BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Polish Culture But what food actually...?

We are discussing good Polish restaurants but what food do they serve? what Polish food is your favourite one?
Maaany people tend to ask me about potatoe pancakes, lots seem to know bigos and pierogi. But is there anything special that YOU like?
One of my most favourite Polish dishes is "pierogi ruskie" mniam:) I love golabki, krokiety, leczo, ogorkowa, barszcz bialy, barszcz czerwoy, krupnik, mizeria... and many many more:) however, all in their vegetarian versions:) so you must be patient with me:) for example I could never advise you on the place that serves the best traditional bigos:) byt I even tried vegetairian bigos:) it was delicious!
And what is your experience with Polish food?

I have a question. I really love Polish sausage but why is it different from like regular smoked sausage? Is it spices?

Also what is the difference between Polish sausage and Polska Kielbasa?

Vance, you could not imagine tougher question for me - a VEGETARIAN:)))) but I promise to ask my mum- she must know it:)
But I can say now that it probably depends on recipe. Even here in Poland we have many kinds of kielbasa: Krakow kielbasa, Village kielbasa, Zamosc kielbasa etc. and they all taste a little bit different:) they even smell differently:)
By the way, Polish sausage does not have to be smoked:)
hmmm... Polish sausage seems to me just like a direct translation of Polska Kielbasa:) so I would say... there should be no difference betweeb those two:) but maybe in the USA Polish sausage is one based on recipe (but made in the USA) and Polska Kielbasa is imported one from Poland... no idea:)
HAVE ANY OF YOU GUYS TRIED BOTH TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE?:)
Michael, you seem like an expert in Polish cuisine? Maybe you can help me with it:)

Kielbasa is as I know just another word for Polish sausage, that is made like that of Poland.

I like all Polish food, except, Duck's Blood Soup, and have tried it several times, and places, and still don't like it.

Michael Dabrowski

Ok, my Mum says (it's funny as it is her explanation-but might be true) that our sausage is different because it is still made in a very traditional way, and only natural ingredients are put there - real meat and no artificial additivies. And as other sausages might look nicer, it is not the look that determines the taste:) it is simple but delicious and healthy:)
But I admit... althoug I have been a vegetarian since I was small, I am still kind of enchanted by the beautiful smell of kielbasa:)

By the way Michael, I have never tried Duck's Blood Soup (it's popular only in some places here I guess) but the thing I REALLY hate is lard. Pork fat fried on the pan (just to make 'smalec' out of it or to fry scrambled eggs with) smells horribly:) but I remember I used to like it... of course I am comparing now "smell impressions" as I stopped eating meat a while ago:)

I have saw someplace, they even spread it on bread. I don't care for it either.

Mike Dabrowski

Hello

I've been reading this site for some time, but I've never posted...until the chat about food! I'm from Michigan (near Hamtramck!)and I can tell you the sausage made there is quite authentic...all natural and full of the best spices. I grew up eating homemade sausage (and the word Kielbasa is simply Polish for sausage)and some of the best Polish food ever. Both of my dad's parents are from Poland and my mom's dad is all Polish. I don't have just one favorite dish, but I love to try peirogi with new and different fillings. I like to make everything from scratch when I cook/bake. I also really love golabki, however I rarely make it...they take longer than peirogi! One of my favorites from childhood is simply called "kapusta" which literally translates into "cabbage", but this is how we ate it: boil lots of sauerkraut in water, leeching it of about 75% of its "tangy" flavor, leaving just a bit...takes about 45 minutes for a med-large stockpot...then add chopped onion, course black pepper, a little salt, fresh garlic, and lots of butter beans (cooked/canned), and butter...then add chunks of smoked kielbasa...cook a long time! The longer the better, and boy is great on day two! Serve with some crusty bread...yum! I know that was the non-measuring recipe, but if anyone wants it, I can email the specifics...! For desserts...I love them all, but poppyseed rolls are one favorite!

Hmmm... seems like your family nicely merged Polish way of making sauerkraut (as we sometimes cook it with beans too) with the recipe for Bigos (which traditionally consists of Sauerkraut and kielbasa:) I am happy to hear that we have so many "forum watchers" that read our forum and sometimes decide to contribute... many greetings to Michigan!:)

Polish Lisa...never herd of butter beans in Kapusta....now the real problem is to find real good Polish bread to go with the kielbasa or the kapusta. When I was little we had a Polish store that sold great bread but sadly as with most places the little bakeries were lost to the big conglomerats that don't know beans about making some good old fashioned bread.