Krakow: Where Is That Tatanka!

One of Krakow’s most well-known citizens is the late Karol Józef Wojtyła, or Pope John Paul II. His presence is still very palpable here, and I see more priests and nuns making their pilgrimage here than anywhere else outside of the Vatican.

The churches here are open, as in most places (except Bratislava), and sometimes I even happen into a mass, followed by more random walks around the city.

I wandered through the Collegium Maius, the oldest building (circa 15th century) at the University of Krakow. 

But I’d promised you food yesterday, so let me take you to the Bar Mleczny, which is a sort of cafeteria with traditional Polish food. There is only a Polish menu, so I stand there for a very long time, looking around at what others have ordered.

I recognize the chlodnik, a beetroot soup mixed with sour cream, dill and gherkin and served cold–all things I cannot eat. Luckily an English woman takes pity on me and tries to translate a few things for me from the menu. She tells me she used to be a vegan but found it too difficult to maintain that lifestyle. I tell her I’d really like to give the pierogies a go, even if from her description a lot of them come with cream and other icky dairy substances. But do I let a silly cow get in my way?

I opt for a salty version, which is filled with ground pork. I scrape the meat out but at least the marination from the meat has left the dumpling pouches quite flavorful. I also try the fruity version, filled with bilberries, and it actually has no taste. Neither sweet nor sour nor salty. I have less luck scraping the cream away though…I know too well what she meant by difficult lifestyle (sigh).

My favorite is actually a side dish with three types of sauerkraut (well, one is carrot and not cabbage). There's also a lukewarm fruity tea that's lovely to photograph, and I see it in several places around town.

But it’s the tatanka (apple juice +zubrowka, or bison grass flavored vodka, hence tatanka, which means bison) I’ve been told to try. We’ll see if I find it on this trip. Anyway, this meal is not too successful for me. I think you’d really have to be a carnivore and dairyvore to appreciate Polish food.

Remember all those pretzels I mentioned yesterday? There are also these pastry-looking things that are sold everywhere, and I suspect they must be delicious because they are relatively expensive compared to the other items. Now where the heck was that dictionary I asked you to bring? This is no pastry--it’s smoked cheese! With a very, very pungent aroma that seems to seep into my skin. I wash my hands twice and can still smell it. It’s probably because I can’t get rid of the taste in my mouth. Where is that tatanka? I’m going to need to wash that cheesy aftertaste with a shot!

September 23, 2010