Polish breakfast (śniadanie) is definitely nothing like a breakfast in USA. And a hot dog without a bun is pretty much a breakfast staple in Poland.

There are so many different types of hot dogs served in Poland, but the typical breakfast ones are “parówki wieprzowe“, which are pork hot dogs, with a very delicate taste and good quality. They are usually pretty thin or short and little.  They are served with cold cuts (wędliny), cheeses (sery), bread (chelb) and rolls (bułki), buffet style. There are no typical hot dogs buns served with them though…and I don’t think I actually had a true hot dog on a bun before I moved to USA…

Parówki – cold cuts and Polish hot dogs. Image by Dagny Walter from Pixabay

I have to admit that it is really hard to find a traditional, true Polish breakfast place here. Breakfast in Poland has a very rich tradition. Like in many Eastern European countries, it’s typically a wide range of different spreads, reflective of its traditional importance in coping with the colder climate. A lot of food served is smoked, pickled, or salted.

Śniadanie. Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Hearty meats, hot dogs (parówki), hard boiled eggs, breads (typically warm, crispy rolls rather than toast), pastries, mayonnaise, oatmeal and muesli, cheeses, pickled fruits and vegetables, and jams and jellies.

So yes, there is nothing weird with having a hot dog for breakfast, actually not only in Poland, but in other European countries as well. Those fully cooked small sausages are often served hot by boiling them shortly in hot water. Then, when placed on a plate, they are known to emit steam (“para” in Polish) and that’s where the name parówka (pl. parówki) comes from.

What is your favorite part of Polish breakfast?