Zapiekanka

Country Of Origin: Poland 🇵🇱

One of Poland's favorite fast foods is this unique open-faced sandwich. Also known as Polish pizza, this scrumptious toasted open faced sandwich is one of the country's staples. Polish zapiekanka is made with a plain white baguette cut lengthwise, topped with a variety of tasty ingredients (ham, sausage, bacon, mushrooms feta, olives, pineapple & many more) & a generous heap of grated semi-hard cheese, and then grilled under a broiler. Served hot with ketchup, it has been a popular street food in Poland since the 1970s communist era where ingredients were hard to come by and people had to make do with what they had.

History: Zapiekanki first appeared in the streets of Polish towns in the 1970s. Under Edward Gierek's leadership of the Polish United Workers' Party, Poland's Communist authorities allowed a degree of private enterprise in the catering industry. This move led to quick proliferation of small family-owned food service establishments, known in Polish as mała gastronomia, or "small gastronomy". Their spread continued during the food shortages of the following decade. They usually took the form of stands or travel trailers turned food trucks serving zapiekanki along with simple dishes of Polish cuisine, such as kiełbasa sausage, boiled ham hock or tripe soup.

Our Favorite Recipe: https://www.polonist.com/polish-zapiekanka/

Want to learn how to master the art of Zapiekanka and other Polish delicacies? Check out these fantastic Polish cookbooks! Polish Foodies Cookbook, Authentic Polish Cooking or Treasured Polish Recipes For Americans.

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