Let’s talk about kiełbasa… Posted by Kasia on Nov 18, 2021 in Culture, Food, History
We know it originated in Poland and it is now enjoyed all around the world!
I bet all of you have tasted this food in some kind of form! May it be from the grill, smoked, on a sandwich, in a hunter’s stew, on a pizza, in a soup. But how much do you actually know about kiełbasa?
Image by TheAngryTeddy on Pixabay
Ok, we got fact #1 – Kiełbasa originated in Poland 🙂!
#2 Merchants were known to carry the sausage during very long travels. Knights would often be seen carrying sausages on their belts (I’m assuming in case they got hungry or had to bribe someone 🤷🏻♀️?)
#3 October 11th is National Sausage Pizza Day!
#4 For many centuries, kiełbasa consisted of pork (mięso wieprzowe), pepper (pieprz), salt (sól), marjoram (majeranek), and garlic (czosnek). In 1964, the government of Poland decided to introduce a new variety which contained 80% pork and 20% beef (with other ingredients staying the same.
#5 Traditional smoking process for kiełbasa is one to one and a half days with a cold smoke (this way the flavor is locked in and lasts longer)
#6 Sausage-processing methods include cooking (gotowanie), curing (peklowanie) and smoking (wędzenie)
#7 The various denominations of kiełbasa usually derive their name from the region they were originally made or the name of its main ingredients (Kiełbasa krakowska is a Kraków-style sausage. It is available in food stores all over Poland, but originally comes from Kraków which, before World War II enjoyed a good reputation for sausages not only within the Polish territories but also abroad).
#8 Kiełbasa is a very popular food around the bonfire in Poland! Just like marshmallows here in USA!
Image by Jarmoluk on Pixabay
#9 There are various recipes kiełbasa is used in all 3: breakfast, lunch and dinner menus!
I have witnessed and was part of making true Polish kiełbasa so many times! I definitely recommend it, if you ever have a chance to do it. Definitely one in a lifetime experience! Plus, it’s pretty much a big party with Polish people that lasts all day!
What type of kiełbasa is your favorite?
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About the Author: Kasia
My name is Kasia Scontsas. I grew near Lublin, Poland and moved to Warsaw to study International Business. I have passion for languages: any languages! Currently I live in New Hampshire. I enjoy skiing, kayaking, biking and paddle boarding. My husband speaks a little Polish, but our daughters are fluent in it! I wanted to make sure that they can communicate with their Polish relatives in our native language. Teaching them Polish since they were born was the best thing I could have given them! I have been writing about learning Polish language and culture for Transparent Language’s Polish Blog since 2010.