Traditional Polish Food in Krakow

Authentic and traditional Polish food in Krakow can often be high on calories, with generous portion sizes for the passionate foodie. However, as long as you’re open to your Krakow food tours coming with an extra helping of cream, you certainly won’t go hungry.

Ingredients are often fried in butter or made into a thick stew and served with a side dish of pickled vegetables. Classic favourites include pork schnitzel, paprika sausages, cabbage and meat stews, followed by polish doughnuts, crumpets, and pancakes.

However, as you will soon discover, those last three dishes can come often be served as both sweet or savoury. As such, making our Krakow food tours an exciting and unique way to enjoy traditional Polish food.

Traditional Polish Food in Krakow

While dining in a local bar or restaurant is a great way to meet the locals, Krakow food tours are another chance to sample authentic Polish cuisine.

Hunter’s Stew

Sauerkraut is the main ingredient in Hunter’s stew along with the addition of mushrooms, sausages and sometimes dried plums. In order to get the very best results, the dish should always be cooked on the lowest heat possible. As such, it can be left simmering overnight, resulting in a filling and flavoursome winters meal.

Pierogi Dumplings

Pierogi dumplings are possibly the most famous of Polish food. Consisting of flour dumplings made with various fillings. Traditionally, the dumplings are stuffed with ground meat, potatoes, cottage cheese, sauerkraut and mushrooms.

Sweet Pierogis 

Alternatively, pierogis can also be filled with blueberries, strawberries and sour cherries, served with sugar and cream. However, despite being one of the sweetest Polish food in Krakow, the locals often don’t consider it a dessert!

Kiełbasa (Sausages)

Poland is of course, well known for its delicious and unusual sausages! While shopping with any of our Krakow food tours, you may well come across baked kiełbasa. Smoked over wood chippings, foodies are then left to decide if they prefer their meat eaten fresh or hung out to dry cure.

Žurek (Soup)

If you order the meal of the day at a local bar or restaurant, the chances are you will receive a bowl of Polish soup. Žurek is considered the most traditional and has a rather distinctive sour flavour. However, not zingy like a lemon, but much more delicate. The soup is really hearty, lavish and delicious and contains, hard-boiled eggs, sausage, potatoes and bacon.

Oscypek (Smoked Cheese)

This is a smoked sheep's milk cheese and a traditional delicacy. The most authentic Oscypek comes direct from the Tatra Mountains, where it is only made by the farmers during the summer. After October, you may not find it on a local menu until springtime. However, when you do try Oscypek, we recommend having it lightly fried and served with jam.

Potato Pancakes

The last of our list of traditional food in Krakow is are these relatively simple potato pancakes. Lightly fried and served with sour cream, you can eat them as an accompaniment or on their own.

Food and Drink Experiences in Krakow

Food tourism in Kraków requires plenty of time and a good strong appetite! After all, by joining one of our delicious food and drink experiences in Krakow, you’ll gain a fascinating insight into Eastern European cuisine.

Book yourself, family or friends a place on our Krakow food tours today. One which introduces you to not only the history of the city but some incredible flavours along the way. Alternatively, why not learn about food from around the world with one of our online cookery classes.