Green Velo

Culinary tourism is a trend with an increasing popularity. Will it become popular also in Poland? It remains to be seen. Green Velo East ­Cycle Trail traverses several of the most culturally unique regions of the country and is likely to become a very interesting offer in this regard.

Żuławy, Warmińsko-Mazurskie tempt tourists not only with their beautiful landscapes, but also with interesting cuisine, full of flavours and aromas from different culinary traditions. From Elbląg to Gołdap, we are on the lands where Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, German and Ukra­inian cuisine met. In order to protect and promote local flavours, the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship became a member of the European Network of Culinary Heritage in 2005, so it can issue licenses with the “Culinary Heritage – Warmia, Masuria and Powiśle” protected trademark. Entrepreneurs, who are applying for it, must meet very strict requirements. The main criterion is the usage of ingredients manufactured in a non-industrial manner and sourced from local producers, as well as cultivation and promotion of local culinary traditions.

The region of Podlasie is equally interesting. It mingles the Polish, Tatar, Lithuanian, Belarusian and Jewish cuisine, and each of them, after all, is extremely specific. Who wouldn’t want to taste the famous kartacz (cepelinai) prepared from potatoes and delicious meat and onion stuffing, or the Tatar pierekaczewnik, with its sweet or meat filling served in Kruszyniany. Also, who wouldn’t want to witness how sękacz is baked, or visit one of the old rural cottages where housewives bake sourdough bread, prepare delicious kołacz (korovais) decorated with wheat birds and hares, serve babka (pastry) and potato cakes? Of course one cannot ignore the culinary essence of the region – the regional cheeses and alcohol tinctures are a true treat.

Lublin Voivodeship also tempts with many flavours. Piróg biłgorajski made from buckwheat millet – an exquisite regional tidbit traditionally prepared with groats and potatoes, with the addition of cream and fat. The second in line is cebularz, originating from Jewish cuisine. It is a wheat cake covered with a thick layer of onions mixed with poppy seeds. The grand finale is the Lublin forszmak (vorschmack), a type of stew made from different kinds of meats, with pickles, peppers and tomatoes. Numerous agro-touristic farmhouses allow you to enjoy traditional farm cheeses, real rural bread and wonderful honeys and liqueurs.

Of course, local delicacies can also be found in Podkarpackie. Polish, Ukrainian and Jewish cultures have coexisted here for centuries. In larger towns, such as Przemyśl, we can also find the influence of Armenians. Nowhere else, but in Przemyśl Foothills, Bieszczady and the Lower Beskid Mountains have so many elements of Rusynian (Ukrainian, Boyko and Lemko) legacy survived. In the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, a whole range of culinary events, which – most importantly – promote local flavours, have been organised for many years. Among the tasty regional festivals, one can enumerate the Podkarpackie Tastes Festival in Górno, the Bread Festival in Dźwiniacz Dolny, Krzeszowskie Powidlaki in Krzeszów or the International Ecological Food and Products Fair in Rzeszów. The fact that the Podkarpackie Voivodeship has 165 products on the state-run list of traditional products only confirms its absolute leadership and culinary wealth.

And finally, the last voivodeship on the Green Velo route is Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, a member of the European Network of Culinary Heritage. Here we can find interesting culinary inspirations, which refer to the Polish and Jewish culinary traditions. We can taste dzionie ra-kowskie – a dish with its roots in Jewish cuisine, similar to liverwurst or a blood sausage, but made from goose meat. There are also goose gizzards, and chłopska parzybroda, a soup from sweet cabbage with potatoes and the extremely nutritious Świętokrzyska zalewajka. The Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship is also a fruit and vegetable heaven, famous for its apples from Sandomierz and plums from Szydłów.