Poland
Strudel Jabłkowy
A Polish apple strudel, thin pastry filled with apples, raisins, and cinnamon, baked until golden. A café and home dessert, sweet and tart, a national treat, served warm with vanilla sauce.
eastern-europe
Poland
Explore 176 foods connected to Poland, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
176 foods12 leading categories1 Essentials guides
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The local shortlist
Poland Essentials
15 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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Traditional foods from Poland.
176 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
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Poland
Szalot Slaski
Silesian warm potato salad with bacon and onion.
Poland
Szarlotka
Polish apple pie: a shortcrust cake filled with grated apples, cinnamon, and raisins, served warm with vanilla ice cream. A national dessert, sweet and tart, a café and home staple.
Podlasie, Lithuania
Tree Cake
Šakotis
A spit cake grilled layer by layer into a distinctive branching tree shape, a centerpiece of Lithuanian weddings.
Poland
Trójniak
A standard Polish mead, made with one part honey to three parts water, aged for months. A sweet, light, aromatic drink, a traditional mead, served warm or cold, a common variant.
Poland
Twaróg
Polish quark (farmer's cheese), a fresh, white, slightly tangy cheese used in pierogi, sernik, and on bread. A national dairy staple.
Poland
Uszka
Tiny Polish dumplings ('little ears') filled with mushrooms and onions, served in clear borscht (barszcz) on Christmas Eve. A Wigilia staple, small and savory.
Poland
Wielkopolski Ser Smażony
Wielkopolski Ser Smażony is a cheese from Greater Poland Voivodeship, rooted in local cooking tradition.
Poland
Wiśniówka
Polish cherry vodka.
Silesia, Poland
Wodzionka
Wodzionka is a soup from Silesian Voivodeship, rooted in local cooking tradition.
Warsaw, Poland
Wuzetka
A Warsaw chocolate cake with a layer of jam and cream, glazed with chocolate. Named after the W-Z (East-West) route, a café classic since the 1940s, rich and chocolatey.
Zakopane, Poland
Wódka Góralska
Highland vodka, often homemade, served with oscypek and żentyca. A strong, rustic spirit of the Tatra mountains, a highland tradition, served neat and ice-cold.
Poland
Zalewajka
Zalewajka is a soup from Radomsko, rooted in local cooking tradition.
Kraków, Poland
Zapiekanka
A Polish open-faced sandwich of a halved baguette topped with sautéed mushrooms, cheese, and ketchup, toasted until melted. A street-food icon since the 1970s, especially in Kraków.
Polissya, Ukraine
Zrazy
Зрази
Zrazy are Ukrainian formed or rolled meat patties with a savoury filling, browned and served hot.
Poland
Zrazy Zawijane
Polish beef roulades: thin beef slices rolled with bacon, pickles, onions, and mustard, braised until tender. A classic restaurant and home dish, served with kasza or potatoes.
Poland
Zupa Chłopska
'Peasant's soup': a rustic Polish soup of smoked pork, potatoes, carrots, and leeks in a hearty broth. A filling, savory countryside soup, served with bread.
Poland
Zupa Dziadowska
'Beggar's soup': a rustic highland soup of whatever vegetables and grains are at hand, simmered with meat or mushrooms. A poor-man's dish, hearty and simple.
Poland
Zupa Grzybowa
Polish mushroom soup of dried forest mushrooms (porcini), cream, and noodles, earthy and aromatic. A Christmas Eve and autumn classic, rich and savory.
Poland
Zupa Migdalowa
Christmas almond soup.
Poland
Zupa Ogórkowa
Polish sour cucumber soup made with pickled cucumbers (ogórki kiszone), potatoes, and carrots in a meat broth. Tangy, hearty, and savory, a winter staple.
Poland
Zupa Pomidorowa
Polish tomato soup, made from tomato paste or fresh tomatoes with a meat broth base, served with rice or noodles. A childhood and home-cooked classic, creamy and tangy.
Poland
Zupa Szczawiowa
Sorrel soup.
Poland
Ćwikła
Polish grated beetroot with horseradish, a tangy, spicy condiment served with meats, especially at Easter. A national staple, earthy and pungent, served cold.
Poland
Łazanki
Лазанкі
A Polish dish of small, square pasta noodles tossed with cabbage, mushrooms, or poppy seeds. A rustic, home-cooked classic, hearty and savory, a traditional dish, served warm.
Poland
Śledź po Grecku
Polish herring 'Greek-style': herring with carrots, onions, and tomato paste in oil, served cold. A tangy, sweet-savory appetizer, a home and bar classic.
Poland
Śledź w Oleju
Polish herring in oil with onions, served cold as an appetizer. A classic bar and home dish, savory and rich, served with bread and vodka.
Poland
Śledź w Śmietanie
Polish herring in sour cream with onions, served cold as an appetizer. A classic bar and home dish, tangy and creamy, served with bread and vodka.
Silesia, Poland
Żebroczka
Żebroczka is a casserole from Silesian Voivodeship, rooted in local cooking tradition.
Poland
Żurek
A traditional Polish sour rye soup made from fermented rye flour starter (zakwas), with sausage, bacon, potatoes, and hard-boiled egg. Served in a bread bowl, especially at Easter.
Silesia, Poland
Żymloki
A Silesian blood sausage variant where groats are replaced by wheat buns, with pork offal and blood. A rustic, soft sausage, served fried or grilled, a Silesian specialty.
Lesser Poland, Poland
Żętyca
A highland (Podhale) sheep's milk whey drink, slightly sour and refreshing, a byproduct of oscypek-making. A Tatra mountain specialty, served cold, a shepherd's traditional drink.