Polish cuisine
Don’t leave Bielsko-Biała without trying Polish cuisine. Surprisingly diverse, although largely based on meat, Polish dishes should make your holiday experience more memorable. There is far more to it than the iconic Polish staples such as pierogi or kielbasa.

Dining in Poland can be interesting thanks to the influences of various cuisines namely other Slavic countries, German, Hungarian, as well as Jewish and French. Italian tastes are also widely present, especially in the recent years.
A LIST OF THE MOST COMMON POLISH DISHES
Soups
Żurek – traditional soup made from fermented rye, served with boiled egg and sausages
Barszcz czerwony – beetroot soup, borsch, served with ‘uszka’ (tiny dumplings with mushrooms)
Kapuśniak – sauerkraut soup
Zupa ogórkowa – sour cucumber soup
Zupa pomidorowa – tomato soup often served with rice or noodles
Zupa koperkowa – dill soup
Zupa grzybowa – mushroom soup with cream
Rosół – chicken soup usually served with noodles
Grochówka – thick pea soup
Krupnik – barley soup with potatoes and chopped sausages
Chłodnik – cold yoghurt based soup with vegetables, usually beetroot, cucumber and dill, served only in summer
Cold and hot starters
Śledzie – herring usually served in oil or sour cream
Oscypek – traditional sheep cheese usually offered with cranberry jelly or bacon
Smalec – fried lard with onion and bacon, served with bread and pickled cucumbers
Boczek ze śliwką – prunes wrapped with bacon
Tatar – raw minced beef with raw yok, onion and herbs
Kiełbasa – Polish sausage usually made of pork, comes in different shapes and variations, fresh, smoked, boiled or grilled
Main course
Golonko – pork knuckle cooked in beer or broth served with horseradish sauce
Karkówka – tenderloin fried or roasted
Kotlet schabowy – pork cutlet fried in coated bread crumbs
Kotlet mielony – minced meat patty
Żeberka w miodzie – spare ribs in honey
Polędwiczki wołowe – veef sirloin
Rolada wołowa/zrazy wołowe – beef rolled and stuffed with e.g. bacon, carrot, pickled cucumber and onions
Kiełbasa – Polish sausage – endless types and varieties, served cooked, grilled or smoked with mustard, dill pickle and bread
Kurczak de volaille – chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and cheese
Baranina – roasted lamb meat
Kurczak z rożna – spit-roasted chicken
Pstrąg – trout fried or roasted
Sandacz – pike perch fried or roasted
Dorsz – cod fillet fried or roasted
Karp – carp, always served during Christmas
Dziczyzna – wild-game
Gołąbki – cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and minced meat, served with tomato souse
Pulpety/Klopsiki – meatballs usually served in tomato sauce
Królik – rabbit often eaten with beet roots
Kaczka – duck, usually served with baked apples or cranberry sauce
One-pot dishes
Bigos – one of the most popular dishes in Polish houses, sauerkraut cooked with pieces of meat, sausages, mushrooms and tomato paste
Flaki – beef tripe stew
Gulasz – stew of meat and vegetables, often eaten with buckwheat
Kaszanka – black sausage, buckwheat mixed with pork blood
Wątróbka – liver, usually prepared with onions
Fasolka po bretońsku – bean stew with pieces of sausages
Pierogi – dumplings, stuffed with meat or sauerkraut, mushrooms, potato, cottage cheese, fruits (blueberries, strawberries) – topped with fried onion or bacon or with sour cream with sugar.
Vegetarian dishes
Pierogi – stuffed dumplings, *except for pierogi z mięsem (pierogi with meat)
Placki ziemniaczane – potato pancakes
Kluski na parze – steamed dumplings usually served with fruits
Nalesniki – pancakes often served with cotton cheese, fruits, or spinach
Oscypek – smoked cheese made of salted sheep milk
Surówki – mix of raw salads
Chłodnik – cold yoghurt based soup with vegetables, usually beetroot, cucumber and dill, served only in summer
Side dishes
Chleb and bułka – Polish bread and bread roll
Frytki – French fries, chips
Kluski śląskie – Silesian dumplings made from boiled potatoes and flour
Kasza gryczana – buckwheat groats
Kapusta zasmażana – pan fried sauerkraut
Buraczki – beetroots salad
Ziemniaki gotowane – boiled potatoes sparkled with dill or chive
Salatka jarzynowa – very popular in Polish houses, less in restaurants, this salad is similar to Russian salad
Buraczki – grated cooked beet root with touch of vinegar
Mizeria – cucumbers in sour cream with dill
Surówka/sałatka – shredded cabbage, or carrots, or tomatoes with onions, or souerkraut
Desserts
Makowiec – poppy seeds cake
Sernik – cheesecake – many variations
Szarlotka/jablecznik – apple pie often served hot with whipped cream and vanilla ice-cream
Pączek – doughnuts with different fillings, most popular rose-water jam
Knedle – potato dumplings stuffed with fruit, most commonly with plums and blueberries
Pierniki – soft gingerbreads
Krówki – milk fudge
Ptasie mleczko- soft meringue covered with chocolate
Kisiel – jelly-like sweet fruit pudding
Budyń – pudding
Beverages
Piwo – beer, it’s now the most popular alcoholic drink in Poland. Big brands include: Żywiec, Tyskie, Okocim, Lech, Warka, Tatra. However, there are plenty of craft beers from microbreweries from across the country.
Piwo z sokiem – beer with fruit syrup, unusually way of drinking beer, popular mainly amongst women.
Grzaniec – mulled wine or beer with cloves, cinnamon and honey.
Wódka – Vodka, a signature alcohol from Poland, some sources suggest that this alcohol was produced in the country already in the 13th century. Vodka in Polish mean ‘small water’. Usually, made from grains and potatoes. Vodka made in Bielsko-Biała: Żytnia Extra (pure or flavored) and Nisskosher Vodka.
Wino – wine is gaining popularity, but it’s still far behind other alcoholic drinks. Polish people prefer semi-sweet or semi-dry wines. There are still many restaurants were you won’t find any wine on the menu. Polish wines are often made of Polish fruits like plums, cherries, apples etc.
Miód pitny – mead is one of the oldest drinks, it’s a smooth and sweet.
Herbata – tea, a very popular beverage, usually drunk with a slice of lemon or honey.
Kawa – coffee, often served with milk and sugar.
Mleko and kefir/kwaśne mleko – milk and fermented milk drink.