Poland secured 11th place in the latest 100 Best Cuisines ranking by the TasteAtlas travel guide for 2024-2025, climbing two spots from the previous ranking.
Greek, Italian and Mexican cuisines topped the list, while Poland outperformed culinary giants such as Indian, American and Korean cuisines.
TasteAtlas listed five Polish dishes and products as "must-try."
Among them are pierogi, stuffed dumplings that can be sweet or savory, with fillings such as cheese, onions, ground meat, mushrooms, potatoes, sauerkraut, or even berries such as strawberries or blueberries.
The list also features sernik, a traditional Polish cheesecake "made with eggs, sugar, and twaróg—a type of curd cheese that has been used in desserts for hundreds of years."
TasteAtlas notes that the dessert "originated in the 17th century, when King Jan III Sobieski brought the recipe with him after his victory against the Turks at the Battle of Vienna."
Other notable items include pączki, yeast-leavened doughnuts "rich in eggs, sugar, milk, and fats;" unique heather honey from forests in the country's southwestern Lower Silesia region; and strawberries from northern Poland's Kartuzy, Kościerzyna and Bytów regions, particularly the Elsanta, Honeoye, and Senga Sengana varieties.
Polish doughnuts, or pączki, are balls of yeast dough that are traditionally fried in lard or vegetable oil, topped with icing sugar and typically filled with jam or marmalade. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
TasteAtlas, an online guide to traditional food, combines authentic recipes, food critic reviews and articles on regional dishes and ingredients.
(mk/gs)