The Polish Potato Pancake

The Polish Potato Pancake

~Blog Post #3~

April 19, 2015

By: Sierra Kepski

Who doesn't love fresh french fries or warm mashed potatoes for some comfort food? We all are enjoy potatoes in one way or another, and because they can be served in so many different forms, potatoes are particularly a huge staple food in the Polish culture. They are used for almost anything you can imagine, such as salads, hot or cold soups, stews, dumplings, casseroles, side dishes, and even pancakes. Yes, pancakes! Potato pancakes, known in Polish as placki ziemniaczane, are often served in Poland topped with meat sauce, apple sauce, mushroom sauce, or sour cream. Placki ziemniaczane are historically tied to Polish tradition serving as a food staple for the 17th-century Polish monasteries. During the country's years of economic difficulty, the potato replaced bread in some dishes since it was a cheaper crop to farm than wheat or barley at the time, in addition to the fact that it could be stored for much longer periods of time than bread. The potato is a root vegetable which also makes it very adaptable to the different soil types throughout the country. Since Poland has such a strong agribusiness, it is the leading producer of potatoes in all of Europe!

 Your meal could not possibly be complete without this starchy vegetable somewhere in your dish. Although potatoes are particularly best known for being used in soups, stews, and other comfort dishes, they also can be used as a base to any traditional or unique dish, such as pancakes. My grandmother used to make potato pancakes with me and my dad in our kitchen in the spring time. No cooking experience is required! A potato pancake is one of the easiest dishes to cook considering it only has four ingredients. We use to grate our potatoes and onions the old fashion way: a hand grater, but using a food processor is also an option. I had to learn the hard way not to get my fingers too close to the grater. After you combine the potatoes and onions, add one egg and a bit of flour and some salt and pepper to taste. You combine the mixture and pan fry them in a little bit of oil. My grandmother used to serve them hot topped with apple sauce, just like she use to eat them back when she was my age living in Poland!