Eat Smart in Poland - Excellent Practical Guide of Polish Cuisine

Eat Smart in Poland is an unusual book not only about food but about how food was entangled with Polish history, culture and tradition. The authors, Joan and David Peterson, stress that one cannot learn Polish dishes without knowing Poland. It is much more than just a cookbook, it is not only about the taste of the Polish food but also about taste and flavor of Poland.

It starts with the history of Polish food products and dishes and how they are embarked with the history of Poland. The authors explain how different products found its way to Polish cuisine. They describe how the foreign wives of Polish kings, for instance queen Bona from Italy, or foreign rulers enriched Polish cuisine dramatically. Then they continue with description of the regional and holiday Polish cuisine, which was often influenced by the minorities living in certain regions of Poland, for instance Jews and Ukrainians in the Eastern Poland or Germans on the West. Check also the article Old Polish Cuisine - Ancient Food Dishes.

The most extensive part of the book contains recipes for the most unique and popular Polish dishes. It is followed by the helpful tips with advice how to shop for food in Poland. The authors do not forget Polish unique feature - its excellent food markets, which survived even the times of communist rule due to Polish private agriculture thus helping people to deal with the worst food crisis in early 80-es, read more about these difficult times in the article Problems with Food in Poland during Communism . The book contains also a detailed menu guide for these who want to try Polish food in the restaurants and know what they are ordering and eating. It also has food and flavors guide for these who would try to buy some of the unique food products in Poland and prepare Polish dishes as well as a helpful dictionary of the most necessary food phrases.

Eat Smart in Poland: How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods & Embark on a Tasting Adventure
Eat Smart Series, No. 5, by Joan Peterson, Joan B. Peterson, Susie V. Medaris



Eat Smart in Poland is very interestingly written book from which you can learn a lot about Poland. The book is printed in a concise format by Ginkgo Press Inc. It contains many helpful photographs and drawings, done by Sozie V.Medaris. I have to admit that the authors gained amazingly good knowledge of Polish cuisine and Poland in general. They know about Polish food and Poland more than the average Pole does. I recommend it to everybody, it is especially useful to take it for the trip to Poland.

© by Jagoda Urban-Klaehn (article #266)


The authors are experienced travelers, they are known for many ethnic guide foods, among them:
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