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Polish Cookery
- Year
- 1911
- Era
- 20th century
- Origin
- Poland · Europe
- Language
- Polish
- Category
- Eastern European
Polish Cookery, first published in 1911 as Uniwersalna książka kucharska, stands as the most influential Polish cookbook of the early twentieth century and a foundational text of the national culinary canon. Compiled by Marja Ochorowicz-Monatowa, it gathered traditional dishes of the gentry household alongside everyday and festive fare, codifying regional preparations at a time when Poland itself remained partitioned. Successive editions and a later English translation secured its enduring authority among Polish émigré communities.
Cooking from this book
Bigos
Signature dishOften called the hunter's stew, bigos is the dish most readers associate with this enduring Polish classic. A long simmered medley of sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, assorted meats and game, smoked sausage and a handful of seasonings, it is a cornerstone of the Polish table, served at hunts, holidays and family gatherings. Ochorowicz-Monatowa's compendium helped fix bigos in the national imagination as a definitive emblem of Polish home cookery.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
