Zakwas

Zakwas - what is that?

For those of you, who know a bit of polish, kwas = acid. But "za kwas /kwaśne " -> too sour?

Yes, there is a bit of truth.

Zakwas, meaning sourdough or natural leaven is a bread product made by long fermentation (ca. 5 days) of dough using naturally occuring in rye flour bacteria and wild yeast.
It is used to bake bread, mainly rye-based. The bread with sourdough is a bit more dense and sour - thanks to lactic acid produced  by bacteria ;-)

 



Sourdough (starter)


 The preparation is very simple. You need only rye flour, water and patience :-P... as it has to be fed every day for 5 days.


Sourdough bread left to rise (needs 5-8 hours)

 

Freshly baked sourdough bread

The benefits of sourdough bread?
- easy to digest
- improves glucose tolerance
- long fermentation breaks down gluten - some gluten-sensitive people can tolerate it 
- contains minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus etc.
- stays fresh for longer time than typical white bread!






Sourdough bread ready to be eaten :)

Once you've made the sourdough, or easier you've get it from a friend, you can keep it in the fridge for a long time . The more mature natural leaven, the better bread. But remember to feed it once a week or before making a bread!
It's a bit like Tamagotchi ;-)

Natural leaven in polish cuisine is also used to prepare Żurek - a sour rye soup, traditionally eaten at Easter. More about it in our post about traditional Easter in Poland.









Have you tried this type of bread being in Poland?

 

Easter in Poland

 

A week ago we celebrated Easter. It's time to tell you all something about some polish Easter traditions.

It all begins a week before the Easter Sunday, on the Palm Sunday. During that day people go to the church with palm-leaf substitutes - handmade bouquets, made of dried flower, grain, branches of willow or box. After it's blessed in the church, it's taken home to provide the benediction for the family and house.



From Wikipedia

We are not going to dwell on religious traditions. We will focus , as always ;-) , on the food.

Have you heard of Pisanki? They are Easter eggs painted with some designs. In some regions of Poland they resemble a small masterpiece. When an egg is painted only in one colour and has no decorations, it is called Kraszanka. Both types of Easter eggs are part of traditional Easter basket.

On Easter Saturday , families are preparing the basket with food, which is carried to the church to be blessed. Everything in the basket has a special meaning - eggs symbolize a new life, bread quotidian food, so it won't be lacking food for the family, salt is a symbol of welfare (as in medioeval times it was very expensive)  and at last meat (f.e. sausages)  is analogue to the Lamb of God. Traditionally the basket is decorated with branches of willow or box. Nowadays you can find inside also lambs made of sugar or chocolate, or even chocolate rabbits. From  Good Friday, until the basket gets blessed, you cannot eat meat!

  

   

Next day, on Easter Sunday, the food blessed in church, is shared between family members during the Easter breakfast. On the table you can find hard-boiled eggs in many forms - with mayonnaise or stuffed, cold meats, sausages, salads and of course żurek.

 

             

Żurek is a soup made from feremented rye flour, served mainly with hard-boiled eggs, white sausage and mushrooms.



In some families it is more popular to prepare white borscht. It's also kind of sour soup , but the difference lies in the type of flour - white borscht is made from wheat flour.

We cant't forget to mention some typical Easter desserts like babkas or mazurek (Pl. mazurki) . There are so many types of them! For example mazurek can be made on waffle or on the shortcake and filled with kind of nougat (meringue with nuts), chocolate or butterscotch. Those with shortcake are decorated with some Easter symbol (see bellow).

 





Easter Monday is a family day in Poland. It is called also Śmigus Dyngus (Wet Monday), because of the tradition to pour some water on  girls and women. That is a pagan practice and it's believed, that it brings the male attraction.
 
You can immagine that it has become a huge fun and both sexes are pouring the water on the others. Kids and teenagers are planning even water battles! So when the weather is good , meaning it's not raining or freezing, better be careful going outside !!!   :-D

And you, how did you spend your Easter?

Tłusty czwartek (“Fat Thursday” - the last Thursday before Lent)

Tłusty czwartek, in the Christian calendar, is the last Thursday before Lent. "The Fat Thursday" initiates the last week of Carnival. On this day overeating is allowed  and also expected ;) so you can eat eat and eat, without counting the calories ;)

 

The most popular are:

• Pączki (Donuts) - Traditional polish ones are with rose hip jam filling, but you can find also with fruits jam or marmalade. Usually they're covered with icing and candied orange peel.
  

In Polish tradition donut is synonym of life in abundance. In Poland we say that somebody lives like donut in butter ;) what it means: to live in clover.

  

• Faworki, Chrust, Chruściki (Angel wings) - deep-fried sweet crisp pastry, shaped in long, twisted ribbons and sprinkled with powdering sugar. They're prepared during the period of Carnival, especially for Fat Thursday or Shrove Tuesday. 

 

According to one superstition, to have a bright future, you have to eat at least one donut this day :)


Bon appétit !!! Smacznego !!!

Let's talk about sweets - our polish TOP 5

Absolute must try while visiting Poland and also a good souvenir.

No. 5 - Krówki  ("Cows"- milky cream fudge ) 

There are a toffee candies, which you can find in two versions - sticky and tender. Don't ask us, which is which, because you never know what you find in the package. 

You can also buy a big bar versions - known in polish as "mordoklejka" - what means mouth-gluing :) 

All of them you can find in many tastes. Classic are the cream ones.

No. 4 - Delicje ("Delicacies")

The sponge cake with fruit jelly, covered with chocolate.  Many people separate it in the parts while eating, beginning from the chocolate and leaving at least the jelly. Childish game, we know, but makes fun :-P

You can choose from cherry, orange, apricot, raspberry ones...

No. 3 - Śliwka w czekoladzie (Prune in chocolate)

It doesn't demand explanation - just try it ! We can ensure you that after few minutes there won't be any left ... 

No. 2 - Torcik wedlowski (Wafer cake from Wedel)

Wedel is polish sweets factory, known for many products. The most famous ones are Torcik Wedlowski and Ptasie Mleczko. These products are available in normal shops or their chocolaterias, where is possible to drink original Wedel hot chocolate.

Torcik Wedlowski is made of wafers with cocoa filling covered with thick layer of excellent chocolate from Wedel.

Buy ready one or order with personal dedication. 

No. 1 - Ptasie mleczko ("Birds milk")

There is nothing more unique than that ! 

It's a soft mousse covered with dark chocolate. They're in couple of taste - caramel, cream, lemon, chocolate and Vanilla - Classic! Now you can find also coconut ones covered with white chocolate.

In the story of inventing it, is told that Mr Wedel said: " To achieve happiness, is lacking only Ptasie mleczko". And that's how they named it !

The most typical way of playing while eating is  "undressing" it from chocolate. Everybody does it :-P 

A&M