Polish Language Blog

The weekend is here! And what better way to start the weekend than with a cocktail to unwind? Well, today’s post is a Polish-focused review of some tasty libations from the mother country.

In Poland, and in Polish homes here in the US, alcohol consumption is an essential part of social tradition. I remember, growing up, one of the most important errands my Dad had to complete before a birthday party, dinner party or any other celebration was to go to the liquor store. He had to make sure he had a few traditional liquors for mixers for the ladies, and, by and far the most important, a few good bottles of vodka (wódka) to drink with the men. The vodka was used for mixers too, but more often consumed straight, as a shot.

Poland has a rich, long history of distilling some of the most wonderful vodkas in the world. They are widely known for using potatoes, but are also well-known for using rye (żyto), spelt (pszenica orkisz), as well as some less traditional ingredients like honey (miód), molasses (melasa) and even sugar beets (buraki cukrowe).  Vodkas in Poland come in three general varieties. There are some flavored vodkas, called wódki wytrawne, which are flavored with herbs, grasses, flowers or roots and represent the area they are made. Pure, unflavored vodka is called wódka czysta, translating as “clean vodka”, which essentially means they are clear and free of any additives. Then there are the other flavored vodkas, not to be confused with those mentioned previously, which have flavors added, both natural and artificial. These include the popular flavors of vanilla, lemon, cherry or orange. Vodkas in this category are called wódki smakowe, which translates to “taste vodkas”. The difference between the flavored groups is how they are actually flavored. The wytrawne are made with the infusion of the herb or root into the vodka. The smakowe‘s flavor is an additive, but I think it’s more gimmick that anything else.

I have been fortunate to sample several Polish vodkas. So without further adieu, here are my top three that I have had to date. Needless to say, this is a fun research item for me, so stay tuned for more as I quench my thirst and review. For the review, one of my favorite cocktails, and my usual if you want to call it that, is a vodka tonic. Yum. And it’s even better when made with a smooth Polish vodka. I usually rate a vodka first by taking a shot of it alone, then final judgment is how it mingles with my lime and tonic.

1. Chopin
Chopin vodka is distilled from a favorite starch used in Polish cuisine, the potato (ziemniak or kartofel). It is one of the smoothest vodkas I have ever tried. And I know vodkas are pure alcohols, so it is tough to claim they have a taste, but they do. And this one I think is a little sweet, possibly from the distillation from a starch? I don’t know. I do know that I like the mild sweetness when it hits, then a nice mild burn, followed by no aftertaste whatsoever. And drinking this vodka mingled with a lime (limonka) and tonic (tonik) is like heaven in a glass (niebo w szklance) for me. This vodka is as smooth as its namesake’s piano sonatas… sorry, I just had to! Just delicious!

2. Belvedere
This vodka is from the same makers of Chopin, however it is a golden rye-based vodka versus it’s potato-based cousin. This one too is very smooth to me. I don’t think it is sweet – a little bitter actually, however, it really has a vanilla-like (waniliowy) flavor to it and if I could call a vodka creamy, this would be a vanilla creamy kind of vodka. The burn on this one is far moderate, and it definitely leaves a lingering after-taste of vanilla. Mixed with lime and tonic, this too is one of the smoothest drinks you will ever swallow.

3. Sobieski
The top two on my list are a bit pricier than this one. This one I like to keep in the house as the good standy-by. It’s fairly inexpensive and NEVER disappoints. Named after the last great King of Poland, Sobieski is a vodka made from Dankowski rye. This one too is bitter, however, it does have a sweet finish. There is little to no burn going down, and that sweet finish makes this a great shot. And at the price, this is one you keep chilled and have available at whim to mix with tonic or your choice of mixer.

So, there are my top three vodkas for now. They make terrific shots and even tastier drinks. Tell me what you think, and better yet, share some of your favorite Polish vodkas or recipes in our comments! And remember, every shot always goes down better with a Na Zdrowie!

