Since the beginning of its history, Poland has been an agricultural country, self-sufficient in production of food. As a result of fertile land, favorable climatic conditions as well as location in the center of Europe at the crossroads of west-east and north-south trade routes, the commerce of agricultural products developed well in Poland. Products from other European countries, including oriental spices and sweets, reached Poland through these channels, also thanks to the contacts with foreign cultures, and enriched native dishes with new flavors.
Authors: Aneta Parys-Kępińska, Anna Artemiuk-Błaszkiewicz
The abundance of Polish culinary traditions
The Slavs, ancestors of today’s Poles, lived in harmony with nature, to which they attributed divine qualities. The Slavic diet was based on flours and groats from grains such as millet, barley, rye, and wheat, as well as vegetables, fruit, poultry, pork, and fish. Cows were bred mainly for milk.
First references about culinary habits of the Slavs can be found in old chronicles, for instance “The Polish Chronicle” written by Gallus Anonymus in the 12th century. The first information about Polish cuisine (written in Polish) comes from a cookbook published in the 16th century. The herbariums created at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries are also an interesting source of knowledge about old practices of healthy diet as well as healing properties of herbs, vegetables, and broths. For instance, in the herbarium published in 1613 by Szymon Syreński, professor of the University of Kraków, there are descriptions of dishes such as broth, rye bread, and groats.
The Polish culinary tradition is rich and varied. Local products enriched with the fruit of the undergrowth, meadows, rivers, and lakes have been the basis of Polish cuisine for centuries. It is characterized by a common use of mushrooms and wild forest fruit, honey, nuts, venison, and wild herbs. Mushroom picking in forests is a centuries-old tradition, practiced by successive generations of Poles. The knowledge of edible and poisonous mushroom species is common. It is believed that Polish cuisine is based on a variety of meat dishes. It should be noted, however, that the ancestors, meticulously practicing long religious fasts and in the absence of universal availability of meat, also developed rich vegetarian traditions. It is worth noting typical Polish fasting dishes, such as dumplings (pierogi) with cabbage and mushrooms.
The Polish culinary culture also includes regional cuisine. For example, Podlasie region is famous for sękacz – a cake baked over an open fire on a rotating spit, smoked dry sausages and potato dishes such as potato babka (cake made of hash potatoes), kartacze (meat stuffed potato dumplings), or kishkas. The specialty of Wielkopolska region is goose meat, croissant with white poppy seeds (rogal świętomarciński, also known as St. Martin’s croissant), gingerbread, fried cheese, and smoked plum jam. The cuisine of the highlanders is famous for oscypek, a unique smoked sheep’s cheese, as well as excellent lamb and mutton. Some of these products have been officially recognized as the European culinary heritage and are registered in the EU protected quality scheme of regional and traditional goods.
Nowadays, when food is produced on a mass scale, Polish products, made using modern machinery and in accordance with rigorous EU safety standards, still retain their unique character. Polish producers are inspired by old recipes when developing new products. They uphold traditions, combining them with innovative ideas and technological novelties. Traditional methods of product preservation such as drying, pickling, and smoking are still used. Dried Polish meats find enthusiasts around the world. Meat, fish, cheese, and even plums are smoked, which gives them a distinctive strong aroma and taste. Moreover, Poles are the champions in pickling vegetables such as cucumbers, cabbage, and beets, which are also used to obtain fermented juices, known for their excellent health properties. In the past, other fruit and vegetables, including radishes, turnips, onions, or lemons, have also been pickled. We are reminded about it more and more, often thanks to old recipes. Currently, pickled vegetables are a fashionable culinary trend due to their health benefits and are used by numerous famous chefs. High quality trusted products, often unique recipes and modern production methods make Polish foods increasingly noticeable on world markets.
Polish food specialties
DAIRY PRODUCTS
For centuries, dairy products were considered to be synonymous with prosperity. Not without a reason, Poland was repeatedly described as a land of “flowing milk and honey.” It is worth noting, however, that until the early 20th century cows gave milk mainly in the summer. In order to protect it from spoilage, it was processed into butter and cheese. Cottage cheeses were typical of the lowland areas, while rennet cheeses were produced by the inhabitants of Carpathian Mountains, who learned this craft from Italian shepherds.
