Best Polish Food: Top Dishes, Cheese Types & Desserts

Not only is Poland a great European destination, but the best Polish food is one of the top reasons to travel to this underrated country in Central Europe.

Poland is an incredible cultural destination, known for its captivating cities, historic sites, and delicious local cuisine. Here’s our guide to the best Polish food to try during your next trip to Poland.

A Quick Overview of Polish Cuisine

Polish cuisine is shaped by tradition and influenced by the country’s agricultural roots, with many popular dishes having been staples for centuries. You’ll often hear Polish cuisine described as heavy or hearty as most popular traditional Polish dishes are designed to be filling and comforting.

The best Polish food features a lot of meat, especially Polish sausages, chicken, and pork. Common staples in Polish cuisine include sour cream, sauerkraut, dill, mushrooms, beets, and potatoes.

While many traditional dishes are popular all over Poland, there are also regional specialties. For example, Oscypek cheese from the Tatra Mountains and gingerbread from Torun are a couple of regional delicacies in Poland that are considered to be culinary treasures.

One thing’s for sure, you’ll never go hungry in Poland thanks to the country’s satisfying cuisine. To get you started on your exploration of the best Polish food, here’s our selection of the most delicious dishes to try in Poland.

The Best Polish Food: 11 Dishes To Try in Poland

1. Pierogi

Any list of the best Polish food should be topped with Pierogi, a beloved food in Poland and probably the most popular Polish dish to find abroad.

Polish Pierogi are dumplings made from soft dough and filled with various ingredients. Savory Pierogi are typically filled with potatoes and cheese, sauerkraut and mushrooms, or minced meat. You can also enjoy sweet dessert Pierogi filled with blueberries, cherries, or strawberries.

To add to the flavor, Pierogi are typically baked with butter. Savory Pierogi are topped with fried onions and a dollop of sour cream while sweet Pierogi are covered in powdered sugar and sour cream.

You’ll find Pierogi served all over Poland, and they can be enjoyed as a snack, appetizer, main dish, or dessert, making them an extremely versatile dish. These Polish dumplings are also among the most vegetarian-friendly dishes of meat-heavy Polish cuisine.

2. Zurek

Zurek is another classic Polish dish, the perfect meal to enjoy on a cold day in Poland. Zurek is a soup made with fermented rye bread (similar to sourdough), white sausage, bacon, potatoes, wild mushrooms, and vegetables.

This rustic dish gets its tangy flavor from the sour rye, and the added meat, hard-boiled eggs, starches, and vegetables make it a delicious and filling meal.

Zurek is traditionally served at Easter, but it’s also popular year-round – especially during the colder months. Sometimes, you’ll see this soup served in a bread bowl, which makes it even heartier.

3. Barszcz

If you’re looking for another of the most popular Polish soups, you can’t miss Barszcz Czerwony. This soup is very similar to the Ukrainian Borscht. It’s a hearty soup made from beef stock, red beetroots, and vegetables, including mushrooms, carrots, onions, and cabbage.

The beetroots give the soup its distinctive red coloring. Barszcz is seasoned with spices like black pepper, marjoram, and bay leaf to add to the flavor.

This is a great dish to try during the winter if you want something hearty and flavorful. The most popular time for Polish people to eat Barszcz is Christmas Eve.

4. Golabki

Golabki – the Polish word for little pigeons – is another tasty Polish dish consisting of stuffed cabbage leaves. The usual fillings for Golabki are minced beef or pork, chopped onions, and rice or barley. 

These savory cabbage rolls are boiled and served on a big plate, usually with tomato sauce, but you might also see them served with a mushroom cream sauce.

Golabki can be enjoyed at any time, but they’re particularly popular for special occasions. This dish is often served at weddings, holiday celebrations, or family gatherings.

5. Kotlet Schabowy

Kotlet Schabowy is Poland’s answer to Schnitzel. Inspired by its German or Austrian counterpart, Kotlet Schabowy is a breaded and fried pork cutlet. There’s nothing like biting into the crunchy, crispy breading of a Kotlet Schabowy combined with the tender meat inside.

This hearty dish is a popular dinner in Poland, served in restaurants and family homes alike. It’s seasoned with salt and pepper and usually served with a side of potatoes and sauerkraut.

To make this meal even more indulgent, you might see Kotlet Schabowy served with a rich mushroom or dill sauce on top.

6. Kotlet Mielony

Kotlet Mielony is another filling, meat-based dish in Polish cuisine. Made from minced pork (or sometimes a mixture of minced beef and pork), Kotlet Mielony is, in essence, a pork patty.

These Polish patties are seasoned with salt and pepper, onions, and garlic, and mixed with breadcrumbs and egg yolks to hold it all together. They are then shaped into flat round patties and fried until they’re crispy and golden on the outside, yet juicy on the inside.

