The Fourth Pierogi Festival!
Cracow's chefs are gearing up for a much-loved and hotly contested annual event - that's right, the dumpling festival is upon us once more.
Now, if you're new to Poland then you may just be wondering what all the fuss is about these little pouches of dough. Well, suffice it to say that to the Pole, a plate of pierogi epitomises that homeliest of homely foods, much like a bowl of pasta to the Italian or a hot croissant to the Gaul.
But are pierogi actually any good? Well, like so many things in life, it very much depends on who's making them. Most Poles will swear that their grandmother is the uncontested champion of the pierog. However, the good news is that some of the top dumpling wizards in town will be throwing their hats into the ring for this weekend's festival. Things kick off at 11.30 on Saturday morning at the Maly Rynek - literally 'The Little Market Square' (which lies one block to the east of the big one). The only bad news is that such is the Polish devotion to pierogi that you may have to queue for quite a while before actually getting your hands on a plate. But no matter, it's all a lot of fun, and bands will be letting rip with some suitably loopy sounds. We'll see you there!
The Fourth Pierogi Festival
Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th August
Maly Rynek, Old Town.
For more on Polish food and the many types of pierogi, click herefor a full intro.