The tradition of cheese-making is so strong in Poland that cheeses (mainly rennet ripened) and curds are the most important export goods in the category of dairy products. Poland is currently 7th in the EU and 10th in the world in terms of dairy products exports[1]. About 30% of all dairy products manufactured in Poland are sold abroad. Apart from the above-mentioned cheeses and curds (which account for 35% of country’s milk products exports), the Polish foreign trade of dairy products is dominated by: milk and cream (19%), condensed and powdered milk (13%), as well as butter and milk fats (10%). Moreover, Poland is a significant exporter of whey, ice cream, fermented beverages, and casein. Polish dairy products can be found all over the world. Most frequently, they reach the EU markets, but are also gaining in popularity in other countries such as China, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia.
It is worth noting that three cheeses typical for Polish mountains: bryndza podhalańska, oscypek, and redykołka, have been registered in the EU quality scheme of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), while wielkopolski ser smażony (fried cheese from Wielkopolska) and ser koryciński (cheese from Korycin) – in the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) scheme.
MEAT
In the Polish tradition, meat has long been treated as a luxury product, which only the most privileged could afford. It is worth noting, however, that not every kind of it enjoyed the same recognition. For centuries, the idea that all food products were arranged in a logical, vertical hierarchy from earthly beings to heavenly ones was respected – the closer to heaven, the more noble the product. Following this approach, the hog, which was burrowing in the ground and rolling in the mud, was placed at the very end of the chain, and was treated as meat for the poor. On the other hand, the noble often consumed winged poultry or wild birds. In Polish cooking books, pork starts to appear in the 18th century, mainly in recipes for pork cold meat, sausages, and offal, which over time have become so deeply rooted in our tradition that today we cannot imagine Polish cuisine without them. It is worth emphasizing that sausages such as kabanos (dry sausage) and Old Polish sausages such as kiełbasa myśliwska staropolska (hunters’ sausage), kiełbasa jałowcowa staropolska (juniper sausage), kiełbasa krakowska sucha staropolska (dry sausage from Cracow), kiełbasa biała parzona wielkopolska (white steamed sausage from Wielkopolska), and kiełbasa piaszczańska or lisiecka (whose names come from their places of origin: Piaski Wielkie and Liszki, respectively), produced mainly on the basis of pork, have been included in the EU schemes protecting regional products – Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
Perhaps echoes of old ideas can still be heard today. Poland is the largest producer and exporter of poultry in the EU as well as the 4th largest exporter of this meat in the world. Around 66% of production is destined for export. The offer of Polish producers includes not only chicken meat, but also duck, turkey, and goose meat, particularly valued on the German market. In 2019, the European Union was the largest recipient of Polish poultry. Significant amounts of this product were also exported to Ukraine, South Africa, China, Ghana, and Cuba. It is worth adding that not only meat, but also feathers and down from Polish geese is a highly valued product, especially on Asian markets, while Poland is among the world’s leading exporters in this sector.
Moreover, Poland is a significant player on the market of pork, of which we are the 4th producer and 6th exporter in the EU, as well as beef – 7th place among EU producers and 5th among the exporters. About 84% of domestic beef production is sold abroad, primarily in EU countries and Israel. Smaller quantities of Polish beef also reach Japan, Hong Kong, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, among others. On the other hand, Polish pork has enthusiasts in EU countries, the USA, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Ukraine, as well as Africa (Ivory Coast, Congo), and other parts of the globe.
APPLES
Apples have always been perceived as a Polish national treasure. Their cultivation dates back to pre-Slavic times, however, it became widespread thanks to the monks in the 12th century. Fruit farming was supported by Polish rulers. The harvest was personally supervised by, among others, the Polish king, the famous winner from Vienna – John III Sobieski, who made sure that his beloved wife had an adequate supply of her favorite Kosztela apples for the winter.
The care of the royals and the church brought long-term benefits to the Polish fruit farming. Currently, in terms of apple production, Poland is the largest in EU and 3rd in the world. Most of the fruit grown in Poland are table varieties, intended for direct consumption. Climatic conditions and the experience of fruit growers, benefiting from centuries of tradition, make Polish apples stand out with their unique taste and huge variety. The most popular of them comprise: Champion, Jonagold, Ligol, Gloster, Golden Delicious, Gala, and Cortland. Additionally, Poland is one of the largest world producers and exporters of concentrated apple juice, manufactured from the varieties intended for industrial purposes. The main export destinations for fresh apples in 2019 included: Belarus, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Romania, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Jordan, and Ukraine.
