Europe's Most Underrated Food City! Polish Street Food in Krakow

Krakow, one of Europe's most underrated food cities and it's about to blow your mind. We are talking two kilos of baked potatoes loaded with every topping imaginable, a legendary pork sandwich that might just change your life, this is illegal times ten, the king of kielbasa and zapiekanka, the city's most iconic street food. If you think Polish food is just pierogi, think again. These are 10 incredible Polish dishes you absolutely have to try on your next trip to Krakow. To start, you can't come to Poland and not try a paczki, just look at this. All right, so we made it to, can we say, the most famous bakery in the city. Since 1989 they've been making top traditional Polish donuts. This one is stuffed with rosa, which is a rose flavored jam. You can see also caramelized on top, sugar and orange skin. They make them fresh all the time. There is always one lady making them and it's also quite touristy, but I believe it tastes good. It's just full of people, full of customers. Now let's give it a try. Oh my god, this smells incredible. Buon appetito. Oh, here's the jam, oh very elegant. I can taste rose, it's okay, it's definitely sweet, it's not my favorite, but though it's good, it's fresh. I like donuts but with cream, okay, vanilla cream. And this is nice because it has a rose flavor aftertaste, which is not bad. But what I appreciate is that they're super fresh. On to the next one. This one, which has a different shape, is stuffed with kajmak. So they have different fillings, all sweet, there's no savory. But this one with kajmak caught my eyes. I can't taste the kajmak, it's like chocolate. It's caramel mixed with chocolate, but it says kajmak. Maybe in Polish kajmak means caramel? Maybe, maybe amore. It's insane. This is my favorite. Okay, I think in Polish kajmak means caramel because in the Balkans kajmak is the clotted cream. Wow, oh my god, this is a beast. And yes, this place is famous. I know it's on this touristy boulevard, but trust me, it's worth it. You can't walk around Krakow without seeing Obwardzanki everywhere. But this one is on another level. Next street food, over here we got Obwardzanki. Super popular in Krakow. You usually find them all over the street, sold on pushcarts. But over here, they do a little bit different. So first of all, you can see the sesame on top. This is super classic, beautiful shape, very elegant. And over here, they stuffed it. We got pickles, sauce, cheese, and salumi. This is local Polish sausage. Mamma mia, this looks fantastic. Proper, proper street food. And they also have lots of other different flavors, you name it. Warm, smells incredible. Let's go for it. Buon appetito. Oh my god, the horseradish is pretty strong. The bread is fresh. I really love the sesame, toasted sesame. Almost a bit nutty. I love the sausage here, which is just slightly smoky. Creamy cheese, nice touch from the pickles. It's like an explosion of flavor. It's an amazing snack. And outside, it's 8 degrees. It's a little bit cold. This is making me feel good. So satisfying. Everything was well balanced, perfect. The perfect snack, really. Now, our street food tour continues. Next up, a two kilo Krakowski kumpir. Just look at the size of this thing. Will I finish it? Oh my god, look at this. Is this my birthday cake, amore? Early birthday cake? Mamma mia. This is kumpir. It's a two kilo baked potato, topped with everything you can possibly think of. Look at the size of it. It's huge. We saw two ladies before having the potato and it was already massive. I didn't know that actually the big one is this big. They have lots of traditional options, toppings, plus some new modern style versions. We opted for the Krakowski style with the bacon, chicken, mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, cucumber, you name it, everything. Everything. Plus this sauce, which is a honey mustard sauce. Oh my god, I did not expect it was going to be this huge. Amore, are you ready to eat? How do we even begin? I think we should start with the ingredients first. Oh my god, this is a mess. I'll do my best to get some of the potato, opala, mushrooms, olives, and the sauce over here. Looks like a decent bite. I'm a massive potato lover. And wow, mushy, creamy. They bake it in the oven right in front of you so you can tell they're fresh. Served piping hot. There is a touch of smokiness almost, which is very pleasant. I love the fact that they added crunchy garlic on top. Super pleasant. The only problem is that this feels like more of a food challenge rather than enjoy a meal. And we are right next to a morning market. We didn't even know and we just realized. Lots of people go there and shopping. