"Ogolnopolski Festiwal Dobrego Smaku" - "National Festival of Good Flavors" in Poznan, Poland.

"Czas Dobrego Sera" - "Time for Good Cheese" festival in Sandomierz, Poland.

"Zasmakuj w Malopolsce" - "Taste in Lessen Poland" - invites you to visit and taste regional foods of Lesser Poland region.

Check Events & Festivals in Poland Calendar posted on Poland Culinary Vacations blog before planning your weekends in Poland this summer or join us on our culinary trips where we often make stops at the regional cultural and food festivals as part of our program! Smacznego:)

If you are traveling to Poland or already are in Poland and don’t have time for our week-long cooking vacations, we also offer one-day cooking classes in cooperation with The Culinary Institute in Cracow, in the Lesser Poland region. Hands-on cooking classes are typically four hours long and include preparation of a three course Polish meal with drinks. The recipes will be decided shortly before the start of the class based upon the freshest seasonal ingredients available at the time. Classes culminate in a tasting of all the dishes prepared in class. Sometimes visits and shopping at the food markets are also included where you can savor the flavors of fresh local produce and authentic local life. To book your cooking class in Cracow click here: One-day Polish Cooking Class in Cracow

One-Day Polish Cooking Class at the Culinary Institute in Cracow

Traveling to Warsaw instead? Join a local guide and chefs on a “Three-Day Culinary Adventure Around Warsaw”! Experience the best of Warsaw’s sights and Polish gastronomy in a perfect three-day adventure where we take care of all the organizing and all you have to do is enjoy yourselves! To learn more and book your “Three-Day Culinary Adventure Around Warsaw” Click here

Happy traveling and cooking in Poland!

Lonely Planet Magazine - February 2012

If you’re planning on traveling to Krakow, Poland this year and don’t have time for our week-long cooking vacations you can get a quick introduction to Polish cuisine by attending a one-day Polish cooking class in Krakow designed to teach preparation of a three-course gourmet meal. Poland Culinary Vacations and the Culinary Institute in Cracow have teamed up to create these special classes. To learn more about Polish cooking classes in Krakow and to register please follow this link: One-day Polish cooking classes at the Culinary Institute in Cracow Happy cooking!

Oscypki sheep cheese production process.

Oscypki sheep cheese production process.

Oscypki sheep cheese production process.

Oscypki sheep cheese production process.

Oscypki sheep cheese production process.

Eating cheese is seen as absolutely essential in a healthy diet. In Poland, most popular are artisan cheeses made from organic ingredients in small quantities on family farms. Polish cheeses together with breads are considered to be very unique and of high quality. Cheese is also a crucial ingredient of many traditional dishes, for example the filling of pierogi ruskie - stuffed dumplings, contains white cheese called twaróg, potatoes and onion.

Polish regional appetizers. Smoked sheep cheese, butter, moskole - regional potato pancakes and cranberry jam.

Because Poles love “slow” and organic foods, there are many varieties of Polish artisan cheeses. They may be soft or hard, made from cow, sheep or goat milk, but the flavor is always rich and exquisite. Food festivals and workshops are often held in various regions of Poland where attendees learn the secrets of artisan cheese making. Every June, a very popular cheese festival,“Czas Dobrego Sera” (“Time for Good Cheese”) is held in Lidzbark Warminski, in Warmia-Mazuria region of Poland.

Here are our choices of small artisan cheese producers from around Poland, whose products are really worth tasting!

When heading to Greater Poland region, one should try Kreuzer cheese, made by awarded producer – Ekosery. Kreuzer cheese is made from fresh milk, rennet, spring water and rock salt. In Dutch forms the cheese ripens for at least one month. It is served plain or with basil, oregano or caraway seeds.

Kreuzer cheese. The winner of many awards in 2009. The name is protected under Polish Patent Office.

Awarded Cygier cheese, produced by Ekosery and protected under Polish Patent Office. Very delicate and unique. Albuminous cheese, which belongs to the category of whey cheeses. Tastes similarly to ricotta.

In Warmian- Masurian region, sheep’s milk cheese can be sampled in Sorkwity. If you like famous French Roquefort, you’ll probably love hand-made blue sheep’s milk cheese which you can taste in Ranczo Frontiera

For those who like cheeses with herbs and garlic, Sery Gradzkie (Greater Poland region) offer garlic cheese made from cow and sheep milk or other rennet.

Sery Gradzkie. Ripening. The production of artisan cheese is more complex but the flavor is very rewarding.

