Middle Ages and the favourite dish of king
Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila). Polish cuisine in the
Middle Ages was based on dishes made of agricultural produce and
cereal crops (
millet,
rye,
wheat), meats of wild and farm animals, fruits, forest fungi, berries and game, honey, herbs, and local spices. It was known above all for abundant use of salt from
Wieliczka Salt Mine and permanent presence of
groats (). A high
calorific value of dishes and drinking
beer or
mead as a basic drink was typical of Middle Ages Polish cuisine. During the Middle Ages Polish cuisine was heavy and spicy. Two main ingredients were meat (both
game and beef) and cereal. The latter consisted initially of
proso millet, but in the Late Middle Ages other types of cereal became widely used. Most country people did not eat bread but consumed cereals in the form of or various types of
flatbread. Some of these (for instance ) are considered traditional recipes even in the 21st century. Apart from cereals, a large portion of the daily diet of mediaeval Poles consisted of pulses, mostly
broad beans and
peas. As the territory of Poland was densely forested, usage of
fungi, forest berries, nuts, and wild honey was also widespread. Among the delicacies of the Polish nobility were honey-braised
bear paws served with
horseradish-flavoured salad, smoked bear tongue, and bear
bacon (bears are now protected in Poland). , 14th-century recipe Owing to close trade relations with Turkey and the countries in the Caucasus, the price of
spices (such as
black pepper and
nutmeg) was much lower in Poland than the rest of
Europe, hence spicy sauces became popular. The usage of two basic sauces, the and (meaning "red" and "gray blood" in
Old Polish), remained widespread at least until the 18th century. Daily beverages included milk,
whey,
buttermilk, and various herbal
infusions. The most popular alcoholic beverages were
beer and
mead; however, in the 16th century, upper classes began to import
Hungarian and
Silesian
wines. Mead was so widespread that in the 13th century Prince
Leszek I the White explained to the
Pope that Polish knights could not participate in a
crusade as there was no mead in the
Holy Land. Also,
vodka became popular, possibly among the lower classes first. There is written evidence suggesting that vodka originated in Poland. The word "vodka" was recorded for the first time ever in 1405 in , the court documents from the
Palatinate of Sandomierz in Poland.
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ("Collection of Dishes") is the oldest extant Polish cookbook, from 1682. Until the
Partitions perpetrated by the neighboring empires,
Poland was one of the largest countries in the world, and encompassed many regions with its own, distinctive culinary traditions. Records show that her visiting guests were entertained with game, fowl (
waxwings,
fieldfares,
snow bunting,
hazel grouse,
partridges,
black grouse,
capercaillies), fish and mollusks (
loach, various
trout,
grayling, fresh and smoked
salmon,
flounder, salted
herring,
lampreys in vinegar,
oysters,
snails), and Genoese
pâté, not to mention fresh fruit and
chestnuts. French and Italian wines were served, as well as
mead and local beers. These dishes were made only according to French recipes. The royal court, with all its innovations, exerted a broad influence over the rest of aristocratic residences and noble palaces across Poland. French cuisine was in fashion and many families willingly employed French cooks and patissiers. In the mid-18th century, French
champagne appeared on Polish tables. Under the Partitions, the cuisine of
Poland became heavily influenced by cuisines of surrounding empires. This included
Russian and
German cuisines, but also the culinary traditions of most nations of the
Austro-Hungarian empire. The 19th century also saw the creation of many Polish cookbooks, by ,
Anna Ciundziewicka,
Wincenta Zawadzka,
Lucyna Ćwierczakiewiczowa, and others.
After World War II , a national dish of Poland, originating in the ancient culinary traditions of Poland's former eastern territories (
Kresy). After the end of
World War II, Poland became a communist country which joined the
Warsaw Pact. Some restaurants were
nationalized. The communists envisioned a network of
lunch rooms called "bufet" for the workers at various companies, and
milk bars for the public. The majority of restaurants that survived the 1940s and 1950s were state-owned. Workplace canteens promoted mostly inexpensive meals, including soups, meatballs and pork chops, and staples such as / (potato pancakes), (apple pancakes), (potato gnocchi), (farmer's cheese gnocchi served as a sweet), and
pierogi. A typical second course consisted of meat cutlet served with potatoes or buckwheat and (raw, julienned vegetables). The popular Polish is a
breaded cutlet similar to the Austrian
Wiener schnitzel and the Italian and Spanish
Milanesa. With time, the
shortage economy led to scarcity of
meat,
coffee,
tea, and other basic ingredients. Many products like
chocolate,
sugar, and meat were rationed, with a specific limit depending on social class and health requirements. Physical workers and pregnant women were generally entitled to more food products. Imports were restricted, so much of the food supply was domestic. Cuisine became homogeneous, to be a chef was no longer a prestigious profession, and for decades the country became basically disconnected from any foreign cuisine. Tropical fruits (such as citrus,
banana, and
pineapple) were available during holidays, while local fruits and vegetables were mostly seasonal but were available at private stands. For most of the year, people had to get by with only domestic winter fruit and vegetables: apples, plums, currants, onions, potatoes, cabbage, root vegetables, and frozen products. Other food products (of foreign origins) were seldom available at markets at high prices. This situation led in turn to gradual replacement of traditional Polish cuisine with food prepared from anything available at the time. Among popular dishes introduced by public restaurants were (meatballs), a sort of
hamburger often served with beetroot puree and raw carrots. The traditional recipes were mostly observed during the feast (
Christmas Eve), for which many families tried to prepare 12 traditional courses. A popular form of fish dish was, and still is, the
paprikash () from the port city of
Szczecin, usually added to sandwiches as a spread. to this day which originated in the 1970s.
Modern era With the
fall of communism in Poland in 1989, a wave of new restaurants opened, and basic foodstuffs were once again readily obtainable. This led to a gradual return of the rich traditional Polish cuisine, both in home cooking and in restaurants. At the same time, restaurants and supermarkets promoted the use of ingredients typical of other cuisines of the world. Among the most notable foods to become commonplace in Poland were
cucurbits,
zucchini, and many kinds of fish. During communist times, fresh fish was available essentially only in the seaside towns. Recent years have seen the advent of the
slow food movement, and a number of TV programmes devoted to cooking, both traditional and modern, have gained in popularity. In 2011, a nostalgic cookbook (written in English) combining a child's memories growing up in the
Gierek era with traditional Polish recipes was published in
London. American fast food in Poland, often
McDonald's,
KFC, and
Pizza Hut, are in decline as
Polish people prefer their own cuisine, including
fast food. Meanwhile,
doner kebabs are gaining popularity. Nonetheless, in most of Poland one can still get traditional and very popular Polish street food such as the , a pizza-like baguette with cheese, mushrooms, onion,
ketchup, and sometimes meat. There are also many small-scale, quick-service restaurants which serve
kebabs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and Polish (sausage). In the southern mountainous region, served with cranberry jam is a popular street food. In a 2023 survey on "100 Best Cuisines in the World" conducted by
TasteAtlas, Polish cuisine was ranked 11th. ==Holiday meals==