As I mentioned in my last post, our trip to Poland was somewhat unexpected as it certainly wasn’t a place high on our list to visit. I say this only because we didn’t know much about Poland, the culture or the food but as we begin to research something ‘different’ to fill our time in April, Krakow came up on multiple lists of places with a lot to offer. Including an amazing cuisine! The first thing I thought of was vodka, but with the help of Delicious Poland and their Culinary Food Tour, I found that they have so much more to offer!
Once again I want to remind you that taking part in a food tour is one of the best ways to learn more about the city or country that you are visiting and the cuisine that they offer. Food tours are also a really great way to find authentic cuisine instead of just falling into the tourist trap restaurants that are overpriced and typically not very authentic.
We met up with our guide Kamila and after a brief introduction we set out for our first destination: a literal hole-in-the-wall restaurant serving up some amazing pierogis. Prior to this trip I was not a fan of pierogis. The only ones that I had ever tasted had a tough dough and were rather dry. Luckily I had a much better experience here tasting 4 different authentic pierogis and even a dessert pierogi! That was probably my favorite next to the classic pierogi ruskie, which is filled with potatoes and cheese and topped with caramelized onions. I full intend to master the art of pierogis when I return home.
Following the pierogi stop we moved on to some delicious soups including a sourdough soup and a beet soup. The sourdough soup was similar to one that we had tried in Prague and I wasted no time finishing my bowl! This is also on my list of recipes to master when I return home. The beet soup was tasty but probably not my favorite, although the bright red broth made it a beautiful dish.
From here we went for some vodka and tradition Polish snacks. I’m not one to just shoot vodka or even sip on it but when in Poland….you know the saying. I was pleasantly surprised by the vodka as it had a slight cinnamon flavor! The traditional snacks were a different story. These included herring, smoked cheese and lard on a bagel. This might be your cup of tea but it certainly was not my favorite.
From the vodka we went to a fun bar to enjoy some craft beers and then off to our final destination where we enjoyed a traditional Polish dinner complete with potato pancakes with goulash, croquettes, beetroot salad, dumplings and dessert. I’m full just thinking about all of it again but it was SO DELICIOUS. Also, rather inexpensive. We went back to this same restaurant twice after the food tour because we loved the food and atmosphere so much. And the prices.
Kamila from Delicious Poland did an amazing job of talking about the city, the history and all of the cuisine that we enjoyed along the way. This was a really great experience to meet other travelers who enjoy food as much as I do and learn a little something about Krakow. Kamila even shared some of her secret Polish recipes with the group that I plan to share with you once I’m back in my home kitchen. You certainly won’t be disappointed by any of their tour offerings when you visit Krakow or other cities in Poland.
Special thanks to Kamila and Delicious Poland for inviting us on this great tour! As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
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