Variations on the dish include adding mushrooms, grated carrots, or other vegetables to the minced meat mixture. Similar to Kotlet Schabowy, you’ll often see Kotlet Mielony served with a side of potatoes and sauerkraut, or maybe cooked vegetables or a cucumber salad.

7. Kaszanka

If you’re a meat lover, you’ll definitely want to try Kaszanka, a traditional Polish blood sausage. The sausage is made from pork offals, barley or buckwheat, and pig’s blood. It has a rich, earthy flavor that is enhanced with additional seasonings, like onions and black pepper.

Kaszanka can be prepared in a variety of ways — grilled, fried, or baked. It’s a popular dish at Polish barbecues, where it’s often grilled outside.

The sausage is typically served over caramelized onions, which add a savory note to the smoky flavor of the sausage. It’s also sometimes used in sandwiches.

8. Placki Ziemniaczane

While many dishes in traditional Polish cuisine include meat, Placki Ziemniaczane is one of the best options if you’re a vegetarian. These authentic Polish potato pancakes are a versatile dish that can be prepared in many different ways.

The key ingredients of Placki Ziemniaczane are grated or ground potatoes, matzo flour, and egg yolks for binding. They are also often made with onions for a savory kick. Placki Ziemniaczane are fried until they’re crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.

These pancakes can be savory or sweet. For the savory variety, they are often served with sour cream or mushroom sauce. For the sweeter dessert version, the pancakes are topped with sugar or served alongside applesauce.

9. Flaki

Zurek may be a famous type of Polish soup, but Flaki is equally popular. This one is definitely for more adventurous eaters because it’s made with beef tripe – the stomach lining of cows, pigs, or sheep.

It also consists of a hearty, flavorful broth that’s seasoned with black pepper, paprika, and marjoram and thickened with flour. Vegetables like carrots and celery are also added to the soup for more flavor and texture.

As you can imagine, this hearty soup is a popular dish for a cold winter’s day. It’s often served with bread to soak up the broth, making it even more filling.

10. Bigos

Bigos is the definition of traditional comfort food. This Polish favorite, which is also called Hunter’s Stew, consists of various kinds of meat, including pork, delicious sausages, and sometimes game, simmered together with fresh cabbage, sauerkraut, and various spices.

This is another dish that’s perfect for Poland’s cold winters if you’re looking for something warm and satisfying. Sometimes tomatoes or prunes are added to the stew for even more flavor, and the dish is typically served with rye bread.

Although it’s enjoyed all winter long, it’s especially popular around Christmas and New Year’s. This is a dish that’s great for leftovers — many people say it tastes better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to rest.

11. Tatar

One more popular Polish dish is Tatar, which is essentially the same as French steak Tartare. Tatar is considered a delicacy in Poland, and you’ll often find it served at high-end restaurants or for special occasions at home.

Much like the French dish, Polish Tatar is raw minced beef shaped into a patty and topped with raw egg yolk. It’s typically served with chopped onions, pickles, capers, mustard, and other seasonings and sauces on the side. In Poland, Tatar is also usually accompanied by rye bread.

A Guide To Polish Cheese

You might not think of Poland when you think of cheese, but it’s actually the sixth-largest cheese producer in the world behind heavyweights like the United States, France, and Italy. Here are the best cheese types to try in Poland:

1. Oscypek

One of Poland’s most distinctive cheeses is Oscypek. Originating in the Podhale region in the southern part of the country at the base of the Tatra Mountains, Oscypek is a cheese made from sheep’s milk. It has a salty, smoky flavor and is instantly recognizable because of how it’s sold in a decorative spindle shape.

The cheese is often smoked in wooden huts, which creates a strong flavor, and it’s frequently served grilled with cranberry sauce as an accompaniment to balance out the smoky flavor. A popular place to buy Oscypek is the mountain resort town of Zakopane, one of the best places to visit in Poland.

2. Golka

Golka cheese is similar to Oscypek, but it’s made from cow’s milk instead of sheep’s milk. It also originates in southern Poland, although it’s a popular cheese enjoyed all over the country.

The unique flavor of Golka is more accessible if you prefer a less intense cheese. It has a mild, creamy, salty flavor and it’s also often smoked to bring out additional flavors. You can also enjoy fried Golka as a snack.

Overall, this is one of the best Polish cheeses to try and it’s often served as part of a cheese platter with bread, fruit, and smoked meats.

3. Bundz

Another type of cheese to try in Poland is Bundz, yet another popular cheese from the Podhale region in southern Poland. This is another sheep’s milk cheese, but it doesn’t have the salty, smoky flavor of Oscypek.

Instead, Bundz has a fresh, creamy taste and is only slightly tangy. It’s soft and has a delicate texture that is often compared to Ricotta cheese.

Bundz is a common main ingredient in sandwiches and salads, or you can enjoy it on its own, with a drizzle of honey or some fresh herbs. This cheese is a lighter alternative to Oscypek or Golka.

