Culinary workshops – gingerbread and dumplings
Gingerbreads – Polish taste specialty
As early as in the 12th century honey cake was made in Poland. 200 years later it was seasoned with spicy fragrant additives: pepper, cloves, ginger and cinnamon. Those were the real gingerbreads. They were baked to commemorate various occasions and also for health. In the 15th century the production of gingerbread was popularized and the cities such as Gdańsk, Toruń and Kraków became famous for the exquisite taste of their gingerbreads. The dough was made 20 years earlier to mature and absorb the aroma.
A beautiful custom also came into practice: when a girl was born at the manor house, before she was christened a barrelful of gingerbread dough was produced which was then used for baking delicious gingerbreads for the girl’s wedding. The guests cheered the newlyweds rising triumphant toasts with mead –Polish national liquor.
In the 17th and 18th centuries gingerbreads won the highest praise. They were baked not only for their taste and for health, but also for fun. Various scenes from life were carved in wooden moulds. They showed, among others, kings, knights, and royal carriages, but what was most important was the heart – an expression of love, courting and adoration.
Gingerbreads, which were sometimes real works of art, were also given as presents to royalties. They were often gilt with 24-carat gold, not only to emphasize the seriousness of the present but also for health.Gingerbreads were identified as a happiness.
Gingerbreads workshops
In order to acquaint the customers with this extraordinary gingerbread secret the Pod Aniołami Restaurant has been inviting them for many years now to take part in „a lesson” in making medieval gingerbread delicacies.
The tables are laid with linen bags filled with rye, wholemeal and wheat flour. In the jars there are „gingerbread” spices: cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger root, orange rind, nuts and almonds. In bottles there are spirits, cognac, rum, and there is also a barrel of mead for the dough or a glass for the Customers’ good humour. With particular, due attention we present flakes of pure 24-carat gold, which alleviates „all internal disturbances” and “purifies the organism”.
Decorating the gingerbreads with coinage gold was always an expression of utmost admiration and appreciation, and thus:
- To the gingerbread dough prepared earlier we add a secret Old Polish recipe, modified at the Pod Aniołami Restaurant
- We roll out the dough with the Customers or fill it in the wooden moulds;
- With a knife or using metal moulds we cut out the contours of gingerbreads
- We decorate them with nuts, dates or raisins
- We bake them in the oven
- We decorate them according to the confectionery art or we gilt them with flakes of 24-carat gold as tradition required
- We pack the gingerbreads made by our Customers along with the Certificate of completing a „gingerbread making lesson” at the Pod Aniołami Restaurant
- The gingerbreads (without any preservatives!) are aromatic and delicious to eat for several months – a miracle of the medieval secret. Put on a Christmas tree they emphasize the Old Polish atmosphere of Christmas.
The cost of demonstration, tasting and a glass of mead from a barrel – PLN 130.00 per person
Additional cost for the service (two cooks): 400.00 PLN
Culinary works hops are held for a minimum of 12 guests; from 10 am. to 12.30 am. from Monday to Tuesday.
Dumplings prepared in Poland have been among the best specialties of Polish cuisine for centuries.
They were known as early as in the 13th century. Forest fruits and mushrooms were picked in forests and used to fill the dumplings.
Fir their taste and simplicity they soon gained recognition in bourgeois house, convents and inns. Later they were introduced in noblemen’s manor houses where their variety and taste were valued. Cooks had more and more fantasy and filled dumplings not only with fruit, but also vegetables, mushrooms, meat and fish in various compositions. In the 17th century Polish landowners became impressed by them, and then the Imperial Court in St. Petersburg.
Dumplings were adopted by French gourmets in Paris as a special treat.
They found their way to the most elegant tables in Europe.
Dumplings are the most popular Polish dish,
which can never be missed at Christmas. You just need to add a little heart and fantasy to making them and they will be delicious and everyone will delight in them.
In 2003 the Pod Aniołami Restaurant organized the first Polish Dumplings Festival in Kraków, which has lasted till today. The Restaurant has funded two annual challenge trophies for new winners. They are sculptures by Eugeniusz Zegadło: King Casimir the Great, the founder of the brick Kraków, and St. Jacek of the Dumplings, Patron Saint of gourmets.
Culinary works hops for Gourmets or how to make dumplings.
The Pod Aniołami Restaurant has been frequently awarded for delicious dumplings.
On earlier request we organize a lesson in ma king dumplings along with the tasting. We have on our offer:
- Dumplings with season fruits
- „Russian” dumplings with cottage cheese and potatoes
- Dumplings with sauerkraut and mushrooms
- Dumplings with meat
For the tasting we serve a cup of Old Polish beetroot soup or sour soup popular since the 16th century,
and to pep up your spirits, that is to give you more courage and fantasy, we serve a glass of Goergian sparkling wine.
To end the demonstration we hand in a ,,Certificate of completing a course of ma king dumplings”,
along with seven recipes for each day of the week to make the best Polish dumplings.
The cost of demonstration and tasting: PLN 170.00 per person
Additional cost for the service (two cooks): 400.00 PLN
Culinary works hops are held for a minimum of 12 guests
exepts weekend.
