One thing I noticed while I was searching Poland travel blogs and websites before we went was that street food was a big thing, and there are so many foods you don’t want to miss!
I started taking note of all of these so I wouldn’t forget and I ended up trying most of them before we left. I will say, though, some were great, but some….not so great. I put together this guide to give my honest opinions of the street food I recommend and the food I’d suggest skipping.
Zapiekanka
This is a delight! If you like cheese and bread, this will warm your heart! I hate that i don’t have a photo to show you, but if you Google Zapiekanka, there are plenty of images.
The food itself is a long piece of bread with mushrooms and melted cheese on top. There are a variety of other topping options, but this is what ours had. We also added mustard and sauerkraut to ours, but ketchup is another popular condiment. Without all the additions, it kind of reminded me of a french bread pizza without the sauce – SO good! It’s also big enough to share with someone as a snack, but if you’re eating this as a meal, I’d suggest each getting your own.
Oscypek
This is grilled sheep cheese and can be found just about anywhere you go in Zakopane. I honestly didn’t like it very much, but I also don’t like that flaming cheese (saganaki) people get at greek restaurants. So, maybe if you like that, you’ll like this! It usually comes with cranberry sauce on the side to dip it in.
I’ll also mention that we got this one in Zakopane, but I did see it in some restaurants in Krakow. While a lot more expensive, it might be better as an appetizer.
Obwarzanek
You’ll find these ALL over Krakow! It’s essentially a pretzel circle with different toppings like poppy seeds (pictured here) or sesame seeds. I found that within Old Town, they were usually 2 PLN (about 0.50 USD), but outside of Old Town, they were only 1 PLN (about 0.25 USD). I wouldn’t go out of my way to get the cheaper one, though, because it’s a difference of a quarter.
It honestly wasn’t anything super special, but it’s a cheap snack to tide you over until your next meal. I also think they are much better at the beginning of the day and tend to harden toward the end, so get one early!
Kurtoskalacs
If you’ve been to Prague, you may have seen these everywhere called Trdelnik and it’s the exact same thing (yes, I had one in both cities)! It’s dough that’s rolled around a thick stick and grilled. The outside tends to be crispy, while the inside is soft and fluffy. We went pretty simple with ours and got cinnamon sugar on the outside, but there are so many options like vanilla, chocolate, nuts, sprinkles, etc. You can even get ice cream or nutella on the inside.
This was so good – i’d highly recommend getting one in Poland or Prague – wherever you find yourself next!
Kielbasa
You can’t go to Poland without getting some Polish Sausage! We found this stand at the Christmas Market, but there are street vendors all around Old Town that sell these. It’s about a foot long and served on a bun. I usually like to add mustard and sauerkraut to mine, but ketchup and pickles are also common toppings.
Trust me, I’m the first to say I love a hearty, sit-down meal – especially in Poland! It doesn’t get much better than a cup of borscht and a plate of pierogi, but sometimes, when you’re wandering city streets, you might not want to spend an hour or two getting a meal in a restaurant and that’s where street food really shines! And let’s be real – street food is probably a third or a fourth of the price of a restaurant meal. With so many great choices around Poland, you really can’t go wrong.
Have you tried any other street foods in Poland? Comment below because I’m already making a list for my next visit!
