Polish Cuisine's Richness Contrasts With Ashkenazi Food's Blandness
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
An author explores the perceived blandness of Ashkenazi Jewish food compared to the rich flavors of Polish cuisine, attributing the difference to historical factors and cultural adaptations. He highlights specific Polish dishes and pre-communist recipes that were later adopted by Jewish cooks. Food anthropologist Hamdat Goldberg suggests that the perceived lack of flavor in Ashkenazi food stems from historical hardship, scarcity, and a loss of culinary joy, particularly after the Holocaust.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Author questions why Polish cuisine is perceived as flavorful while Ashkenazi food is often seen as bland.
- Historical research reveals rich, complex traditional Polish dishes predating the communist era.
- Pre-communist Polish recipe books contain original versions of dishes later adapted by Jewish cuisine.
- Food anthropologist attributes Ashkenazi blandness to historical hardship and a loss of culinary joy.
- Communist rule in Poland simplified food production for 40 years, impacting culinary traditions.
An author exploring food traditions questions why Polish cuisine, unlike Ashkenazi Jewish food, is not perceived as bland, particularly regarding salt. His wife attributes this to his "Polishness," suggesting an innate aversion to salting food in his genes, a trait he claims to have passed to their daughter. He investigates this, discovering that the historical border shifts influenced culinary traditions, separating the Ashkenazi kitchen, which adapted surrounding non-kosher recipes with kosher modifications, from authentic Polish gastronomy.
Researching a 2016 book, "Polish: Food, Now," reveals that traditional Polish regional dishes are lessons in the cuisine's inherent richness. Examples include "Piyerekaczbnik," a layered pastry with meat, and "Senkacz," a spit-roasted dough cake resembling shawarma. The author notes that Polish cuisine was simplified during the 20th-century communist era, which centralized food production, similar to Israel's austerity period but lasting 40 years.
He also examines pre-communist Polish recipe books, like the 1860 bestseller "365 Meals for 5 Zloty," which contain original recipes for dishes later adopted and adapted by Jewish cuisine, such as "Kroponik," "Kreplach," "Borscht," and "Lekhach." The differences are described as "Mamaleh and Tataleh," with Polish recipes often featuring more elaborate preparations, like whole carrots cooked in butter for "Tsimmes," or classic French techniques for "Krosha" (head cheese).
Interviews with researchers of Ashkenazi cuisine suggest that Polish culinary elements like foraged mushrooms, berries, fermented foods, and animal fats were present in Eastern European "shtetls" but poorly documented. Chef and food anthropologist Hamdat Goldberg explains that Polish cuisine's distinctiveness lies in its "time" investment, using marinating, fermentation, and long cooking to compensate for scarcity. She attributes the perceived blandness of Ashkenazi food to "depression," "scarcity," and a national image that distanced itself from Mizrahi (Eastern) Jews, leading to a loss of "joy in life" and a decline in culinary investment, especially after the Holocaust.