Do następnego czytania…

In writing this post, I came across an article that suggested that Poles were fundamentally bred to drink, and the government did little to restrict consumption. The reason stated was that the revenue received from the Polish alcohol industry, which until 1990 was a government monopoly, was too important, and discouraging excessive drinking would be detrimental to profits. I think this brings up a very interesting point of discussion, and I look forward to reading your comments.

Here is the article from the US Library of Congress: http://countrystudies.us/poland/45.htm

Today, Adam, our resident guest blogger continues the somber mood of national mourning by shedding light on some ancient Polish customs, traditions and superstitions about death. Or Death.

Poland is a country over 1000 years old. In the days where there was no knowledge and no scientific method, the world was explained in myths and legends. As this is the day of the funeral of the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński, and the official mourning in Poland continues, the Polish Blog decided to describe some of those ancient death superstitions.

For the Polish forefathers and foremothers death was something natural. It was a transition to another world. Ancient rituals needed to be observed. Otherwise the dead person might come back to haunt the living.

Death announced its coming in the dreams that the person whom it sought, or their family, had. Dreaming about a thief sneaking into the house, loosing teeth, being touched by a dead person, being sucked into a swamp or into a hole with lime – was a forewarning that Death was coming into the house. Dreaming about meat, geese, or underwear was also a very bad sign.

Before Death was to take its chosen one, it was said to wander around the house for three days. Phenomena that announced it was there included unexplained knocking on the door or window frames… Its messengers were crows and ravens.

Animals had the gift to see Death, and could warn people about its presence. People looked to warnings in the howling of dogs. Looking between the ears of a dog, was thought to allow a human to see Death as well.

However, the person who was to die, was also said to be able to see Death at the headboard of their bed. Death was a real person, although invisible to the human eye. It did its duty using a scythe or a hammer.

When Death came, when someone did die, everything in a house was brought to a halt. No domestic duties were carried out anymore. All mirrors were covered, and all clocks stopped. Because dead-person’s belongings were thought to bring bad luck, especially straw from the mattress, they were burned – outside the house, and often outside the village. The body had to be washed with water, and the water was poured out outside the village as well, as it was a poison that brought Death. The body was then dressed in Sunday-best clothing. The clothing had to be without knots, as had the coffin.

The soul was flying out of the body through the mouth, and via the chimney to be tried before God. But then it came back, and witnessed everything that was said about the deceased. The eyes of the deceased were closed, and coins put on them. When someone looked at the coffin through a keyhole, they could see the soul near it.

Until the funeral was performed, inhabitants were gathering to talk about the life of the deceased, finding their good side. Also their enemies, and those who disagreed with them, came from far away – as this way they erased their faults towards the deceased, and showed their own forgiveness. People prayed, drank alcohol and ate food. A candle was placed near the deceased so that they could find their way to paradise. If someone did not arrive to the wake, the spirit might call them to it itself.

The deceased could however turn into a ghost, a phantom. Therefore, the wake was aimed to prevent that. The body was being observed – to catch such ghostly symptoms. Otherwise the ghost might bring Death to the family. And it was said to climb the church bell tower and ring the bells, this was to bring Death, and unexplained phenomena on whole village. These included: fires, infestation by mice and rats, illnesses, death of animals. If such things happened, everyone knew whose fault that was. When someone was perceived as “strange” during their lifetime, they were a certain candidate for a ghost. They were watched more closely. If there was any doubt that something wasn’t right, stones or bricks were placed in the coffin just in case. Sand or poppy seeds were placed inside, so that the ghost would be occupied with counting all its particles. Or a fishing net, so that they would be occupied with untying it. A sickle might be put on the body’s neck. Or the body might be turned upside down.

It was important to say goodbye to the deceased once and for all. For that, everyone had to lay a kiss on the dead person’s hand or cheek. Childbearing women were excused from this custom, however. If the deceased was not paid this respect, their spirit would come back to haunt.

