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Since Tesco
began selling Polish food six months ago, the demand for tinned
borsch, pickled vegetables and salty bread sticks has increased
tenfold. Soon the range will be extended to 250 supermarkets.
Polish food
shops are also growing in popularity: there are now about 30
specialist- stores in London, triple the number of two years ago. A
new crop of Polish bakeries and delicatessens has recently opened
across the country.
And Britain's
biggest importer of Polish beer, BDD, reports that sales of
Polish beers and spirits in pubs, clubs and restaurants have
increased by 200 per cent in just one year.
Jan
Woroniecki, the owner of Wodka and its sister restaurant, the Baltic,
in south London, where regulars include the television presenter
Graham Norton, thinks that Polish food is finally "emerging from
behind the Iron Curtain.
For those
still somewhat bewildered, here is our brief guide to Polish food and
drink :
The first
Polish restaurant, Daquise, was opened in Thurloe
Street South Kensington in 1947 by Tadeusz Dakowski, a restaurateur
in Warsaw before the war. Others are now popping up all over the
place to cater for a growing Polish population and the influx of students.
Polish Cuisine
Polish food
can best be described as hearty and filling, perfect for those living
a rural life. Warm soups and stews form the backbone of the cuisine,
with cream and dumplings often a welcome addition. Starters might
include a cold, creamy beetroot and vegetable soup called chlodnik,
a hot creamy sausage variety called zurek or salad. Also
popular are grilled pieces of beef, sausage, chicken or game topped
with a creamy sauce and potatoes. Another example is cabbage leaves
stuffed with rice, meat or mushrooms, or a combination of the three.
Ewa Michalik
runs one of London's most successful Polish restaurants, Patio
and every Polish restaurant serves pierogi, a historic Slav creation
comprising circles of dough encasing various fillings. They are
cooked in boiling salted water, drained and tossed in butter, and are
quite delicious.
The most
popular main dish in Poland is probably bigos - this is a
hearty stew made with sausage and other meats put together with
cabbage, mushrooms and other vegetables. Another dish that is often
on the menu is dumplings stuffed with cabbage and mushrooms or cheese
and potato.
Desserts are
delicious and unusual, ranging from raisin and buckwheat pudding to
seed cakes and ice cream.
Polish Drink
Vodka is one
of the main Polish alcoholic drinks, but for something lighter, a
number of Polish beers are available in the UK including brands such
as EB, Okocim and Zywiec.
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