Polish Culinary Paths
Another spicy ingredient that continues to be popular to this day is horseradish. Its leaves were used to bake bread or were wrapped around pieces of butter, whereas its wasabi-like flavoured root spices up many dishes. Other herbs and spices that were already in use in the past included juniper berries, thymus (a plant similar to thyme), mustard plants, dill and mint. Vinegar was also added to food. Another common herb was lovage. In Polish it is called lubczyk and its name derives from the word lubić (to like), which in old Polish also meant “to love.” People believed that lovage guaranteed success in love and marriage, so it was often added to coronets of flowers worn by young girls. When added regularly to food, it was supposed to keep a beloved one in love forever. In cooking, both lovage leaves (fresh or dried) and root are used, with the latter having a similar taste to celeriac. · The Slavs also appreciated juniper and regarded it as a useful plant that kept away evil spirits and demons. As juniper smoke was supposed to protect against illness, people soon started smoking cold hams in it. They believed that if it protected people from disease, it would surely prevent meat from going off too. Juniper berries were also used to make juices, comfitures, vodkas and a very popular juniper beer. · Old-Polish cuisine smelled of overseas spices. Just like in many other places, Europeans especially appreciated saffron, which gave food a golden colour. In the kitchens of the wealthiest one would also find pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg and anise. Sour flavours were emphasised not only with vinegar but also with citrus juices. Sugar was considered a seasoning too. · Today, chefs use herbs and spices from all over the world. They create fusion cuisine relying on fashionable ethnic foods, adapting them for Polish tastes. In big cities one will find unique versions of rāmen, sushi, dim sum and pad Thai, as well as modern Polish dishes with the addition of seasonings and ingredients from past centuries. · What has always characterised Polish cuisine is — apart from the use of herbs and spices — the use of vegetable fats. Flax is one of the earliest-cultivated plants. Maria Konopnicka (1842–1919), a Polish author of novels and short stories, wrote a fairy-tale about the origins of flax. A long time ago there was a king, who had everything but gold. One day he met some travelling merchants. The oldest of them gave the monarch some seeds and said they would grow into gold. The king sowed the seeds and waited for the results. Unfortunately, instead of the anticipated valuable gold, the field was covered with a shabby-looking plant. The angry monarch ordered that the plant be dug up and thrown away,
86