Poland

Like Lithuania, from the Middle Ages Polish cuisine was based on local produce like rye, meat and locally grown fruits. However, groats have always been Poland’s claim to fame.

One thing that distinguished Polish cuisine from other European countries in the medieval times, is the use of seasoning; specifically black pepper, nutmeg and juniper. This is due to close trading relationships with the East, particularly Turkey and the Caucasus.

Politics has had a significant influence on polish cuisine. The wars meant that Poland kept losing access to the Baltic Sea, which is why their fresh water fish is more common than, for example, the herring that is served in the neighbouring countries. Talking of which, due to the division of Poland and the constantly moving boarders, Polish cuisine incorporates a lot of same ingredients, methods and dishes of its neighbours.

Interestingly, polish cuisine from history is welcoming to vegetarians and vegans. Due to Christianity, fasts were common in Poland, not only for Lent but also on Fridays and for a variety of celebrations and family gatherings. This means that people were not able to eat meat, dairy and eggs, resorting to vegetables and fish.

Polish drinks are all about the milk, herb infusions, beer and mead (not all together). Vodka became popular only later, and mostly with the poorer society. The term vodka actually used to mean medicines and cosmetic cleaners.

Mamuśka! Polish Kitchen and Bar

The story of Mamuśka is a typical one: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl and her native cuisine, and another 10 mins worth of About Us on the website (Their Story). The story will make you laugh, cringe and question their writing choices, but it’s worth it.

Clearly, Mamuśka is a restaurant run for the love of Polish culture and food. Even the name suggests it; Mamuśka is an endearing term for mum in Polish. As you approach the restaurant, it certainly looks like a small family run place, but once you go in, it’s a huge tunnel full of colourful lights and a great atmosphere. Some amazing Polish artefacts dress the walls, from an old Polish post box to some cool art.

The staff were super helpful in recommending the best food and drinks to go for, but the gold star has to go to the mama of the shift, Kate. She was wonderfully exuberant and was determined to make sure that we had the best Polish meal we could. She encouraged us to follow the Polish tradition of having a shot of cold Polish vodka to prepare the digestive system for the meal ahead. Very honest. Throughout the evening she came over a few times to check that everything was going well.

As with Lithuanian food, Polish food is another good example of a few simple ingredients being put to good use to produce a variety of flavours and textures. Mamuśka has a good selection of authentic Polish dishes, such as the well known Polish dumplings, pierogi, and the Polish “sunday lunch”, Schabowy. We ordered the mixed selection of perogi - the traditional boiled kind, they were all made well, very tasty and had a good ratio of fillings.

We also loved that some meals came with a salad bar, of which most of the bar was properly prepared pickled gherkins (take it from a Russian).

And of course, apart from the multitude of vodkas that Mamuśka serves, there are also some incredible smelling flavoured vodkas (hazelnut recommended)! The Polish honey beer, Perła, was definitely the highlight. Will definitely be going back just for the beer alone.

The value for money at Mamuśka is surprisingly good for London, especially considering how close to the tourist area it is. They also include a very good selection of vegetarian dishes, many of which were also vegan.

As with previous meals, the atmosphere and the company went a long way to making this such a fun evening, or maybe it was the vodka… It is so amazing to see more people taking part in our journey ❤️

Recommendations

While we are only able to go to one place per country, we want to share with you some other awesome places we found/got recommended if you want to try it out and let us know

• Autograf Restaurant, N15 3DA - Polish fare such as stews, pancakes and dumplings
• Ognisko Polskie, SW7 2PN - Elegant bar offering Polish vodkas, plus large dining room