Warning: don’t read while hungry! 🙂
Below is just a small sample of some foods that I tried in Krakow. Whether it was a quick snack from a food truck or a fancy dish at an expensive restaurant, everything was very delicious! Honestly, I only have a few pictures because usually I was too excited to dive into the food to pause for a second and take a snapshot. 😉
This photo captures probably the two key features of Polish cuisine (or at least of my diet here): pierogis and and compot. Pierogis are Polish dumplings, and they are sooo good. They come with almost any kind of filling: potatoes, cheese, cabbage, meat, mushrooms, sweet cottage cheese, berries… I’ve tried them all! It is possible that I am now approximately 78% made of pierogis. The beverage is compot—a light, refreshing drink made of berry and/or fruit juice, light and refreshing – perfect during hot summer days.
Sernik, my favorite dessert in Poland. It’s a cake with light dough made from sweet cottage cheese and a tad of flour. Even though it’s translated as “cheesecake” in all English menus, the taste is quite different—less sugary and less dense than its American counterpart. Sernik can be served warm or cold, usually accompanied by fruits, berries, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.
Compot again, some fresh salad, beetroot salad, a potato pancake, and some pork: a wholesome lunch.
This picture is from a small bistro named Kwant, which is located very close to the Psych Institute, and where I would get lunch almost every day. It serves delicious, homemade Polish food for an absurdly low price. In this buffet-style cafe, every day they had a different collection of soups, salads, proteins, and sides. I think it is mainly thanks to this place that I ate so well and regularly got my portion of veggies. 🙂
I was also surprised by the amount of vegetarian/vegan restaurants in Krakow. Very many places that advertise themselves as eco-conscious, health-conscious, organic, etc. etc.
In addition to the greens, I ordered a ginger—I am fairly sure it was all lemon and ginger, no sugar. 😐
This vegetarian appetizer featured some interesting foods. My favorite: the yellow, bacon-like strips that are actually banana chips!
Sushi! Sushi is a bit difficult to find in Poland, and it’s quite expensive in this land-locked nation. But soo good!
Lemonade and some strawberry pie. I like this picture because of the atmosphere: a cozy bookstore, some Polish classics (feat. so much Lem!), and the sunlight streaming in through the window.
Obwarzanek: it’s something in between a bagel and a pretzel. It comes with different toppings, including salt, cheese, sesame seeds, poppy seeds. Obwarzanki are sold on almost every street corner in Krakow, and they are a perfect mid-day snack or light lunch (whenever I forgot to pack one).