10 Must Try Polish Foods In Krakow

When traveling to another country one of the most important things to do is to try the traditional cuisine. Food is a large part of anyone’s culture and history, and you never can fully experience another country without trying their various local dishes. Therefore I wrote a list of 10 must try traditional Polish foods while traveling in Krakow, or any other city in Poland.

10 Must Try Polish Foods In Krakow

Bigos

Poland and Eastern Europe in general love their pickled vegetables. People here pickle every vegetable or fruit you can name that grows on this land, including cabbage. 

Bigos is a stew that is made out of sauerkraut, fresh shredded cabbage, and various chopped meats. It is one of the national Polish dishes that has been around for ages and has an important place in Polish culture. 

In English the word “bigos” is often translated to “hunter’s stew”. It is quite easy to make and you can use pretty much everything you have in your fridge: mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, onions, bell peppers. To cook bigos you don’t need any special or expensive cut of meat. Literally everything will do: sausage, bacon, chicken, pork, beef, rabbit or any other animal. 

Bigos is a great meal, since it is quite heavy, but without very many carbs.

If you are traveling in Krakow you can visit one of the restaurants with traditional Polish cuisine, they surely would have it there. One such place is Kuchnia u Doroty which is located in the Jewish quarter (part of the Krakow old town) and has a great variety of traditional dishes at very affordable prices.

Pierogi

If you could choose just one traditional dish for each country, for Poland it would be pierogi. It is definitely one of the Polish foods that you must try, especially in Krakow (they have a lot of great traditional restaurants).

Pierogi is a dumpling dish that can be boiled or fried. The dumplings can be filled with pretty much everything: mashed potatoes, meats, fruits, cabbage, and other stuff.

By the way the word “pierogi” means dumplings (already plural), however in the English language people seem to add -s at the end (pierogies). 

Barszcz Czysty Czerwony (Polish Barszcz)

If you know a bit about traditional borsch (Ukrainian borsch), then the one you will try in Poland will surprise you a bit. 

Polish Barszcz is a sour beetroot soup that is often served with minced mushrooms or meat dumplings in it. These dumplings are called uszki which means small ears. At the restaurants there are usually a few choices on how you want your borsch to be served: with uszki, or with boiled egg. 

Since Polish borsch is mostly a clear broth, many people drink it from the cup rather than eat it with a spoon. 

Polish barszcz has a very unique flavor and it is a completely different type of soup than Ukrainian borsch, the only common thing about these dishes is the red beetroot color. Therefore, if you have a chance, you should try both of them.

Kielbasa

Kielbasa is a popular Polish meat sausage. It can be made out of any type of meat, and it can have any shape or size. 

Kielbasa is a traditional dish that can be eaten as an independent meal, or as an ingredient in other dishes like zurek (soup), bigos (soup), or others. 

No celebration table can be without kielbasa in Poland. It is one of the most important meat dishes and it has a special place in Polish culture. 

Zapiekanka

Zapiekanka is a dish that I have just recently tried in Krakow in one of the street food courts – Okrąglak. 

Zapiekanka is an open faced sandwich that has various toppings. The bread for Zapiekanka is half of a baguette (crispy on the outside and very soft and fluffy inside). You can choose the toppings yourself, since every vendor at Okrąglak offers a wide variety.

Expect to pay for Zapiekanka between 12 and 18 Zloty, which is nothing for such a filling and delicious meal.

Zurek

Zurek is a Polish soup that has a very distinct flavor. 

Zurek is based on rye flour which has been fermented. The soup is heavily enriched with meat (kielbasa, bacon, smoked pork, and others). 

Often restaurants serve zurek in a bread bowl with a boiled egg in it. Zurek is a very heavy meal that not all foreigners will love at first (it can be very sour), but you definitely grow into liking it. 

Krakow Ribs

Well, cooked ribs are not a unique dish that comes from Poland, but there is a special way Poles cook their meat. 

Ribs is one of the dishes I try to order in every country, and every country implements their own traditions and flavor into cooking this meal. The same goes for Poland, especially for Krakow.

In one of the restaurants in the Kazimierz district (Jewish quarter) I have tried delicious cooked ribs. I was so impressed with the flavors that I had to include it in this post. 

Placki Ziemniaczane (Polish Potato Pancakes)

Placki Ziemniaczane are potato pancakes that you can try in Poland. Of course, potato pancakes are not just present in Polish cuisine; they are a typical meal in any Eastern European country (Hungary, Ukraine, Check Republic, and especially Jewish cuisine). However in Poland they have a unique way to serve placki ziemniaczane.

At traditional Polish restaurants you can often find a single large potato pancake that is served with beef and mushroom goulash. This is a very unique way to eat potato pancakes, and I must say a very DELICIOUS way too. 

Polish Donut

Pączki is a traditional Polish dessert also known as Polish donut. It is made out of fried sourdough filled with powidlo (plum jam  flavored with wild roses), and covered with sugar powder or royal icing.

You can find these pastries at any cafe or bakery in Poland. Of course, nowadays, you can find pączki with different fillings, and toppings, however while traveling in Poland you must try the original way it has always been made. 

Kremowka

Kremowka is a cream cake that has two layers of puff pastry and a bunch of vanilla cream (custard) between them. 

Kremowka cake became a popular Polish dessert when Pope John Paul II mentioned that his favorite childhood dessert was a kremowka that he used to get from a great bakery in his hometown in Poland. 

Kremowka is a very sweet pastry, and you cannot eat a lot of it, but have a piece with a cup of coffee, and you definitely would enjoy it a lot, unless you hate custard cream (I surprisingly do know such people).

10 Must Try Polish Foods In Krakow