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A short guide to Poland for Spaniards

A FOOD

Polish food is good

Here comes the list of what I would myself eat if I


were going to Gdansk:
1. PIEROGI dumplings, made from pasta like
dough and filled with different stuffing depending
on the region and occasion. PIEROGI is plural,
PIERG is singular. You can encounter one big
PIERG instead of set of small PIEROGI. Based on
the stuffing type PIEROGi has different names:
RUSKIE (russian but referring to the historical
region of Kievan Rus,not to the Russia ) have
stuffing of white cottage cheese and potatoes and
onions; potatoes are cooked and onions are fried before being mixed and stuffed and then
cooked inside the dough again
PIEROGI with meat the meat is minced and fried with onion and often parsley leaves, might
be beef or pork or the mix of both, seldom with dairy meat
Pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms again cabbage,mushrooms and onions are
processed before being stuffed, those are Christmas PIEROGI
PIEROGI with fruits, usually strawberries or blueberries, that is considered a dessert and
served with cream and sugar
PIEROGI with buckwheat and white cottage cheese, my favourite, called also: POLESZUKI, not
popular in Gdansk, taste best with sour cream

As a dressing PIEROGI are covered with fried onion. Also cream of all sort can be served.

2. SOUPS all sort of broth based liquid meal, always WARM!!!! Although you can find
gazpacho in Gdask if You really have to. Soup is obligatory for a selv respecting housewife.
Depending on the main vegetable soup can be called:
- ROS chicken broth, often called clear (CZYSTY)
meaning vegetables are removed after cooking, served
with nuddles, Anna loves it on the left.
- BARSZCZ CZERWONY (red borscht) is based on
beetroots, in
restaurants
usually served
clean of
vegetables(called
then
CZYSTY=clear),
often with small
PIEROGI (called
USZKA) inside of it, picture on the right ->
-
-

- UREK (sour rye soup) white heavy(rye flour is used) soup with lots of meat inside,
usually sausage, bacon or ham, all smoked) and also eggs on top. To me enough for a
dinner especially if you also eat a bread in which it is served instead of a bowl. Below on
the left
- GROCHWKA, soup based on pea, called military pea soup, very thick and stuffed with
smoked bacon, my favourite ! below on the right

And there are many more but not so attractive like those above.

3. DUCK or GOOSE it is a very polish


traditional dish, bird is baked and
served with cooked potatos or baked
potatos (you should usually specify and
it is really not good with french fries)
and also with BORWKA (tyttebaer)
jam. OBLIGATORY!
The side salad can be anything and traditionally it will be some sort of either raw or cooked cabbage.

4. PORK CHOPS most popular polish dinner, but traditionally german dish. Same version but
with turkey or chicken is usually labeled a child menu. Hard to avoid. Notice that side salad is
cabbage again !!! In child
menu the potatoes can be
replaced with french fries but
make sure those are not
frozen but fresh ones.
Potatoes will always be fresh.
5. GOLONKA W PIWIE (Pork leg
in beer), german dish again, I
do not think I have ever tried
to taste that but men seem
to love it without
exceptionsee picture below
on the left (notice the
cabbage around the leg).

6. GOBKI (literally pigeones but has nothing to do


with pigeons). It is minced meat (pork and beef
usually) mixed with cooked rice and then packed
inside the precooked cabbage (AGAIN
CABAGGE!) leaves and cooked again (dont ask
how long time does it take to prepare). Served
with tomato sauce (for primitive consumers with
ketchup). See bottom picture on the left.
7. BIGOS STAROPOLSKI (BIGOS in old polish style).
BIGOS is a name reserved for this special dish based on cabagge (what else?) but the word is
also used to describe some real mess. The dish looks like mess, truth, but it is all about the
taste. Traditionally BIGOS should be cooked for one hour each day through three days (takes
a bit longer to do than GOBKI). The more types of meat there are the better: pork neck,
smoked bacon, beef, veal shoulder (you can use pork shoulder if you are desperate). Penny
bun mushroom is a key ingredient (DRIED!). So is the sour cabbage. And there is also a dried
plum (has to be a polsih plum to extract the best taste from the dish). See picture below:
8. KNEDLE ZE LIWKAMI (KNEDLE with plums, no idea how tro translate KNEDLE). Those are
big dumplings with plums inside. The dough for damplings is done from potatos (main
ingredient), flour and egg. Again multiple cooking process: forst cook potatos, then form the
KNEDLE and cook again. Served with cream, sugar and cinammon some say it is a dessert.
9. PLACKI ZIEMNIACZANE (potato pancakes) made from raw grated potatoes + flour + onion
+egg and then fried. Fast and delicious. See picture below on the right.

10. RACUCHY Z JABLKAMI (RACUCHY with apples). That is a dessert. Apple slices are fried after
being wrapped in a dough of flour, egg, milk and sugar. See picture below:
And many more
B KIDS FRIENDLY ATTRACTIONS IN GDANSK
1. ZOO very big zoo, has polish bison and kangaroos (Australian ones)

2. MARITIME MUSEUM a lot of stuff for kids, remote controlled boats among else. Tsunami
simulator and boat like playgrounds.

3. EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE CENTER HEWELIUS CENTER, some exhibition might be too


advanced for small kids but there are some cool stuff like creative playground and sci-fi
room. The park around has some nice views.
4. WESTERPLATTE it is not for kids but the Second World War started there. It is at the sea
side.
5. EUROPEAN CENTER OF SOLIDARITY has a shipyard like playground. Anna liked it a lot.
Besides there is an exhibition about the movement of Solidarity that broke the communism.

6. AQUAPARK in REDA new and big aquapark with sharks and lots of attractions. I recommend
a taxi.
C SHOPPING
This is a list of what I would have bought if I were going to Gdansk:
- Chocolate to drink by Wedel company. For sure can be bought in the chocolate drink bar
in BALTIC GALLERY at GDANSK WRZESZCZ district. By the way it is also the best shopping
center.

- Clothes from RESERVED - like H&M in Sweden


- TATUUM better quality polish clothes, some are even made in Poland
- HAIR DRESSER there are two in Baltic Gallery, I think I was in P.ROCCIALLI - THE ART
OF BEAUTY, but there is MADISON shopping gallery closer to you
- SMYK the name of polish very old shop with kid stuff, clothes, shoes and toys in one
- EMPIK bookstore with music and movies. Also toys and books for kids. Puzzles - polish
designed and produced
- GDANSK is famous for jewellery from Amber(I would not buy that myself but I feel
obliged to mention that)
- I would buy a lot of food like ham, sausage, cheese (especially OSCYPEK which is a
smoked cheese from lamb milk originally- see below)

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