If you’re in Bieszczady Mountains (Subcarpathian Voivodeship), try exquisite sheep’s milk or goat’s milk cheeses, which are considered to be the healthiest. Visit Family Organic Farm “FIGA”, where all products are hand-made. You may try bryndza (traditional goat cheese) quark or Vallachai goat smoked cheese. To find out more about artisan cheeses from “FIGA” Farm visit their English website http://www.serykozie.pl/rge_eng/index.htm

Bryndza produced by "Figa" Farm. Traditional rennet cheese made of sheep’s milk. Strong and distinctive taste goes perfectly with whole wheat bread.

Poland is also famous for its white cheese called twaróg. Twaróg or twarożek is made of soured milk. It is usually served with chives, garlic or radishes. What’s more, twaróg cheese features as a basic ingredient of various foods: appetizers, cheesecakes, sweet crepes, dumplings or pasta. There‘s a whole range of twaróg cheese sold in grocery stores throughout Poland.

Polish twaróg - white cheese

Of course the best known Polish cheese is oscypek made in the southern, mountainous region of Poland.  Oscypek is smoked cheese made of salted sheep milk. The recipe is strictly protected and even the shape can’t be changed. Oscypek is produced exclusively in  the Tatra Mountains region of Poland, and is considered to be Polish delicacy. Similar to oscypek is gołka cheese however, it’s  made of cow’s milk and has a different spindle shape.

Various types of smoked Polish cheese, including oscypek, displayed in Kraków

Traditional yellow cheeses, for example, tylżycki are also very popular in Poland. Commonly sold sliced, yellow cheeses are used on sandwiches or kanapki.

Popular yellow cheese

Cheese is the basic ingredient of one of the most favourite Polish cakes – traditional cheesecake or sernik. There are many variations and recipes of this dessert but Poles prefer traditional cheesecake with thin crust and fresh cheese topping. It may be flavoured with raisins or covered with chocolate.

Traditional cheesecake with sugar glaze

If you want to bake traditional, Polish cheesecake, try this easy recipe:

Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Dough:

4.5oz or 125 gram  of margarine

3.5oz or 100 gram of sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of baking powder

10.5oz or 300 gram of baking flour

Cheese filling:

2.2lb or 1 kg of white cheese

2 glasses of sugar

4 eggs

Lemon juice (from one lemon)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a bowl knead all the dough ingredients until smooth. Roll the dough. Grease a spring form pan and press ¾ of the dough into the bottom .

Mix well cheese filling ingredients and cover the dough. On top of cheese filling add the remaining ¼ of the dough. Bake in  preheated over for 60 to 70 minutes. You can use sugar or chocolate glaze for topping.

Many of Poland Culinary Vacations trips include visits with artisan cheese makers and hands-on cheese making in various regions of Poland. Learn more and view pictures from past trips on our website: www.PolandCulinaryVacations.com

Eating outdoor lunch in Gronko village, Lesser Poland region.

Join POLAND CULINARY VACATIONS on our

Fun and Delicious Culinary Tours
to Various Regions of Poland

For all 2012 dates, detailed itineraries and

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From $2350 per person, double occupancy

~ Small groups: 12 people maximum
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~ Beautiful countryside
~ Sightseeing with experienced, bicultural guides
~ Hands-on & demo-style cooking lessons in Polish cities & villages
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Make your dream vacation a reality NOW!

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WE ACCEPT VISA, MASTER CARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS & DISCOVER

Highlander selling oscypki cheese at summer festival.

If you’re heading to Krakow, Warsaw , Wroclaw and/or Gdansk, Poland this summer and fall, plan to attend culinary, cultural and harvest festivals in those four cities and surrounding areas. You’ll taste great regional cuisine and get to sing and dance with the locals. What a treat!

JUNE – AUGUST 2012

KRAKOW

Regional Food Contest in Lopuszna – Taste hundreds of delicious highlander-style home-made recipes – 15 July 2012 in Lopuszna, Lesser Poland region

Oscypek and All Cheeses Festival- A celebration of all cheeses  - 12 August 2012 in Zakopane, Lesser Poland region

Pierogi Festival- Polish stuffed dumplings festival – 15 – 19 August 2012 – location: Maly Rynek square in Krakow, Lesser Poland region

XLV Sabalowe Bajania- Annual festival of the local folklore – 9 – 12 August 2012 in Bukowina Tatrzanska, Lesser Poland region

43rd International Highland Folklore Festival- Highlanders from all over the world descend on Zakopane – 23 – 31 August, 2012 – Zakopane, Lesser Poland region

Malopolska Taste Festival– Grand Finale – 24 & 26 August 2012 – location: Plac Wolnica, Kazimierz district, Krakow in Lesser Poland region