CONFECTIONARY
In the modern period, Europe fell in love with exotic drinks (chocolate, coffee, tea) as well as sugar and confectionary. In 17th century Poland, sugar was a desirable and at the same time an exclusive product; enjoyed to such an extent that it was often consumed in an unprocessed or little changed form. Sugar was the most important ingredient in recipes for candies, while additives such as fruit, herbs and spices were only supposed to emphasize its delicious taste, available only to a handful of chosen ones.
The love for sweet flavor in Poland continues to this day. Fortunately, it is much easier to satisfy the appetite for sweetness now than a few centuries ago. Poland is a significant EU and global producer of various types of confectionary – cakes, cookies, chocolates, bonbons, and candy. In 2019, we were ranked 6th in terms of production and 5th in terms of export of confectionery products in the EU. We were also the 8th exporter of these products worldwide. The majority of export products included cocoa as the ingredient. Polish candy is present on the markets of over 140 countries in the world, the main recipients of which are: the EU countries, Russia, the USA, Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia.
Confectionary produced in Poland ranges from traditional Polish delicacies such as cream fudge, kukułki, irysy and michałki candies, plums in chocolate, ptasie mleczko (chocolate covered marshmallows known as bird’s milk), delicje (jaffa cakes) and gingerbread, to modern, innovative products developed in response to changing consumer needs and preferences. For example, candy made on the basis of xylitol, i.e. birch sugar, others with sparkling filling containing vitamins, fruit jellies without gelatin and lactose or high protein bars made from ground cocoa beans.
CEREAL AND GRAIN MILL PRODUCTS
Groats, flatbreads, or prażmo (dried ears of grain, crushed and baked in ash) were the basic ingredients of Slavic cuisine. With time, breads were also baked on Polish soil. One of the oldest ones is chleb prądnicki (prądnicki bread), originating from Cracow, still made from rye sourdough, rye and wheat flour, boiled potatoes, bran, and fresh yeast. According to the legend, the first loaf of prądnicki bread, baked after the harvest, was given to the king. In 2011, it had been recognized on the EU forum and registered as Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) by the European Commission. It is worth mentioning that unique regional bakery products from Poland such as: obwarzanek krakowski (a ring-shaped bread roll), cebularz lubelski (a wheat dough pancake topped with diced onion and poppy seed, characteristic for Lublin cuisine), rogal świętomarciński (St. Martin’s croissant), and andruty kaliskie (lightly sweet flat wafers from Kalisz region), have also been registered as PGIs.
Poland continues a centuries-old tradition of growing cereals annual amounting to nearly 29 million tons. The main cereal grown in Poland is wheat, whose significant part is exported to the EU and worldwide. Grains from Poland go mainly to Germany and Saudi Arabia as well as Egypt, Kenya, Cuba, Norway, the Netherlands, and Algeria. Polish export offer of cereal and farinaceous goods includes various types of bread and grain mill products such as flour, groats, breakfast cereals, muesli, or bran. Furthermore, Poland manufactures a wide range of high-quality pasta products from wheat flour, including durum and rye wheat as well as buckwheat flour. These products are exported primarily to the EU market, especially Germany, Great Britain, France, and Czech Republic. Outside the EU, Polish cereal and grain mill products are exported to Russia, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and the USA.
ALCOHOL
When listing Polish food specialties, one cannot forget about alcohol. The history of alcohol production in Poland is very long. Traditions of brewing and wine making go back to the beginnings of the state. Polish beer was described by medieval chroniclers such as Jan Długosz, Gallus Anonymus as well as Thietmar, who, at the beginning of the 11th century, called King Bolesław I the Brave “a beer drinker.” Production of vodka is also strongly rooted in Polish tradition. The first written evidence of “vodka” dates back to 1405. Years of tradition have led to the development of original recipes for this alcohol in Poland. According to the legally protected definition of “Polish vodka,” it can only be produced on the basis of Polish cereal grains and potatoes.
