Week 4: Poland. Land of the White Eagle
A week has passed, and I am still trying to get rid of the turmeric and paprika stains on my fingers from Ethiopia. But off to Poland we go. Smacznego!
What better place to experience a taste of Poland than the Polish Association of Queensland? There are roughly 58,000 Polish residents in Australia, of which 5,240 live in Brisbane. Most arrived as refugees after WWII and again between 1980 and 1991 as a consequence of the Solidarity Trade Union Movement in Poland and the declaration of martial law.
The Club is situated in the suburb Milton (named after the poet), 2km west of the CBD, home to Suncorp Stadium and the famous XXXX Brewery. Speaking of beer....we did it again (see week 3 blog)! Beer and Wodka are the best possible match for the rich and filling Polish food. Now we are truly living on the edge, as we tried 3 different beers: Zywiec (7% alcohol), Zamkowe (5.5%) and Warka (7%). We refrained from the Wodka shots, but I can imagine it would act as the perfect digestive.
The cuisine is based around soups, stews, sausages, dumplings and vegetables (which they prefer to cook well).The portions are huge. No wonder the pretty Polish waitress, wearing a colourful traditional apron, gave me a sideways look when we ordered 2 portions of Golabki (cabbage rolls) as a starter to share amongst the 5 of us (Martina joined us last night). Well, that was the end of me, and I could only get halfway through my main, (Flaczki.....tripe soup). Keith had the traditional favourite Pierogi (Polish dumplings with meat), Boetie had the Kranski (smoked sausages and chips), Nielen ordered the Goulash, and Martina had Bigos, the famous Hunter's stew. Photo's posted below.
The dining hall is upstairs, and it was packed with Polish ex-pats, obviously all knowing each other and having a good time. What surprised me was how young they were (late 20's/30's) . This bodes well for their cultural survival in a world where the lines are becoming increasingly blurred.
We waited nearly an hour for our food to arrive, however, sharing our Polish Facts helped to still the hunger pangs. Let's test your knowledge on some fun facts. True or False?:
1) The most popular name for a dog in Poland is Snoopy. False. It is Burek.
2) There is a dedicated Pope channel in Poland. True (75% of the population is Catholic)
3) Toilet paper is made of paper. False. It is made of crepe, a very thin cotton fabric.
4) Poland is the only country in the EU with an openly transgender politician in parliament. That's true.
I have never given Poland a second thought as a possible travel destination. Having read more about the place, my curiosity has been awakened, and Warsaw may well be included in our next European visit.
Next stop.....Peru!
Kranski
Golabki
Flaczki
pierogi
Goulash and Hunter Stew below.
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