Cabbage is integral to Polish cuisine, appearing in various dishes and traditions. Its historical significance dates back centuries, with sauerkraut being a Christmas staple. Oliver has included a family recipe for sauerkraut and mushroom paszteciki.

Despite the rich variety of seasonal vegetables in a typical Polish diet, cabbage, alongside beetroots and potatoes, is considered a quintessential part of what many of us associate with typical Polish cuisine.  

Cabbage can be found across dinner tables and dining establishments in Poland – stewed, fried, as a side, in soups and pasta dishes, and of course fermented to make sauerkraut. It features in many sayings and proverbs used across the country, such as “Gospodarz bez kapusty ma brzuch pusty”, meaning “A farmer without cabbage has an empty stomach”. This is because, stored in the right conditions, cabbage can last for up to six months – and much longer when fermented. Due to its resilient nature, it has been able to last throughout the duration of cold Polish winters when little vegetation is able to grow. I was born in the 90s, and remember my grandparents storing crates of cabbages, beetroots, potatoes and apples on their balcony and in the basement to tuck into throughout the winter – something I doubt many young people still do with the wider availability of imported fresh produce year-round in Poland, but at the time an important practice which my grandparents took away from their own family homes. 

The other day, when I was making a cabbage and potato sabzi based on my friend’s north Indian recipe, my housemate asked if it was a Polish dish I was cooking. This interaction made me wonder about what it was that made the association between cabbage and Polish cuisine so strong. Unlike the potato, which didn’t enter European cuisine until the second half of the 16^th century and carries an unfortunate colonial legacy, cabbage seems to have been around across both Europe and Asia for as long as written records of food have existed.  

It is difficult to trace the exact history of cabbage as a great range of plants belong to the “brassica” species; as well as different types of cabbage such as savoy and napa, cultivars include broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, collard greens, mustard plants and kohlrabi. The genus is native to Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and temperate regions of Asia. In the West, cabbage was domesticated some 3,000 years ago from its wild predecessors with thick leaves which retained water, allowing them to survive in places with less water. Recent linguistic and genetic evidence enforces a Mediterranean origin of cultivated brassicas.¹ Gradually, their cultivation spread across Europe. The Romans and Celts were fond of cabbage, and manuscript illuminations show the vegetable’s prominence in the cuisine of the High Middle Ages.² Cabbage, due to its commonness as well as its attractive, floral and highly textured appearance, is present in many artworks such as the unattributed Italian still life from our collection, produced at some point between 1650-1699. 

Cabbage seeds feature among the seed list of purchases for the use of King John II of France when captive in England in 1360, but cabbages were also a staple food of the poor as they were easy to grow and by then widely available in England, France, Germany and the Low Countries. It is believed cabbage entered Polish cuisine through Germany around the beginning of the 15^th century. Pickled cabbage was frequently eaten, and Sauerkraut was used by Dutch, Scandinavian and German sailors to prevent scurvy during long ship voyages. While the exact history of cabbage fermentation processes in China is unclear, it is there where the practice originates from, dating back to somewhere around 11th to 7th centuries BC. It was carried from China to Europe by the Tatars, who went on to create a modified version of the pickled cabbage, fermenting it with salt, rather than the rice wine used in China.³ 

The most common Polish pickles are cabbage and cucumbers; both are inexpensive and easy to grow, and would keep families in the harsh climate fed and nourished throughout the long winters. Many people still pickle their own, particularly those living in the countryside, typically in barrels made of oak wood – but for those who lack the space and time, endless mass-produced and artisanal alternatives are available. Traditionally, the barrel would be filled with water to ensure there were no gaps letting out the liquid, then cleaned thoroughly to prepare. Cabbage heads would be finely chopped, salted and beaten until they released juice, often crushed by foot in a large tub and transferred to the barrel in layers until full. The barrel would then spend several days in a warm room to aid the fermentation process, and be subsequently transferred to a cooler place. There, stored under a wooden lid weighed down with a brick or heavy stone in order to keep the cabbage soaked in its juices, it would continue to feed the household and its visitors through the winter. Nowadays, it is common to use a glass or plastic container instead of the oak barrel, and many variations exist. For example, it is common to find sauerkraut with grated carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, juniper berries and other spices, and more experimental versions include additions such as honey, ginger or grated apple.  

The continuous presence of sauerkraut on Polish tables over the past half a millennium and its versatility has made it into a real Christmas staple. It can be eaten raw or stewed, and used to make a variety of dishes – my family usually have it at least three or four ways! Our Christmas table always includes pierogi filled with stewed sauerkraut and mushrooms (usually dried ones, picked by my Grandmother in the autumn), bigos (a hearty hunter’s stew with warming spices), and the sauerkraut and mushroom pastries for which I will be sharing a recipe with you today. Some great news is that the filling can be eaten on its own too, so if you have any left over, it is especially delicious served hot with some sourdough bread! I wasn’t quite sure how to translate the word “paszteciki” and settled on pastries as it felt the most illustrative, but they could just as well be described as little rolls or pies. 

This a recipe which my family use every year, and every year they turn out delicious! They also pair perfectly with borscht, another Christmas staple which we usually have them alongside on Wigilia (our Christmas Eve celebration, which is the main event of Polish Christmas), but they are just as good on their own. They can be eaten cold, or warmed in a pan or in the oven. I have kept the quantities of the original recipe, which makes about 30 small pastries, but if you would like to make another quantity feel free to alter it accordingly. It can also be made vegan by replacing dairy products with plant-based counterparts.  

