Kanapka, obwarzanek, zapiekanka… These names may not ring a bell, but you will see them written on every street corner in Krakow. Local street food is a reflection of the country: a tasty mix of influences inherited from the different nations that have populated it. Jews, Lithuanians, Ukrainians and Tartars. And if, at first glance, the traveler goes to Poland more for its history, its architectural riches and its cultural diversity than for its gastronomy, you might be surprised! The city's culinary scene is far from being that of a country emerging from the chains of communism, thanks to a new generation of chefs who have known how to combine local cuisine and contemporary trends. A vitality which has earned Krakow the designation of European capital of gastronomy in 2019. For our best addresses,follow the guide.
Read also48 hours in Krakow, the former Polish capital undergoing a metamorphosis
Obwarzanek, a historic pretzel
The first mention of the word "obwarzanek" dates from 1394. Pawel / Adobe Stock
What's this ?
Ring-shaped bun, pretzel-like, it is the most characteristic representative of street food in Krakow. Traditionally sprinkled with salt, poppy or sesame (more recently with cheese, black cumin or herbs), it has been prepared by hand for over 600 years. The first mention of the word dates from 1394. It was then sold on the stalls of the Place du Marché, then in wicker baskets before being placed in the blue carts where the obwarzanki are sold today. The average daily production in Krakow is estimated at 150,000 pieces, and a museum (with clothing workshops) is even dedicated to it!
Where to taste it?
For the classic version, the small huts are posted every day (until stocks run out) at street corners or in squares.
The authentic obwarzanki are recognizable by the marks of cooking on the grill.
Around € 0.40 per unit.
For a contemporary twist, head to Niewodka where the breads are served with liver pâté, local cold meats and cheeses and accompanied by liqueur.
Plac Szczepański 5. From 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. € 10 tasting board with 5 glasses of liquor.
Paczek, a comforting donut
These round, fried donuts are traditionally filled with strawberry or rose jam.
JacZia / Adobe Stock
What's this ?
These round, fried donuts with lard are traditionally covered with a thick sugar icing, filled with strawberry or rose jam. In Krakow, these pastries are associated with the feast of Tlusty Czwartek, literally Fat Thursday, the date marking the end of carnival and the last Thursday before Lent. On this day, thousands of Poles march through the city's bakeries all day long to buy paczki. A popular belief says that the more you eat during the day, the happier the following year will be. Watch out for indigestion.
Where to taste it?
Chez Gorace Paczki, a stall where hot donuts are made throughout the day and topped with twelve different flavors.
Szewska 25. 9 am to 8 pm.
About € 0.80 per unit.
Great care is taken in the decoration of paczki at Paczenka Manufaktura.
Grodzka 25. From 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
About € 1 per unit.
The pierogi, a national emblem
Originally a peasant dish, pierogi have grown in popularity and are widely used in all social classes.
Magdalena Bujak / Adobe Stock
What's this ?
These ravioli stuffed with potatoes and cottage cheese, meat, cabbage or mushrooms are considered the national dish in Poland. Originally a peasant dish, pierogi gained popularity and spread widely across all social classes. They are now eaten both for holiday meals (such as Christmas dinner in a version filled with sauerkraut and mushrooms) and on a daily basis, for a quick lunch. The pierogi have their own patron saint and every year in May, Krakow hosts the Pierogi Festival where more than 35,000 pieces are consumed every day.
Where to taste them?
At Przystanek Pierogarnia, the temple of ravioli with its neither too thin nor too thick dough.
Alongside the essentials are more creative variations, salty or sweet versions.
Several addresses are scattered around the city, but we prefer the tiny stall on rue Bonerowska (number 14), covered with post-it.
From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Around € 2.20 for a plate of 9 pieces.
Kielbasa, a sausage with a smoky taste
Smoky and U-shaped, kielbasa is widely used in typical dishes of Polish cuisine.
Zi3000 / AdobeStock
What's this ?
Literally meaning "sausage", kielbasa has been made since the 1930s in the village of Liszki, near Krakow.
Smoky and U-shaped, this pork sausage is widely used in typical dishes of Polish cuisine.
It is also eaten on the go, in a host of variations such as krakowska, a sausage similar to garlic sausage, or kabanos, a long and thin dry sausage.
Where to taste it?
Chez Kiełbaski z Niebieskiej Nyski, in the heart of the party district of Kazimierz.
This ex-blue Soviet van has been serving up kielbaski grilled on a wood-burning stove every evening for 30 years to crowds of hungry night owls.
Count on the scents to appease the wait.
Grzegórzecka 4. From 7 pm to 3 am.
€ 1.75 for a sausage-mustard.
Soups, a must on the menu
Zurek, a soup made from fermented rye flour and vegetables, to which we sometimes add sausages, bacon or hard-boiled eggs.
Nikolay Donetsk / AdobeStock
What's this ?
There are so many that it would be impossible to list them all.
Whether made from mushrooms, cabbage, dried peas, barley and vegetables or sweet and sour pickles, soups are an integral part of the Polish meal, from popular canteens to gourmet restaurants.
Among the essentials: the
barszcz
, a thick beetroot soup served especially on Christmas Eve, and the
zurek
, a mixture of fermented rye flour and vegetables, to which we sometimes add sausages, bacon or hard-boiled eggs.
Where to taste them?
At Soup Culture, which has taken the gamble of transforming this dish usually served at the table into a street food item.
There is a myriad of soups, from the most classic to original variations, served in a cup of bread… That should be enjoyed once the meal is over.
Swietego Sebastiana 10. From 12 noon to 6 p.m.
About € 3.25 a soup.
Kanapki, sandwiches in the open air
The toast are generally garnished with cold meats, fish (tench, trout, herrings, etc.) and Handelek eggs / Photo press
What's this ?
A very common snack, usually garnished with cold meats, fish (tench, trout, herrings…) and eggs, which could be compared to a Danish smørrebrød. In Poland, kanapka is often eaten for dinner, with the main meal of the day taking place after work, around 4 p.m. Gone are the days when Coluche quipped:
"A Polish sandwich is two bread tickets with a ham ticket in the middle"
, alluding to ration tickets.
Where to taste them?
Chez Handelek, next to the Stary Kleparz market, where the kanapka is available in 9 versions, some of which are vegetarian.
The bread is homemade and the toppings of unparalleled freshness.
Slusarska 9. From 8 am to 5.30 pm Approximately € 1.50 each.
At the Kawiarnia Fornir café, with its charming terrace, sandwiches play the XXL card without losing flavor.
Dluga 12. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Around € 3 per unit.
The zapiekanka, a gargantuan wand
Halfway between sandwich and pizza, zapiekanka is traditionally topped with mushrooms, cheese, ketchup and chives.
Annatamila / AdobeStock
What's this ?
Appeared in Poland in the 1970s, the zapiekanka is a half-baguette 20 to 50 cm long, topped with mushrooms, cheese, ketchup and chives, before being au gratin in the oven. Formerly sold in caravans, it has now taken up
residence
in the city's
many
food trucks
, which offer variations embellished with olives, pineapples or oscypek, a typical smoked sheep's cheese. Cheap and filling, it survives despite the hamburger, kebab and gyros stalls that have settled in Krakow.
Where to taste it?
Around the kiosk in Nowy Square in the old Jewish quarter, a disused kosher slaughterhouse now houses zapiekanka stalls.
Endzior, the most popular of all, is the place to learn the baguette.
Plac Nowy 4B.
From 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Around € 1.30 per portion (may be suitable for 2 people).