Today, Polish vodka is known all over the world whilst Poland has become its largest producer in the EU and 4th in the world. Furthermore, Poland has achieved a high rank in beer production: 3rd in the EU and 9th in the world. It is worth adding that Poland is a producer of original alcohols such as meads, cider, nalewka (alcohol made by macerating fruit, roots, flowers, spices, herbs or nuts in strong alcohol produced exclusively in Poland), fruit wines, and high-quality grape wines. Several Polish alcohols have been registered in the EU scheme of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). They comprise: Polish vodka (polska wódka), herbal vodka from the North Podlasie Lowland aromatized with an extract of bison grass (żubrówka), Old Polish meads (półtorak, dwójniak, trójniak, and czwórniak) as well as podpiwek kujawski, containing a small amount of alcohol.
Food from Poland – new export trends
Poland is a country with rich agricultural and culinary traditions, 6th largest food producer in the EU, with 9% share in the EU food industry. Polish entrepreneurs enter global markets with a wide export offer, including top-quality items, basic agricultural products, traditional food and modern, innovative products with high added value, whose share in the export is growing year by year. In the face of competition in the form of global agricultural giants, often offering lower prices, the sale of primary and unprocessed products cannot guarantee long-term export success. One of the most significant factors determining prosperity on foreign markets is the constant readiness to learn and develop, including monitoring markets and adjusting the offer to the needs of consumers. Thus, more and more manufacturers are targeting niches, offering solutions that respond to market trends.
Polish entrepreneurs have both fresh ideas and modern technologies at their disposal; they often build their brands abroad, focusing on product innovation. It is worth noting that consumers are increasingly becoming aware and demanding. The modern world promotes multitasking, which also translates into food trends. A growing number of people are looking for products that are not only tasty and healthy, but also take into account the diverse needs of body and soul. Thus, Polish producers offer a number of commodities adjusted to the requirements of the modern lifestyle, manufactured with social responsibility and care for the natural environment, including ecological goods.
An example of this is a wide range of functional foods which improve biochemical and metabolic parameters of the body as well as contribute to the quality of performance and well-being. Polish producers, often in cooperation with institutes and research centers, introduce new products of this type to the market. Their offer includes candy and snacks, milk products, drinks, or cereal products devoid of harmful or allergenic elements, yet enriched with ingredients that give them additional health properties. Popular supplements include well-known Polish superfoods such as chokeberry, blackcurrant, mulberry, or sea buckthorn. The products combining top-quality chocolate with “superfruits,” probiotic bacteria and algae extracts are extremely popular. Protein foods as well as healthy candy and snacks from unprocessed ingredients are also becoming increasingly trendy. These goods usually have an additional ecological certificate, guaranteeing the lack of synthetic substances and the highest care for the environment.
Another trend boldly used by Polish manufacturers is the interest in food of plant origin. These products are not immediately associated with Polish cuisine, one of the symbols of which is the pork sausage, famous, among others, in the USA. It turns out, however, that Polish plant-based sausage can taste equally good, and, at the same time, be one of the fastest growing trends on the Polish food market. Consumers of plant-based products are not only vegetarians and vegans, but also people interested in diversifying their diet. In order to meet their needs, the largest Polish producers are expanding their classic portfolio, already valued by consumers, with new, plant-based options. Moreover, there are startups and small manufacturers of plant-based food on the Polish market, including veganized classics of Polish cuisine, such as kabanosy and various types of sausages, bacon, ham, or lard. The return of Poles to their culinary roots, including regional peasant foods, largely based on plants, is also an interesting phenomenon. To experience this aspect of Polish cuisine, it is worth coming to Warsaw, which for years has been one of the world’s most vegan-friendly cities.
Growing interest in Polish food in the world
Polish companies are engaged in intense export activity, steadily achieving better and better results. For 10 years now, we have been observing further records in terms of income from agri-food exports. Poland ranks high among the European food exporters. In 2019, the value of foreign sales of agri-food products from Poland amounted to 31.8 billion euros – 7% more than the year before and over six times more than in the year of Poland’s accession to the EU (2004). Polish products go mainly to the EU countries, including the most demanding consumers in Germany (24% of all agri-food exports in 2019), Great Britain (9%), the Netherlands (6%), Italy (5%), or France (5%). The most important recipients of Polish products from outside the EU include the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries (5%), as well as the USA (2%) and Saudi Arabia (1%).
