't feel bad about it. I wouldn't touch this thing with a ten foot pole even
        if you paid me to swallow it. I remember my father missed those things from
        Poland when he came here but I couldn't stand watching him eat it.A course
        of "flaki" is not very pleasing to the eye - hopefully it's more pleasing to
        the palate.smile
        I have never heard of marmite before. Dictionary says it's some type of a
        stewing pot or a small stew served in a tiny dish???. I am pretty sure I have
        never seen this here before.I asked my husband what he knew about it and with
        his deep culinary insight into things he said it must be in the same group as
        termites. So much for that tip...

        >Probably the only thing that I can't and won't eat is
        > kasanka (probably the spelling is not ok), the bloody sausage (for British it
        > might sound like a cursesmile) so rather the sausage with blood.

        And my father loved that too. On second thought, I kinda wonder what didn't he
        like...???
        I agree with you. It's a total turnoff for most people but it's supposedly
        really good. And good for you - if that doesn't boost up your red cell count, I
        don't know what else will...smile

        smile
        • ianek70 Re: Polish cuisine 11.08.05, 22:07
          kylie1 napisała:

          > > I haven't tried flaki yet (shame on me!),...
          >
          > Don't feel bad about it. I wouldn't touch this thing with a ten foot pole
          even
          > if you paid me to swallow it.

          Why would anyone pay you to swallow a ten-foot pole?

          > I remember my father missed those things from
          > Poland when he came here

          He only missed ten-foot Poles? Isn't that a bit size-ist?
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