Bigos

Bigos is a stew of mixed meats and sauerkraut, regarded as Poland's national dish and also traditional in Lithuania, Belarus and western Ukraine. It matters because it started as a hunters' dish and is now adapted in almost every household.

History

Its roots are often traced to the Middle Ages, when vegetables were chopped, layered in earthenware pots and cooked slowly. The food historian Maria Dembińska links bigos to this tradition, although the dish as it is known today is considerably more recent.

It is commonly believed that Sephardic Jews from the Portuguese region of Alentejo introduced a similar stew to the area, adapting it with local produce. This is passed down as tradition rather than documented fact. The name appears in seventeenth-century sources, when it referred to finely chopped meat or fish, without cabbage, drenched in butter and heavily seasoned. The cabbage version came later. Stanisław Czerniecki, chef to Prince Aleksander Michał Lubomirski, included recipes of this kind in his 1682 book, one of the earliest cookbooks printed in Polish.

Over time the dish spread across Poland and into the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where it developed regional variations. Today it appears on the menus of milk bars, pubs and bistros throughout the country.

Culture

Bigos is cooked in large batches and tastes better when reheated, which suits hunting trips, camping and travel. Traditionally it was served after a hunt or at winter outings. Today it is closely linked to major Catholic holidays such as Christmas and Easter, since it can be made in advance and reheated on the feast days. It is typically accompanied by rye bread or boiled potatoes and, often, chilled vodka.

Every family has its own version. In Greater Poland it often includes tomato paste and garlic, in Silesia it is served with kluski, and the hunters' version uses wild boar, venison or hare, seasoned with juniper berries to mellow the strong flavours of game.

Trivia