I’ll put my hands up, I haven’t a clue about Polish food. But there are now a huge number of Polish food stores, while most local supermarkets now have a large range of Polish food in stock. So, rather than remain ignorant, I decided to look into Polish cooking traditions and what better place to start than the amply stocked Polonez Polish Food Store in Lower Rathmines Road.

The shop offers ingredients typical of Polish cuisine such as sauerkraut, beetroot, sour cucumbers, sour cream, kohlrabi, mushrooms, dried fish, sausages and a large selection of dumplings. I discovered that Polish food is very hearty with meat playing a main role. Some of the more popular dishes are Bigos (stew made from sauerkraut and various meats and sausages), Pierogi (small white dumplings) and Golabki (cabbage parcels stuffed with meat or meat and rice). Dishes are often flavoured with herbs and spices such as marjoram, dill, caraway seeds, parsley and pepper.

This store offers a wide range of herbs and spices and a massive selection of meats which include Gypsy Ham (1200g for €12), Polish Black Pudding (450g for €3), Polish Sausage (360g for €2.18) and Silesian Sausage (391g for €8.80) which is commonly used to make Kluski slaskie (Silesian dumplings). There are some good deals on offer too with a wide range of interesting pasta available (500g for €1.79), Barley groats (1kg for €1.39) and Buckwheat (1kg for €2.15). I have yet to cook Polish food but Polonez appears to be the ideal starting place. I’ll let you know how I get on.

Price check:

• 100g dried dill – €2.59
• Loaf of Polish bread – €2.20
• 860g Sour cucumbers – €2.19
• 900ml Hot dill pickles – €2.59
• 1kg Rice – €2.99

Related posts:

1. Shop Review: Crystal Continental Food Store
2. Polish Delight
3. Shop Review: Spiceland