Polish cuisine

Complementary traditional Polish farmers food (bigos stew, pierogi dumplings, gołąbki cabbage rolls, skwarki cracklings)

Various kinds of Polish kielbasa. From the top down: biała, kabanos, wiejska with mustard

Oscypek, a Polish smoked cheese and traditional food of the Goral people in the Tatra Mountains

Bagels originated in Poland and became widespread during the migration of Polish Jews.

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Polish cuisine (Polish: kuchnia polska [ˈkux.ɲa ˈpɔl.ska]) is a style of food preparation originating in and widely popular in Poland. Due to Poland's history, Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to be very eclectic, and shares many similarities with other national cuisines. Polish cooking in other cultures is often referred to as à la polonaise.

Polish cuisine is rich in meat, especially pork, chicken and game, in addition to a wide range of vegetables, spices, fungi and mushrooms, and herbs.^[1] It is also characterised by its use of various kinds of pasta, cereals, kasha and pulses.^[2] In general, Polish cuisine makes extensive use of butter, cream, eggs, and seasoning. Traditional dishes often demand lengthy preparation. Many Poles take time to serve and enjoy their festive meals, especially Christmas Eve dinner (Wigilia) on December 24, or Easter breakfast, both of which could take several days to prepare.

Among popular Polish national dishes are bigos [ˈbiɡɔs] ^ⓘ, pierogi [pʲɛˈrɔɡʲi] ^ⓘ, kiełbasa, kotlet schabowy [ˈkɔtlɛt sxaˈbɔvɨ] ^ⓘ (pork loin breaded cutlet), gołąbki [ɡɔˈwɔ̃pkʲi] ^ⓘ (stuffed cabbage leaves), zrazy [ˈzrazɨ] (roulade), zupa ogórkowa [ˈzupa ɔɡurˈkɔva] (sour cucumber soup), zupa grzybowa [ˈzupa ɡʐɨˈbɔva] (mushroom soup), zupa pomidorowa [ˈzupa pɔmidɔˈrɔva] (tomato soup),^[3] rosół [ˈrɔsuw] ^ⓘ (meat broth), żurek [ˈʐurɛk] ^ⓘ (sour rye soup), flaki [ˈflakʲi] ^ⓘ (tripe soup), and red beetroot soup barszcz [barʂt͡ʂ] ^ⓘ.^[4]

A traditional Polish dinner is composed of three courses, beginning with a soup like the popular rosół broth or tomato soup. In restaurants, soups are followed by an appetizer such as herring (prepared with either cream, oil, or in aspic), or other cured meats and chopped raw vegetable salads. The main course usually includes meat, such as a roast, breaded pork cutlet, or chicken, with a coleslaw-like surówka ([suˈrufka]), shredded root vegetables with lemon and sugar (carrot, celeriac, cooked beetroot), sauerkraut, or mizeria salad. The side dishes are usually boiled potatoes, kasza, or less commonly, rice. Meals often conclude with a dessert of either a fruit compote, makowiec, a poppy seed pastry, napoleonka mille-feuille, or sernik (cheesecake).

Internationally, if a Polish culinary tradition is used in other cuisines, it is referred to as à la polonaise, from the French, meaning 'Polish-style.' In French cuisine, this term is used for techniques like using butter instead of cooking oil; frying vegetables with buttered breadcrumbs; using minced parsley and boiled eggs (Polonaise garnish); and adding horseradish, lemon juice, or sour cream to sauces like velouté.^[5][6]