If there were a single image that could represent both Poles and Germans at once, it would be an image of potatoes. Which is actually a bit strange, because in both countries potatoes appeared on the table relatively recently — less than 200 years ago. They largely replaced groats, and, to some extent, bread as … Read more
Fish used to be an important part of the diet during fasting. However, this did not come from biblical tradition, but from Hippocrates’ humoral medicine. A key element of fasting was overall restraint. Fasting was not only abstaining from certain foods, but also a spiritual fast — holding back impulses, cultivating a kind of emotional … Read more
Christmas Eve in Poland means fish flavors.Even if it’s just herring and carp, there must be fish. Herring, the basic fish of Hamburg and North German street food (Fischbrötchen, the classic fish-in-a-bun), is a people’s fish — staple food for fishermen and villagers along the Baltic and North Sea coasts for centuries. In plant-based cooking, … Read more
On the internet, you can find everything you’re capable of imagining—and plenty of things you’re absolutely not.One of them is “culinary Marxism.” The moment I saw the phrase, it stole my heart, and I’ve since enjoyed calling myself a “culinary Marxist.” Whatever that may actually mean. And I found a very intriguing interpretation of the … Read more
In the fasting season, people didn’t necessarily eat “fasting food” in today’s sense of the word — bland, meagre, diet-friendly.Fasting could be lavish. Of course, only on the tables of the small part of society that could afford it. The fish that replaced ham during fasts had, for centuries, been unavailable to the majority of … Read more
Gryfny Shalad for Advent. That’s about the extent of my Silesian, which is barely better than my German. These languages are very much relevant here because *Hekele* is a Silesian Advent salad, sometimes also served on Christmas Eve. And Silesia is one of the most fascinating corners of Europe. Situated between Poland, the Czech Republic, … Read more
In the plant-based kitchen, we often try to “imitate” meat dishes. Sometimes, it’s because we miss those flavors, and sometimes, it’s for the professional satisfaction of achieving a good culinary illusion. I especially like it when such a dish passes the “carnivore test.” Someone claims that there must be meat in there. But it doesn’t … Read more
Textured soy protein (TSP), also known as soya meat (doesn’t it sound better?), is probably the oldest strictly vegan/vegetarian product produced in the West. Today, it is underrated, somewhat forgotten, old-fashioned, or unfashionable, despite being very interesting and fitting in with current culinary trends such as zero waste, because it is made from waste. TSP … Read more