VI International Wine Day – August, 2012 – location: Jaslo, Lesser Poland region

WARSAW

XV Biesiada Weselna – Celebrating Polish Wedding Traditions  – 24 – 25 June, 2012, Wegrow, Mazovia region

VII International Folk Festival “Warsfolk” – Folk ensambles from all over the world perform in Warsaw - 16 – 19, August, 2012, Warsaw, Poland

XIX Kurpie Bee-Keepers Festival – Honey, regional food and bread festival  - 26 August, 2012 – Myszyniec, Mazovia region

 WROCLAW

Ceramics Festival in Boleslawiec- Boleslawiec Polish pottery festival – 22 – 26 August 2012 – Boleslawiec, Lower Silesia region

IX Lower Silesia Soup Festival – 19 August 2012 – Jedlina Zdroj, Lower Silesia region

XIV International Bread Fair- Polish Baker of the Year competition and more – 24 -26 August, 2012 – Jawor, Lower Silesia region

Flour Fest – Breads and sweets on display – 26 August 2012 – Botanical Garden in Wroclaw, Lower Silesia region

Polish-Czech Harvest Festival- 26 August 2012 – Lawica village, Klodzko Commune in Lower Silesia region.

GDANSK

Fishermen Sea Pilgrimage by Boats – 29 June, 2012 in Puck, Pomerania region of Poland.

Kashubian Strawberry Harvest -  1 July, 2012 in Zlota Gora near Kartuzy, Pomerania region of Poland.

Wdzydze Fair – 15 July, 2012 in Wdzydze, Pomerania region of Poland.

Kashubian Fair & Regional Cuisine – 21 – 22, July, 2012 – in Kartuzy, Pomerania region of Poland.

St. Dominik’s Fair & Bread Festival -  28 July – 18 August, 2012 in Gdansk, Pomerania region of Poland.

Polish Championships in Tobacco Snuffing – 29 July, 2012 in Chmielno, Pomerania region of Poland.

Pomerania Fair & Regional Cuisine – July/August, 2012 – in Bytow, Bytow Castle, Pomerania region of Poland.

International Folklore Festival – July/August, 2012 – in different Kashubian towns, Pomerania region of Poland.

Kashubian Flavors/ Malënowi Bęks – End of strawberry harvest – July/August, 2012 – in Wygoda Laczynska, Pomerania region of Poland.

Magic Malbork and Medieval Fair – 11 August, 2012 in Malbork, Pomerania region of Poland.

The Cod Fish Harvest – Polish Seafood Championships – at the end of August in Gdynia, Pomerania region of Poland.

Days with Music and Bread – every Saturday and Sunday in July and August – in Kluki at the Slavic Village Museum, Pomerania region of Poland.

Harvest Festival in Klodzko, Lower Silesia region of Poland.

SEPTEMBER 2012

KRAKOW

Krakow Honey Harvest – XVIII Bee-Keepers Festival – 31 August – 1 September 2012 – Plac Wolnica, Kazimierz district, Krakow in Lesser Poland region

XI Bean Day Celebration - 8 & 9 September, 2012 – Zakliczyn, Lesser Poland region

WARSAW

Mazovian Bread Festival – Annual best Mazovian breads and harvest festival  - 18 September, 2012 – in Wegrow, Mazovia region

V Ecology Fair in Ostroleka – 26 September, 2012 - in Ostroleka, Mazovia region

WROCLAW

Jelenia Gora Fair– 1 & 2 September, 2012 – in Jelenia Gora, Lower Silesia region

XI International Bee-Keepers Fair– 1 & 2 September, 2012 – in Jelenia Gora, Lower Silesia region

Potato Day Celebration- 15 September, 2012 – in Pstrazna, Lower Silesia region

Wine Day Celebration in the Treasure City- 8 & 9 September, 2012 – in Sroda Slaska, Lower Silesia region

GDANSK

Regional Contest for Best Pomeranian Fruit Cordial – 1 September, 2012 in Swolowo, Pomerania region of Poland.

Forest People Mushroom Holiday - 15 September, 2012 in Bory Tucholskie, Osieczna, Pomerania region of Poland.

Cysterian Fair - 16 September, 2012 in Pelplin, Pomerania region of Poland.

Kashubian Singers Convention – 16 September, 2012 in Zukowo, Pomerania region of Poland.

Potato Harvest – 16 September in Wdzydze Kiszewskie, Pomerania region of Poland.

See great DISCOUNT OFFERS for SOLO TRAVELERS and our NEW 2012 Culinary Vacation “Coastal Cooking in Pomerania and Gdansk”!