The process consists of three main steps: making the filling, making the dough, and forming both together into the pastry rolls before baking. I haven’t been able to find a video of the process in English, but if you get stuck, please have a look at this YouTube video by Tomek Lach. Even though you might not understand the Polish, it contains some great and clear visuals, particularly for the third step (around 6 ½ minutes into the video). Please note the recipe varies slightly from this one, but the process is the same. 

Paszteciki z kapustą i grzybami (Pastries with sauerkraut and mushrooms) 

Ingredients 

• Dough 

• 3 egg yolks 

• 100g softened butter (room temperature) 

• 35g fresh yeast (or 8g instant yeast) 

• 1 tbsp sugar 

• 250ml lukewarm milk 

• 350g plain flour (+ 2 heaped tbsp) 

• ¾ tsp salt 

Filling 

• 500g sauerkraut (available in large jars in all Polish food shops) 

• 40g dried mushrooms soaked overnight (or about 350g fresh mushrooms) 

• 2 medium onions 

• 1 medium carrot 

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil 

• 150ml white wine or stock 

• 4 tbsp water, plus more if needed 

Seasoning

• 2 bay leaves,
  
• 3 dried all spice berries,
  
• ½ tsp cumin,
  
• ½ tsp black pepper,
  
• 1 tsp sugar 

Topping 

• 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1 tbsp milk (if plant-based, use oil instead of egg) 

Seeds to sprinkle on top – we usually use a mixture of poppyseed and sesame but feel free to use any you like. Last year I used pre-mixed everything bagel seasoning which turned out delightful! 

Method 

Making the sauerkraut filling: 

1. Transfer the sauerkraut into a large sieve (a colander with small-ish holes will do just as well) and squeeze out the liquid with your hands. You might need to do this in a couple of batches. If you like a less sour flavour, you might want to rinse it through with some tap water and repeat. Leave to drip and get rid of excess liquid.  

2. Dice mushrooms into small pieces. If using dried mushrooms, you can save the water from soaking to use for extra flavour if making stock and/or to use when the recipe calls for water. 

3. Finely dice the onions and grate the carrot. 

4. In a large deep pan, heat the oil and add the onion and seasoning. Fry gently on low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. 

5. Add the carrot and mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes. 

6. Add the sauerkraut, turn up the heat, and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. 

7. Add your choice of white wine or stock, bring to the boil and cook with lid on for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times.  

8. Take off lid and cook for another 10-20 minutes on medium heat, occasionally stirring, until excess liquid evaporates. Season to taste if needed. 

Making the dough: 

1. Put the yeast into a small bowl, crumbled into small pieces, and mix with the sugar. Add warm milk and 2 heaped tablespoons of flour. Mix thoroughly and cover with a cloth for about 15 minutes until covered in a thick foam. 

2. While you wait, sieve flour into a large bowl, add salt and combine. Once ready, add the yeast mixture and gently combine with a wooden spoon. 

3. Add egg yolks gradually, mixing to ensure a smooth consistency of the dough – an electric mixer is ideal for this if you have one. Make sure there are no lumps, then add butter gradually while kneading the dough. Knead for about 10 minutes. 

4. Put the dough in a large bowl in a warm place and leave to rise for an hour, covered with a tea towel. 

Shaping and baking the pastries: 

1. Put the dough on the countertop, knead briefly and form into a ball. Sprinkle work surface with flour and roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 35 x 45cm. Cut into 4, each strip about 11cm wide.  

2. Place the sauerkraut filling along the edge of the strip lengthwise, then roll up so it ends up on the inside, similar to a sausage roll or roulade. Repeat this four times, so that each strip is shaped into a long roll filled with the sauerkraut.  

3. Line a large tray with baking paper and transfer the rolls, leaving ample space in-between. Make sure the dough “seam” is on the bottom. You can split this between two trays if easier, swapping them between shelves halfway through the cooking process. 

4. Score the surface of the dough diagonally and cut the rolls into shorter pieces, around 5cm/2 inches long or smaller if you prefer a bite-sized roll. They will stick back together but you can use these lines as a guide later on, and they will help to give your pastries a lovely shape. 

5. Using a pastry brush, coat with egg and milk (or oil and milk) mixture and sprinkle all over with seeds of your choice. Heat the oven to 180°C and leave your creation to rest while it preheats. 

6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until beautifully golden. Place on a cooling rack and leave until cool to the touch, then follow the lines to cut into the shorter pieces and separate. Enjoy! 

This process is quite time consuming but it is well worth the effort. If you make these, please leave a comment to let us know if you enjoyed them, and if we have any Polish readers we’d love to hear about the Christmas customs and traditions in your household and the region you come from. Do you make these pastries too? I look forward to dipping mine in a mug of delicious borscht in just a few weeks’ time. 

Smacznego! 

–Oliver

References

1. Maggioni, Lorenzo (2015). “Domestication of Brassica oleracea L.” (PDF). Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae. Doctoral Thesis no. 2015:74. 

2. Ingram, Christine (2000). The Cook’s Guide to Vegetables. Hermes House. pp. 64–66. 

3. Patricia Wells, “Sauerkraut: It All Began in China” (1979). The New York Times. Retrieved 15/11/2024. 

YouTube video by Tomek Lach