Polish Learning Community and Resources

Last time I shared with you some of the most popular Polish dishes, now it’s time for dessert! Today I’ll tell you about some of the most popular and favourite Polish sweets and desserts. 

Pączki 

Pączki (singular: pączek) are round, deep-fried doughnuts with a sweet filling. Traditionally they are filled with some kind of jam (plum jam being one of the most commonly used for the homemade variety) and sprinkled with powdered sugar or glazed. They are traditionally eaten (in big amounts!) on Tłusty Czwartek (Fat Thursday) - by the end of that day people often boast about how many pączki they had! Polish love for pączki has experienced a certain renaissance a few years ago and nowadays, in every city centre, you can find places called pączkarnia that specialise in making these delicious doughnuts. Thanks to their extreme popularity you can find pączki with a great variety of filings - wild rose petal jam, chocolate, toffee, cream, you name it! This way anyone can find their ideal pączek. 

Krówki 

Another great classic among Polish sweets are krówki (singular: krówka)- fudge toffee candies. The name means simply ‘little cows’ - probably because the main ingredient is milk. There are two main varieties - the more traditional, handmade one is harder on the outside and very soft on the inside, the other kind is soft and quite sticky. You’re quickly going to find that there are two types of people - those who like their krówki crunchy and those who like them soft. Nowadays krówki still enjoy considerable popularity, they are often given to guests at big family gatherings. There are of course many different kinds with different flavours but the ‘plain’ ones remain the most popular. 

Pierniki 

I bet many of you associate pierniki (gingerbread) with winter holidays, in Poland, they can be enjoyed all year round - you can find them in all possible shapes and sizes - they can be glazed, covered with chocolate or plain, they can also have a variety of fillings. The city famous for its gingerbread is Toruń - the birthplace of Copernicus, where you can find pierniki in almost every shop and you can even take part in workshops that teach you how they’re made. Pierniki from Toruń make an excellent gift idea - very often they are packed in colourful boxes in the shape of the town’s historical buildings, one of the most popular souvenirs is gingerbread in the shape of… Nicolaus Copernicus himself! The most famous pierniki produced in Toruń are Katarzynki (plural diminutive of the name Katarzyna - Catherine) but nowadays you can find them all over Poland, make sure you try them! 

Ptasie mleczko 

Ptasie mleczko is marshmallow-like milk foam covered with chocolate that was invented in Poland in 1936. Its name translates to… bird’s milk and it’s yet another extremely popular type of sweets that is now sold in many varieties. While the name may sound bizarre, it was probably meant to give the idea of something rare. Nowadays they can be found with flavoured filling (cocoa being the most popular) or covered with white chocolate but the most popular, classical variety is the one with dark chocolate and milk filling. The name ptasie mleczko is a protected trademark, so only one company is allowed to use it, therefore don’t be confused when you find it sold with slightly different name, although colloquially it’ll be still called ptasie mleczko. 

Rogale świętego Marcina 

Saint Martin’s croissants are a speciality that comes from Poznań (although recently they’re gaining popularity in other regions too). They’re traditionally prepared for the occasion of St. Martin’s day on 11th of November. Rogal świętego Marcina or rogal świętomarciński is also a protected name and any bakery that wants to produce and sell them needs to meet a number of requirements. The croissants are quite big and are filled with white poppy seeds, nuts, raisins, candied fruits, etc. - it is definitely more than just a dessert, you won’t feel hungry for hours. They are usually sold per kilogram and are more expensive than other types of pastry but are well worth the price. In the first weeks of November you’ll be able to find them just all over the town, but don’t worry if you’re not visiting Poznań out of season, many pastry shops sell them all year round.