The Best Sweets To Try in Poland

When in Poland, make sure you save some room for dessert and your sweet tooth won’t regret it. Here’s our list of the best desserts to try in Poland:

1. Paczki

Paczki is the most iconic Polish sweet that you have to try at least once. These filled doughnuts have also become popular in the United States thanks to the Polish-American community. 

This is a treat you can enjoy year-round, but traditionally, Paczki are eaten on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Lent begins. The origin of Paczki dates back to the Middle Ages when indulgent ingredients like sugar and butter had to be used up before Lent began.

Paczki are deep-fried pastries with a soft and fluffy consistency. They can be stuffed with delicious fillings including jam, plum butter, custard, chocolate, or Nutella. To finish things off, Paczki are glazed or sprinkled with powdered sugar.

2. Racuchy

Another delicious Polish dessert is Racuchy or apple fritters. This is a traditional dessert that is a homemade favorite among many Polish families.

These small pancakes are made with a batter that includes freshly sliced apples with cinnamon, giving them a sweet, fruity flavor. They are served warm with powdered sugar on top.

3. Makowiec

Makowiec is a popular holiday treat in Poland. You’ll usually see this dessert served around Christmas and Easter, although you can enjoy it at any time of the year.

These poppy seed rolls are easily recognizable because of how visually striking they are. The sweet pastry consists of soft dough rolled around a filling made up of ground poppy seeds, honey, butter, raisins, and almonds, creating a spiral of light and dark between the dough and the filling.

Icing or powdered sugar, along with raisins and nuts, are usually added to the top. The roll is sliced before serving, revealing its swirl pattern. This is the perfect dessert or snack to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.

4. Faworki

Also known as Angel Wings, Faworki is a festive Polish dessert, often enjoyed during the Carnival season and on Fat Thursday before Lent begins. Faworki is made from a simple dough consisting of flour, egg yolks, and sour cream.

The dough is twisted into bow shapes (hence the angel wings) and deep-fried until it’s golden and crispy on the outside, and melt-in-your-mouth soft on the inside. 

It’s topped with plenty of powdered sugar, giving a sweet flavor to the simple dough. This is the perfect treat for snacking – it’s impossible to eat just one.

5. Kremowka

If you’re looking for a delicious and decadent Polish dessert, you have to try Kremowka, also known as Papal Cream Cake because it was a favorite of Pope John Paul II. It gained popularity after the Pope reminisced about enjoying this cake in his hometown of Wadowice, Poland.

The cake consists of layers of flaky puff pastry filled with a rich, creamy custard. The delicate puff pastry perfectly complements the velvety texture of the custard.

It’s topped with powdered sugar and often enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. This is a popular dessert you’ll find in bakeries and restaurants all over Poland.

6. St. Martin’s Croissant

St. Martin’s croissant is an iconic regional dessert, produced in the city of Poznan, in western Poland. Something unique about this dessert is that it’s geographically protected by EU law, meaning that a true St. Martin’s Croissant can only be produced in Poznan using traditional methods.

This delicious crescent-shaped pastry is not your average croissant. It’s filled with a mixture of white poppy seeds, almonds, raisins, and vanilla, glazed with white icing, and topped with finely chopped nuts.

While you can find these in Poznan at other times of the year, the most famous day for enjoying this treat is November 11, St. Martin’s Day, when people will line up at bakeries early in the morning to get one of these tasty croissants.

7. Torun Gingerbread

Another regional delicacy you can try in Poland is Torun Gingerbread. As the name suggests, this gingerbread is produced in the town of Torun, which is located in the north-central part of the country along the Vistula River.

Called Pierniki in Polish, this gingerbread has been produced in Torun since the Middle Ages. It’s renowned for its warm and aromatic flavor made with a blend of honey, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

You’ll most often see these gingerbread cookies sold plain, or with a coating of chocolate or a dusting of powdered sugar. In Torun, there’s even a museum where you can learn more about the history and production of gingerbread.

8. Kolocz Slaski

One last Polish dessert that you should try is Kolocz Slaski. This is a traditional crumb cake that hails from the Silesia region in southwestern Poland. It’s made with a soft yeast dough and topped with a crumb coating, made of sugar, butter, and flour.

The cake can be filled with additional sweet flavors like plum butter, poppy seed paste, or custard. It’s a popular dessert served for special occasions like holidays, weddings, and family gatherings.

You can enjoy this cake as dessert after a meal, or have a slice of it as a mid-afternoon snack with a cup of coffee.

Indulge in The Best Polish Food With JayWay

A diverse country yet to be discovered by massive tourism, Poland should definitely be added to your Central Europe itinerary.

Our expert trip planners and local teams on the ground will be more than happy to share their secrets with you, including where to try the best Polish food during your trip to Poland, for a culinary journey to remember.