Regardless of whether the deceased was “normal” or not, they had to be walked to the graveyard in a procession. Because the dead person was emotionally tied with their home, efforts were made so that they don’t stay there. All chests and all doors were open. When the coffin was carried away from the house, it should be used to knock three times on the entrance, and all chairs and seats should be laid on the floor. The coffin couldn’t touch any wall as this brought bad luck and death. The behavior of the horses carrying the coffin was also closely monitored. Whether they scoop the ground, look back, or look at another house too much. After leaving the village or town, the driver threw a handful of straw or seeds behind his back.

On the way back from the funeral one was supposed to behave calmly and not look back. People believed that the dead are with them on major holidays, like Easter or Christmas, and it was a duty to welcome them. Therefore an extra seat and plate was always provided at the table.

This is only a small part of the folk traditions connected with death that used to be observed on Polish lands in ancient times. Some of these customs have survived in a modified form until today, however, most people are unaware of their ancient origins.

Yesterday was pierwszy dzień wiosny (first day of spring). Or is it today? But only theoretically, because you wouldn’t know it from looking outside. And that’s the problem with spring – it ignores the calendar and shows up when it feels like it (much like Anna she’s supposed to be somewhere at a particular time).

Yet despite those shortcomings, the first day of spring is my favorite day of the year. I don’t care much for the season itself (too unpredictable with too much rain), but its first day sure makes me happy. Why? You see, I’m not a fan of darkness, and I don’t mean the band here. Though the band I actually quite like.

The first day of spring is the glorious point when the night finally gets to be the same length as the day. And it will get even better when we switch the clocks at the end of the month. I don’t even mind that we will lose an hour – anything that shortens the night and increases the hours of daylight is fine by me. And I’m sure that all SAD sufferers feel exactly the same way.

But the first day of spring is also an occasion to celebrate the fact that winter is finally over (at least in theory). Back in the olden days, the Slavs did it in all sorts of pagan ways. Some of those pagan ways survive in modified versions even now, like topienie Marzanny (the drowning of Marzanna, Marzanna is in genitive in the Polish phrase) for example. Though ask anyone about the significance of this custom, and they are likely to say: “dunno, this is something we used to do in school.”

Though it sounds like a human sacrifice (actually, I wanted to check if it USED to be one originally, but it doesn’t seem so, those pagan Slavs were pretty tame when compared to other ancient cultures), in reality, it involved the drowning of a straw representation of the goddess Marzanna. Marzanna symbolizes winter (researchers can’t agree on whether she was the goddess of death and rebirth, or something else entirely) and as such needed to be banished at the right time. The right time was of course the day when the sun told ancient Slavs “well, hello down there, I’m baaaack.”

And because these people really respected nature, they would make a straw doll and chuck it down the nearest river, as a sort of “goodbye winter, welcome spring” pagan rite. From what I read, there were other seasonal re-birth customs involved in this ritual, but since this is a PG blog, I will leave those to your imagination.

Topienie Marzanny is still done today. And because it involves a field trip, it’s a favorite school activity for kindergarteners or elementary school kids. First, you get to make a large doll on a stick, dress it up, paint its face, and then you get to drown it in a river. Whoa! What seven year old wouldn’t like it?

Though traditionally made out of straw, these days Marzannas (plural in Polish would be: Marzanny, same as singular genitive) can be constructed of other bio-degradable materials – papier-mâché seems to be popular. However, as one of my teacher friends said, some ambitious souls actually provide straw for their students.

That’s an activity for the young ones. Older students prefer to dress up in silly outfits and skip school. I normally practiced just the skipping school part.

• topić (imperfective, perfective: utopić) – to drown voice file
• pory roku (plural, singular: pora roku) – seasons voice file
• wiosna (fem., plural: wiosny) – spring voice file – four seasons
• lato (neuter, plural: lata) – summer
• jesień (fem., plural: jesienie) – autumn
• zima (fem., plural: zimy) – winter