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What’s the first food item people associate with Poland? Yes, pierogi - a stuffed dumpling whose general equivalent can be found in just about every single regional cuisine the world over. That’s not to disparage pierogi, but if you’ve tried them locally and think you’re done with Kraków food tourism, we insist otherwise.

Just as every country has its own specific culinary profile, so too does every city. We’d argue that the latter are generally far more interesting, revealing and rewarding than the former, as they give you a greater sense not only of place, but also people, contributing to the unique character of a city. From street food to traditional national dishes, here are the most essential eating experiences you must have while in Kraków. Consider it an edible to-do list:

1. OBWARZANKI

 

Any culinary journey through Kraków is likely to start with the obwarzanek. A chewy dough ring sprinkled (usually extremely unevenly) with salt, poppy or sesame seeds, obwarzanki are sold from blue rolling carts on every other street corner in Kraków, and are so inescapable they’ve become an unofficial symbol of the city.

Known as the 'Cracovian bagel,' the obwarzanek gets its name from the Polish word for ‘parboiled’ and therefore differs slightly from the bagel, in addition to being its internationally popular counterpart’s predecessor. Though the origins of the Jewish bagel are complex, confusing and hotly-contested, most agree that it was invented by Cracovian Jews after 1496 when King Jan Sobieski lifted the decree that formerly restricted the production of baked goods to the Kraków Bakers Guild. First written mention of the obwarzanek, meanwhile, dates back earlier to 1394, meaning that it’s been a daily sight on Kraków’s market square for well over 600 years. In 2010 it was given prestigious PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status under EU law as a protected regional food, and in 2018 an interactive educational Obwarzanek Museum was opened, where you can make your own.

Although recent inflation has jacked the price of an obwarzanek up to around 3zł (sacrilege!), you’ll still see countless people on the go munching these braided pretzel rings. Tasty and filling when fresh, the art of truly enjoying an obwarzanek leaves a lot up to chance. Cracovian bakers produce up to 200,000 obwarzanki daily in the summer, despite the fact that on leaving the oven the baked goods have a sell-by date of about three hours. As such, finding a fresh one is essential, but for a few coins you can afford to try your luck.
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2. ZAPIEKANKA FROM PLAC NOWY

 

Essentially a baguette pizza, zapiekanki emerged during the communist era as the ultimate Polish street food: cheap, fast, filling, and easy enough to make that anywhere with a wall socket and space for a toaster could become a zapiekanki stand. Order one at any train station in PL and you’ll essentially receive half a stale baguette covered with mushrooms and cheese, thrown in a toaster oven and squirted with ketchup. Underwhelming to say the least.

However, the vendors of the Plac Nowy roundhouse - Kraków’s drunk food headquarters in Kazimierz - have taken this simple concept and gone gourmet with it, making a true art out of the ‘Polish pizza.’ With endless add-ons (including salami, spinach, smoked cheese, pickles, pineapple, feta – you name it), garlic sauce and chives have become standard procedure at this point. Because of their popularity you’ll witness ridiculous lines at the various windows around the roundhouse, but the wait is worth it. At 11-22zł (depending on toppings) it’s a great value and will sustain you through a night of heavy drinking (if copious amounts of bread isn’t in your diet, split one with a friend by asking the vendor to cut it in half). To leave town without having tried a Plac Nowy zapiekanka would be felonious, as would settling for one anywhere else in Kraków. Most vendors on Plac Nowy are open from mid-afternoon until about 02:00, but it all depends on factors outside our purview.
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3. KIEŁBASA FROM THE BLUE VAN