Top 10 Polish Foods

Bigos, often called hunter's stew, is considered Poland's national dish, a slow-cooked combination of sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, various cuts of pork, beef, game meats, dried mushrooms, tomatoes, and spices that deepens in flavour with each reheating over multiple days. First documented in the 14th century at the court of King Wladyslaw II Jagiello, bigos was originally a luxury dish served at noble feasts and hunting parties. A traditional bigos recipe requires at least 5 different types of meat and cooks for 3 to 5 days, with recipes calling for the addition of a small glass of red wine or sliwowica plum brandy to concentrate the flavour.

Zurek is a sour rye soup made from a fermented rye flour starter called zakwas, typically served with hard-boiled egg, boiled potato, and kielbasa sausage, often presented inside a hollowed-out sourdough bread bowl for maximum theatrical effect. The soup is one of Poland's oldest documented dishes, with recipes appearing in medieval texts, and is particularly central to Easter traditions when it is served as the first hot meal to break the Lenten fast. The fermentation process for authentic zurek starter takes 3 to 5 days, and regional variations differ significantly: Malopolska-style includes marjoram while the Krakow variant is topped with a thick horseradish cream.

Kielbasa (Polish sausage) is a cornerstone of Polish cuisine, with over 100 regional varieties recognised by the European Union as protected geographical indications, including the famous Kielbasa Lisiecka from the Krakow region. It is made from pork, beef, or a blend, seasoned with garlic, marjoram, and pepper, then smoked over hardwood for distinctive flavour. Poland exports kielbasa to over 60 countries and the product holds enormous cultural significance in the Polish diaspora, particularly in the United States.

Barszcz czerwony (red borscht) is a deep crimson beetroot soup that is one of Poland's most visually striking and nutritionally rich traditional dishes. The Polish version is typically a clear, intensely flavoured broth served with uszka (small mushroom-filled dumplings) and is a centrepiece of the traditional 12-dish Christmas Eve (Wigilia) dinner. Beetroot cultivation in Poland dates back over 1,000 years, and the country remains one of Europe's largest beetroot producers.

Kotlet schabowy is Poland's equivalent of the Viennese schnitzel — a breaded and pan-fried pork loin cutlet that has been pounded thin, coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and fried in lard or oil until golden. It is the most commonly ordered meat dish in Polish homes and restaurants and is traditionally served with boiled or mashed potatoes and pickled cucumber salad (mizeria). Despite the growth of international cuisine, surveys consistently show kotlet schabowy remains Poland's favourite everyday dinner.

Gołąbki (literally "little pigeons") are cabbage rolls stuffed with a mixture of minced pork and beef, rice, and onion, then braised slowly in tomato sauce until tender. They are one of the most labour-intensive and cherished dishes of Polish home cooking, typically prepared in large batches for family gatherings and Sunday dinners. The dish has roots in 18th-century Polish cuisine and close analogues are found across the broader Slavic culinary tradition from Russia to the Balkans.

Makowiec is a traditional Polish poppy seed roll — a sweet, yeasted pastry spiral filled with a dense mixture of ground poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, raisins, and orange zest. It is one of the most important pastries in Polish culture, indispensable at Christmas and Easter celebrations, and its preparation is considered a mark of skilled baking. Poland is the third-largest poppy seed producer in the European Union, and the blue poppy seed (mak) used in makowiec has been cultivated in Polish soil for over 500 years.

Zapiekanka is Poland's beloved street food — an open-faced baguette toasted with mushrooms, melted cheese, and various toppings such as ham, onion, or corn, typically finished with ketchup and fresh chives. It originated in the communist era of the 1970s and 1980s when ingredients were scarce, and Krakow's Plac Nowy square in the Kazimierz district became the most famous zapiekanka destination in the country. It remains one of the cheapest and most popular late-night snacks in Poland, sold from small kiosks in every major city.

Oscypek is a smoked cheese made exclusively from salted sheep's milk in the Tatra Mountain region of southern Poland, crafted by highland shepherds (bacas) using techniques unchanged for over 500 years. It holds EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status and can legally only be produced between May and September when sheep graze on mountain pastures. The distinctive spindle-shaped cheese, decorated with traditional patterns, is typically grilled and served with cranberry jam in the highland culture of Zakopane.

