It’s hard to imagine a world where most of the ingredients you’re used to using become unavailable, so much so that substitutions must be made for the ingredients that were enjoyed the most. For instance, what once was a decadent chocolate cake transformed into a chocolate cake completely devoid of any chocolate. This was the life of Polish people during the forty-year reign of Communism. Prior to World War II, Poland’s cuisine was one to be rivaled all over Europe with culinary influences from the Germans, Russians, Jewish, French, and Hungarians. As Communism began its dark rise over Poland, it not only altered daily life but also forced Polish people to find new and creative ways to make things they once loved.

Communism’s reign did have its downsides, such as massive industrialization that led to the pollution of Poland’s main waterways. These waterways contained their major source of shellfish which led some to starve. Yet, the people of Poland today don’t entirely want to forget their communist past. While some individuals are working to revive the intricacies of cuisine from prewar Poland, others are taking what was so commonplace during that period and making it a regular part of their daily lives today with places such as milk bars. Communism’s reign over Poland brought a new culinary passion in its people to keep the cuisine of their past alive and left a lasting impact on how the Polish prefer their cuisine today, mixing both their cuisine from pre-war Poland with the cuisine of their Communist past.

Poland’s cuisine before World War II had to meet a certain standard of excellence. Dishes had to be colorful and the focus was placed on the presentation of the cuisine. Popular vegetables during this time include beets, carrots, topinambur (Jerusalem artichoke), and rutabaga (Magdalena Kasprzyk-Chevriaux). These vegetables would add not only flavor to the dish, but also a certain amount of color to give the dish the presentation it deserved. Often these vegetables would be prepared with exotic meats such as peacock and turtle. Roasted peacock was an elegant dish once served frequently to the upper-class. The peacock would be flavored with lemon juice and stuffed with lardons (a way to add lard to the dish) and chestnuts or livers which would then be roasted. The peacock would be served on croutons with both the feathered neck, head, and tail to give the dish the presentation flair the Polish people loved (“Recipes from Pre-War Poland”). This bright colored dish would soon serve as a great contrast to the food consumed during Poland’s Communist era. Although, acing presentation wasn’t the only important aspect for Polish chefs.

Not only was Poland known for its cuisine’s outlandish presentation, but they were also known as top exporters of shellfish. Snails, oysters, chestnuts, and crayfish dominated fresh food markets in this region. In fact, Poland was a top exporter of crayfish to the West as well as a leading supplier of fresh oysters (“Recipes from Pre-War Poland”). Polish people would transform these simple creatures into decadent dishes for all to enjoy. For example, they would create such things as crayfish pudding and oyster pies.

For oyster pies, the chef would take a dozen fresh oysters to be cooked in salted water. Mushrooms would be chopped, braised in butter, and combined with the oysters to be placed back in their shells. To add additional elements to this dish, a deep, red braised tomato would be ladled on top and the addition of a sharp parmesan and crispy breadcrumbs would be sprinkled on top. A dash of butter would be placed on top of each shell to melt over the oyster while it baked in the oven for ten minutes (“Recipes from Pre-War Poland”). Dishes like these are reminiscent of Poland’s reliance on shellfish. Soon enough, Polish citizens would have to move away from the use of shellfish and begin using primarily starches.

World War II came and went and with it brought the rise of Communism over Poland. With it brought a uniform and bland presentation to the cuisine Polish individuals were used to. Extravagant presentation faded into the background and a multitude of ingredients became no longer available to the Polish people. Along with Communism came the boom of industrialization throughout Poland. Industrialization following WWII was the highest production had ever been in this region. With little care for its environmental impacts, a large number of chemical runoff from these factories brought a high rate of pollution to Poland’s waterways (“Recipes from Pre-War Poland”). In turn, the decadent sea life that was once a large part of Poland’s cuisine became unavailable to all. There were no more crayfish. A shellfish that could once be enjoyed by all ranks of society was no longer available to anyone.

Because of the high volumes of pollution, the people of Poland were forced to find other ways they could get the protein they needed in their diet. Finding other sources of protein became a problem for Polish citizens. The government spread propaganda throughout the country to convince its people that starches were much healthier than meat was (“What Poles Ate When There Was Nothing to Eat”). In a society where food creations were also based on health, this philosophy managed to trick a few individuals. This propaganda was used to distract the Poles from the reality that there was a shortage of meat throughout the region.

While Communism did have its drawbacks, it ignited a creativity in the Polish people—a creativity that kept the essence of their cuisine alive. They had to find substitutions for not only meats and fish, but also simple ingredients like sour cream and flour. The potato became a staple in the Polish diet mostly because it could be transformed to act as a substitution for a dish that had once been enjoyed. For instance, a potato may be pureed to create a sponge cake. Potatoes and yellow turnips were predominantly enjoyed during this period of Poland’s history (“What Poles Ate When There Was Nothing to Eat”). These vegetables played an important role in keeping traditional recipes alive.

