Pyry z gzikiem is a typical regional Polish dish. Poznań is a city known for its extraordinary love of potatoes, and pyry z gzikiem is one of the dishes that perfectly represents this affection. “Pyry” is a term in the Greater Poland dialect for potatoes. These are the main ingredient of this dish, as potatoes are found in many other traditional dishes in Polish cuisine.
The dish consists of baked potatoes served with a cottage cheese sauce called “gzik.” This sauce is made from cottage cheese, cream, finely chopped onions, and herbs. The consistency of the sauce can be smooth or slightly chunky, depending on the cook’s preference.
🇵🇱 Tip: After a great Polish food in Poznań, go on one of the many city tours. It is worth it!
Pyry z gzikiem has its roots in the poorer rural Polish cuisine, where it was popular for its simplicity, availability of ingredients, and heartiness. I tried pyry z gzikiem at the Poznań restaurant Pyra Bar (see Where to Eat in Poznań), which specializes in potato dishes. One portion here cost 30 PLN (7.20 EUR).
I was very curious about the dish, as it uses simple basic ingredients. Pyry z gzikiem was absolutely perfect! I was thrilled by how delicious this simple dish could taste. The potatoes were baked to perfection, just as they should be. But what really impressed me was the cottage cheese sauce – gzik. At Pyra Bar, the gzik was enriched with finely chopped red onion and chives, which added freshness and a slight spiciness to the sauce. The consistency of the gzik was similar to cottage cheese – creamy but with a slight coarseness that added texture. The hot potatoes were complemented by a pat of butter and sprinkled with dill.
The plate was quickly empty, I even ate the potato skins… 😇 And how about you? Have you tried this typical Polish regional specialty on your travels through Poland?
Bon appétit!
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