Bigos, often called hunter's stew, is considered Poland's national dish, a slow-cooked combination of sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, various cuts of pork, beef, game meats, dried mushrooms, tomatoes, and spices that deepens in flavour with each reheating over multiple days. First documented in the 14th century at the court of King Wladyslaw II Jagiello, bigos was originally a luxury dish served at noble feasts and hunting parties. A traditional bigos recipe requires at least 5 different types of meat and cooks for 3 to 5 days, with recipes calling for the addition of a small glass of red wine or sliwowica plum brandy to concentrate the flavour.

Zurek is a sour rye soup made from a fermented rye flour starter called zakwas, typically served with hard-boiled egg, boiled potato, and kielbasa sausage, often presented inside a hollowed-out sourdough bread bowl for maximum theatrical effect. The soup is one of Poland's oldest documented dishes, with recipes appearing in medieval texts, and is particularly central to Easter traditions when it is served as the first hot meal to break the Lenten fast. The fermentation process for authentic zurek starter takes 3 to 5 days, and regional variations differ significantly: Malopolska-style includes marjoram while the Krakow variant is topped with a thick horseradish cream.

Kielbasa (Polish sausage) is a cornerstone of Polish cuisine, with over 100 regional varieties recognised by the European Union as protected geographical indications, including the famous Kielbasa Lisiecka from the Krakow region. It is made from pork, beef, or a blend, seasoned with garlic, marjoram, and pepper, then smoked over hardwood for distinctive flavour. Poland exports kielbasa to over 60 countries and the product holds enormous cultural significance in the Polish diaspora, particularly in the United States.

Barszcz czerwony (red borscht) is a deep crimson beetroot soup that is one of Poland's most visually striking and nutritionally rich traditional dishes. The Polish version is typically a clear, intensely flavoured broth served with uszka (small mushroom-filled dumplings) and is a centrepiece of the traditional 12-dish Christmas Eve (Wigilia) dinner. Beetroot cultivation in Poland dates back over 1,000 years, and the country remains one of Europe's largest beetroot producers.

Kotlet schabowy is Poland's equivalent of the Viennese schnitzel — a breaded and pan-fried pork loin cutlet that has been pounded thin, coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and fried in lard or oil until golden. It is the most commonly ordered meat dish in Polish homes and restaurants and is traditionally served with boiled or mashed potatoes and pickled cucumber salad (mizeria). Despite the growth of international cuisine, surveys consistently show kotlet schabowy remains Poland's favourite everyday dinner.

Gołąbki (literally "little pigeons") are cabbage rolls stuffed with a mixture of minced pork and beef, rice, and onion, then braised slowly in tomato sauce until tender. They are one of the most labour-intensive and cherished dishes of Polish home cooking, typically prepared in large batches for family gatherings and Sunday dinners. The dish has roots in 18th-century Polish cuisine and close analogues are found across the broader Slavic culinary tradition from Russia to the Balkans.

Makowiec is a traditional Polish poppy seed roll — a sweet, yeasted pastry spiral filled with a dense mixture of ground poppy seeds, honey, walnuts, raisins, and orange zest. It is one of the most important pastries in Polish culture, indispensable at Christmas and Easter celebrations, and its preparation is considered a mark of skilled baking. Poland is the third-largest poppy seed producer in the European Union, and the blue poppy seed (mak) used in makowiec has been cultivated in Polish soil for over 500 years.

Zapiekanka is Poland's beloved street food — an open-faced baguette toasted with mushrooms, melted cheese, and various toppings such as ham, onion, or corn, typically finished with ketchup and fresh chives. It originated in the communist era of the 1970s and 1980s when ingredients were scarce, and Krakow's Plac Nowy square in the Kazimierz district became the most famous zapiekanka destination in the country. It remains one of the cheapest and most popular late-night snacks in Poland, sold from small kiosks in every major city.

Oscypek is a smoked cheese made exclusively from salted sheep's milk in the Tatra Mountain region of southern Poland, crafted by highland shepherds (bacas) using techniques unchanged for over 500 years. It holds EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status and can legally only be produced between May and September when sheep graze on mountain pastures. The distinctive spindle-shaped cheese, decorated with traditional patterns, is typically grilled and served with cranberry jam in the highland culture of Zakopane.