Polish cuisine (kuchnia polska) is a style of cooking and food preparation originating in or widely popular in Poland. Due to Poland's history, Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to be very eclectic, and it shares many similarities with other regional cuisines. Polish-styled cooking in other cultures is often referred to as à la polonaise.
Polish cuisine is rich in meat, especially pork, chicken and game, in addition to a wide range of vegetables, spices, mushrooms, and herbs. It is also characteristic in its use of various kinds of noodles, cereals, and grains. In general, Polish cuisine is hearty and heavy in its use of butter, cream, eggs, and extensive seasoning. The traditional dishes are often demanding in preparation. Many Poles allow themselves a generous amount of time to serve and enjoy their festive meals, especially Christmas Eve supper (Wigilia) on December 24, or Easter breakfast, both of which could take a number of days to prepare in their entirety.
Among the well-known Polish national dishes are bigos ˈbiɡɔs, pierogi pjɛˈrɔɡji, kiełbasa, kotlet schabowy ˈkɔtlɛt sxaˈbɔvɨ (pork loin breaded cutlet), gołąbki ɡɔˈwɔ̃pkji (cabbage roll), zrazy ˈzrazɨ (roulade), zupa ogórkowa ˈzupa ɔɡurˈkɔva (sour cucumber soup), zupa grzybowa ˈzupa ɡʐɨˈbɔva (mushroom soup), zupa pomidorowa ˈzupa pɔmidɔˈrɔva (tomato soup), rosół ˈrɔsuw (meat broth), żurek ˈʐurɛk (sour rye soup), flaki ˈflakji (tripe soup), and red beetroot soup barszcz barʂt͡ʂ.
A traditional Polish dinner is composed of three courses, beginning with a soup like the popular rosół broth and tomato soup. At restaurants, the soups are followed by an appetizer such as herring (prepared in either cream, oil, or in aspic), or other cured meats and vegetable salads. The main course usually includes a serving of meat, such as roast, breaded pork cutlet, or chicken, with a coleslaw-like surówka (suˈrufka), shredded root vegetables with lemon and sugar (carrot, celeriac, seared beetroot), sauerkraut, or mizeria salad.