Smalec

Fried Lard, often served complimentary before a meal with hunks of homemade bread. It sounds evil, but it works like a miracle any day, especially an arctic one. Ideally partnered with a mug local beer. Any Polish restaurant worth its salt should give you lashings of this prior to your meal.

Bigos (Pudliszki, Rolnik)

Otherwise known as hunter's stew. This hearty dish is made from various meats, cabbage and sometimes mushroom. In Poland it can sit on the stove and bubble away for days.

Pickled cucumbers (Rolnik, Riversun)

Polish people eat pickled cucumbers or gherkins all the time - as a snack, as an accompaniment to a meal, in sandwiches and even for breakfast. The pickling agent is either brine or vinaigrette - brine is more popular as it leaves them a little less sour.

Dry Krakskowa sausage (Sokolow)

Of the many different Polish sausages that you can choose from, this very slightly smoked example is a real favourite. It is a "dry" sausage, so it can be eaten straight from the packet; there's no need to cook, boil or fry it and it's great on barbecues.

Soup (Lowicz , Rolnik)

Kefir

A buttermilk drink that is, again, fairly sour in flavour. Some Poles believe it works wonders for a hangover. It comes in plain, peach, plum and fruits of the forest flavours.

Sauerkraut (Riversun, Rolnik)

Another Polish staple. Eaten nearly as often as gherkins but usually only at dinner time. Most salads are based on sauerkraut and a basic one would be made up of cabbage, salt, spices and pickled carrot.

These are usually preserved in salt so are quite, well, salty. Used frequently in salads and sometimes stuffed. Also often eaten on nights out - a great way to line the stomach when you're drinking large amounts of high-alcohol spirits.