Polish export offer includes a wide range of products, both basic and modern, processed ones. The majority of Polish beef and poultry, a significant part of pork, fruit, dairy products and grain production is allocated to export. The most important goods, exported in 2019, comprised: meat and processed meat (21%), grains and refined grains (12%), tobacco and tobacco products (12%), sugar and confectionery products (7%), dairy products (7%), fish and fish products (7%), vegetables (including mushrooms) and vegetable preserves (6%), fruit (including nuts) and fruit products (4%), coffee, tea, cocoa (2%), oilseeds and vegetable fats (2%), fruit and vegetable juices (2%), alcohol (2%).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were serious fears that Polish agri-food exports would suffer from restrictions and the trend of supporting domestic producers noticeable in Europe, among others. However, trade results show that Poland proved to be quite resilient to the effects of the pandemic. From January to August 2020, the foreign sale of agri-food goods increased by 6%, compared to the same period last year, reaching 21.9 billion euros. Faced with the pandemic and restrictions associated with it, fruit and vegetable producers as well as the meat industry, which is mostly dependent on exports, have experienced the greatest difficulties. The biggest beneficiary in the current economic situation was the tobacco industry. Export growth was also recorded in the following industries: grain, oil plants and vegetable fats, alcohols and, to a lesser extent, all other food industries.
What influenced this surprising scenario? Polish companies, which enjoy a good reputation and are increasingly present on international markets, took advantage of this time. They used new trade opportunities that appeared on many markets as traditional supply chains broke down. Furthermore, they sold a significant part of production surpluses to third markets, among others. The increase in export of Polish agri-food products was also influenced by the situation on the financial markets. The depreciation of the Polish złoty (PLN) against the euro (EUR) and the US dollar (USD), which took place in the first quarter of this year, in addition to the exchange rate of the złoty between April and August, which was favorable for exporters, contributed to the competitiveness of Polish products.
For several years now, a gradual increase in the export rate of Polish agri-food products to third markets has been visible. This process has significantly accelerated during the pandemic. Export of agri-food products to third countries in the first eight months of 2020 increased by 18%. The main export directions, apart from EU countries, included Ukraine and Saudi Arabia, as well as Russia, the USA, Belarus, Algeria, Israel, South Africa, Norway and China. It is worth noting that the value of Polish agri-food exports to Ukraine increased by 32%, compared to the same period in 2019. Already at this point, it is certain that a historical result of Polish agri-food export to Saudi Arabia will be achieved in 2020. In the first eight months of 2020, the its value amounted to a record 419 million euros, half of which was wheat export.
It is difficult to predict how the situation will develop in the last months of 2020. Yet, so far, the trade performance gives reason to believe that 2020 will be much better than initially expected.
Support for foreign cooperation
The success of Polish agriculture, processing industry, and trade is supported by promotional activities conducted systematically on the domestic and foreign markets. The main institution that implements policies promoting the agri-food sector in Poland is the National Support Center for Agriculture (KOWR) – a government executive agency reporting to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The mission of the KOWR is to provide comprehensive support to Polish entrepreneurs in export and promotion of agri-food products in Poland and on foreign markets.
Within the framework of its promotional activities, the KOWR organizes, among others, economic missions and national stands at the most significant international food fairs. In 2019, together with Polish entrepreneurs, we participated in the largest agri-food conferences in 17 countries worldwide. In 2020, due to restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, the KOWR focuses on virtual events. These include business meetings between entrepreneurs and foreign trade partners conducted online, trainings and webinars aimed at supporting trade cooperation, promotional and informational activities in Polish and foreign social media, etc. These activities are aimed at building a strong brand of Polish food products domestically and worldwide under the slogan “Poland tastes good.”
The National Support Center for Agriculture establishes and develops contacts with entities interested in cooperation with the Polish agri-food sector and trade expansion. We cordially invite you to contact us at the following email address: [email protected]
[1] The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, 2020. From February 1 to December 31, 2020, the United Kingdom remains in a customs union with the EU and is a member of the European single market, thus, it is included in EU trade statistics.