Until next time…Happy Travels!

Happy New Year! Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!

May your New Year be filled with peace and prosperity and Thank You for your continued support of Poland Culinary Vacations. We’ve enjoyed traveling and cooking with you in 2011 and are very excited about adding new Poland culinary adventures for you in 2012.

Here’s our New Year offer: if you register and pay in full for any of our 2012 culinary tours in Poland before January 10, you will save 15%. We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year!

Christmas trees, lights and colorful ornaments usually come to mind when we think about Christmas. However, in Poland, Christmas celebrations are always related to feasting  and unique dishes served only during the traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Similarly to Easter, Poles have rich culinary traditions as they celebrate The Birth of Christ. The preparations start many days before Christmas because traditionally there are twelve dishes served during the Christmas Eve dinner. Today, not every Polish household follows this custom but even if there are not exactly twelve dishes, they are very unique  and rarely served at any other time of the year.  Moreover, the number  twelve  is very symbolic; there were twelve apostles and twelve months in a year.

Pieces of blessed wafer - opłatek

Herring with onion served during the Christmas Eve dinner

Wigilia dinner is traditionally a meatless fare. Fish, such as carp or herring is often served.  Other typical dishes include cabbage stew with mushrooms, Christmas Eve borscht with dumplings or barszcz z uszkami and dumplings with various fillings or pierogi. For dessert, there’s poppy seed roll or makowiec, honey-spiced cake or piernik, fruit cake, fruit compote and gingerbread cookies orpierniczki.  In some parts of Poland, kutia is served, a very unique dessert with wheat and honey. Similar, but not so sweet is makówki, a dessert made of bread, poppy seeds and honey. Makówki is a South – Western Poland delicacy and kutia is popular in Eastern and Central Poland.

Makowiec - poppy seed roll

Home-made gingerbread cookies or pierniki beautifully decorated with various sprinkles. See the recipe below.

Polish Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

10 dkg or 4oz of honey
7 flat teaspoons of spices (ginger, nutmeg, cloves)
1 tablespoon of water (should be added to honey)
30 dkg or 10oz of flour
30 dkg or 10oz of butter
8 teaspoons of sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons of baking soda
sprinkles
chocolate

Preparation:

Dissolve spices with honey and a teaspoon of warm water and let the mixture cool down. In a large bowl, combine and knead flour, butter, sugar, eggs and honey. Place dough in the refrigerator for half an hour. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Put on a greased form and heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius or 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for about 20min.

Sweets and gingerbread beautifully wrapped for sale during a Christmas market in Upper Silesia region of Poland

These interesting looking balls are made of rice and honey and are very light and tasty. Next to rice balls, traditional food is also displayed; marinated mushrooms and oscypki - smoked sheep cheese

If you’re heading to Lesser Poland, don’t forget to visit the Krakow Christmas Market held in the Market Square. This is the largest and most famous Christmas market in Poland. It always attracts lots of visitors. In wooden stalls wrapped in Christmas lights you’ll find: hand-made Christmas tree ornaments, ceramic decorations, regional food and delicious hot spiced wine.

Christmas Market of Krakow – Market Square
From November 25 to December 26, 2011

Display of beautiful hand-made Christmas figurines

In Warsaw’s Castle Square, in front of the Royal Castle – the main Christmas market is held every year. Another Christmas market can be found in front of the Palace of Science and Culture. Both of them take place throughout December and although smaller than the one offerd in Krakow, many great attractions await all visitors.

Christmas Markets of Warsaw - Old Town and Palace of Science and Culture                                                                                                                           From November 26, 2011 to January 8, 2012

Christmas wreath

The Christmas Market of Wroclaw takes place on the main square in the heart of the old town from November to December. When visiting this historic city in Lower Silesia, you can’t miss it’s Christmas market if you want to get into the holiday mood in no time. Find unique gifts and plenty of mouth-watering foods, bring your family and friends and enjoy arts, crafts and music.

Christmas Market of Wroclaw - Market Square
From November 25 to December 23, 2011

Christmas cards made by primary school children

Gdańsk Christmas Fair will be organized for the 16^th time this year. Visitors can buy original gifts, tree ornaments and meet Santa on December 6th!

Gdansk Christmas Fair – Targ Weglowy                                                                   
From December 5 to December 23, 2011

To learn more about Christmas Markets in Poland, view additional photos and videos, please visit the following website (use Google translate feature to translate text):

http://www.polskawita.pl/inspiracje/jarmarki-bozonarodzeniowe.html