Zapiekanka is probably the most typical Polish fast food. Half a baguette, almost always topped with mushrooms (pieczarki), and then everything you can imagine. You can add onions, bacon, sausage, ham, meat, tomatoes, corn… Everything is sprinkled with a layer of cheese and baked.
Zapiekanki are most commonly sold in two sizes: 25 cm and 50 cm. Every zapiekanka comes with a sauce, and it’s up to you which one you choose. One sauce isn’t enough? Have two.
Zapiekanka became a popular fast food in Poland especially in the 1970s. It was sold in street stalls and small bistros as a cheap and filling meal. Over time, it became a cult Polish dish. If you overindulge in beer or vodka in Poland, you don’t go to McDonald’s for a hamburger, you go for a zapiekanka.
Zapiekanki are ubiquitous. You can find them everywhere, and the combinations of different toppings are endless. Every stall offers a few famous ones. When I last visited Poland (July 2024), I had no trouble paying cashless everywhere. The only place where I couldn’t pay by card was in a famous zapiekanka stall in the Polish town of Gniezno, where a long queue had formed. I was disappointed. But I satisfied my craving elsewhere.
What’s your favorite zapiekanka?
Bon appetit!
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