Polish-American Foodways

Many Polish communities were created in the mid-1800s as a result of the immigration of peasants in search of a more prosperous lifestyle after the partitioning of Poland resulted in dire poverty for many Poles. This era of migration is called the Peasant Migration Za Chlebem (zah khle-bem), which means "for bread." A Polish proverb characterizes their attitude towards food: "Better to spend on the baker than on the druggist" - because good and abundant food was believed to be essential for good health. In Polish tradition, "the holiest of all foods was bread, the staple in the Polish diet and the secular counterpart to the body of Jesus. An indication of bread's importance to Polish peasants is the number of taboos associated with its preparation. For example, a family's bread trough should not be lent to others because 'bread is afraid of the outsider's household.' Darker, heavier breads were consumed as everyday fare. Piekna pszenna maka (beautiful buckwheat flour), however, was reserved for holiday baking of chleb (bread) and placki (coffee cakes) such as babka of Easter and the poppyseed coffee cake of Christmas" (Silverman, p163).

Traditional Polish food is associated with religious holidays. In Polish communities (also known as Polonia), a cooperative effort plays a major role in preparing food for significant events such as births, deaths and weddings as well as for the Easter Wielkanoc (vee-el-kah-nok) and the Christmas Wigilia (vee-jeel-ee-ah). For example, pierogi-a very labor-intensive dish requiring many hands for preparation-plays a prominent part in many celebrations even though the availability of commercially produced traditional foods is growing.

Foods hold symbolic significance that is modified to coordinate with the occasion celebrated. During the Easter celebration, breads, coffee cakes and sweets represent the bread of the Eucharist and salt symbolizes hospitality, but at a Polish wedding bread is for the sweet things in life and salt is for the bitter; their presence ensures that there will always be food at the newlyweds' table. Meats are emblems of prosperity, but at the Wigilia - the evening meal on Christmas Eve - none is served, in observance of the Catholic Church's requirement of this as a day of fasting and abstinence in preparation of the solemnity of Jesus' birth.

The traditional Polish foods I brought for you to sample are pierogi, sauerkraut and kielbasa. I also brought some ruszki, Christmas cookies also known as "Nut Horns" that I made from my Grandma Rura's recipe.

Pierogi are served with the Christmas Wigilia meal because they are meatless, but they are also served at weddings and other holiday feasts. They are similar to Italian ravioli in that pasta is stuffed with other foods. Pierogi are usually filled with mashed potatoes, Cheddar or American cheese, onions, sauerkraut, or a combination of fillings. They are boiled and then fried with sautéed onion in butter. Dessert pierogi are filled with prunes, blueberries or cherries. Large quantities of pierogi are made at one time and either served immediately at a celebratory meal or frozen for later consumption. My Grandma Rura's recipe requires 8 cups of flour for the pasta dough - you can imagine how many pierogi that makes!

Traditional sauerkraut is homemade as a staple in the Polish kitchen. Originating in Germany, sauerkraut was made as a method of preserving cabbage for year-round consumption. "Like their counterparts in Italy and Germany, Poland's peasants ate little meat most of the year because (it was) scarce, reserved for weddings or major holidays. When a cow or pig was butchered, very little meat was wasted; even scraps became kielbasa, kiszka (ground pork with buckwheat groats), or panas (headcheese)" (Silverman, p161). Potatoes, beans, beets, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, and carrots accompanied sauerkraut on the traditional Polish table as every-day meals along with bread or noodles.

Kielbasa, also known as Polish sausage, is served at weddings as kanapki (sandwiches of rye bread with kielbasa, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, and pickles) or on any special occasion (except the Christmas Wigilia), cooked in sauerkraut. Homemade horseradish is a popular condiment for kielbasa. As I mentioned before, meat of any kind is regarded as a symbol of prosperity - not surprising when it was so scarce - which is why it is held in such high regard that even sausage is a delicacy reserved for celebrations.

I couldn't find any information on ruszki, but it is a part of my heritage as a descendent of Polish-Americans that I wanted to share. I remember watching my Grandma make them whenever we'd go to visit her when I was a little girl, and my Mom - even though she is not Polish - would make them for my Dad to carry on the tradition. This past Christmas I made them myself for the first time, and my son helped me assemble them. While we worked, he commented that this is something we should do every Christmas to remember my Grandma and our Polish-ness.

I used to be embarrassed - because of all the jokes - to admit that I am one-fourth "Pollack," but now that I am a mother and my children are showing an interest in their heritage, I am proud to be able to share my Polish Grandma's recipes with them. I hope you enjoy the food I've prepared as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you.

Sources:

Lust, Teresa

Pass the Polenta and other writings from the kitchen. 1998, Ballantine Books, New York, New York.

Silverman, Deborah Anders

Polish-American Folklore. 2000, University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, Illinois.