The creative individuals of Poland found ways to make substitutions for some of their absolute favorite dishes. For instance, they found a way to make chocolate cake while using a substitute for chocolate. Instead, they would use a tiny pit of raw cacao to give the cake a chocolate zest the people desired (Magdalena Kasprzyk-Chevriaux). A woman by the name of Maria Karpowiczowa made an entire cookbook of these transformed recipes for other women to utilize as well. Within this cookbook, Karpowiczowa revealed the way she found how to make sour cream from just milk, sugar, and potato flour (“What Poles Ate When There Was Nothing to Eat”). Cookbooks like these inspired the people of Poland to keep up with their culinary expertise instead of falling victim to the constraints of Communism.

Even though Communism put the Poles in a situation where they had access to little food, they found a way to take what little they had and made the best of it. Through their creativity, national foods that date to pre-war Poland were able to survive such as the pierogi. This dish is one of the most widely known today. Its simple dough construction with few ingredients such as sauerkraut and potato allowed for this popular meal to survive until long after Communism fell.

Today, the Polish people are not only attempting to regain the culinary mastery of their country before the rise of Communism, but they are also attempting to incorporate the influences Communism has left on them. For example, milk bars were government establishments created during the occupation of Communism in Poland to provide people with low-cost food while also maintaining control over the amount and the type of food given to their citizens. A typical milk bar would serve low cost egg or milk-based meals (Joanna Kakissis). While low cost, these meals would also give Poland’s people a majority of the daily caloric intake they’d need.

While only about 150 of these establishments survive today, they are no longer symbols of oppression and have transformed into what some local characterize as “hipster.” Today, milk bars are still places where locals and even those visiting Poland can come and get a low-cost, traditional Polish meal. A meal consisting of pierogis, potato pancakes, and kompot (a drink commonly called Soviet lemonade) would only cost the patron $4 (Joanna Kakissis). According to a travel website, Lonely Planet, a milk bar is an excellent place for a tourist to travel to. In Gdańsk, Poland a suggested food establishment to visit is Bar Mleczny Neptun. A specialty of this milk bar are the Polish-American favorites like naleśniki (crêpes) and gołąbki (cabbage rolls) (Joanna Kakissis). A menu like this shows Poland’s willingness to appeal to tourists and Polish citizen’s interest in its history.

Although some have embraced their Communist pasts, local chefs and younger food enthusiasts are attempting to bring back some elements of Polish cuisine before Communism took over with newer and traditional ingredients as well as new cooking styles. Farmers are growing traditional vegetables like kale and artichokes. Markets during the Communist era would have little to no choices for the chef, but today’s markets are bustling with a ton of different ingredient types (M.D.). They now offer more than just the potato, more than one type of cheese, and once again offering the meat and fish they missed out on during the Communist era.

During the Communist era, Poland’s cuisine took a hard hit. As one Polish chef said, Poland’s food became “survival food,” (M.D.). This survival food had a drastic difference from the elements of color and artistry their cuisine had before the start of World War II. Yet, in a way, Poland’s food flourished during this period. Their creative substitutions allowed for elements of their traditional cuisine to survive. Their attempts to keep their cuisine alive allowed for food enthusiasts, chefs, and farmers post-communism to once again bring Poland’s cuisine back to the extravagance of where it began with the revival of original vegetables and milk-based ingredients. While elements of Communism remain, they are no longer looked down on with anger or sadness—instead they have become a part of what makes Poland’s cuisine so great and unique.

 

Works Cited

“Bar Mleczny Neptun.” Lonely Planet, https://www.lonelyplanet.com/poland/gdansk/restaurants/bar-mleczny-neptun/a/poi-eat/1023949/360314.

Dudek-Woyke, Agata. “Roasted Peacock and Chocolate Soup: Recipes from Pre-War Poland.” Culture.Pl, http://culture.pl/en/article/roasted-peacock-and-chocolate-soup-recipes-from-pre-war-poland#second-menu-5.

D, M. “What Communism Did to Polish Food.” The Economist, https://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2013/08/poland.

Kakissis, Joanna. “Poles Return to A Taste Of Their Communist Past: Cheap Milk Bars.” NPR, https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/01/503788967/poles-return-to-a-taste-of-their-soviet-past-cheap-milk-bars.

Kasprzyk-Chevriaux, Magdalena. “Forgotten Polish Super Veggies.” Culture.Pl, http://culture.pl/en/article/forgotten-polish-super-veggies.

Kasprzyk-Chevriaux, Magdalena. “What Poles Ate When There Was Nothing to Eat.” Culture.Pl, http://culture.pl/en/article/what-poles-ate-when-there-was-nothing-to-eat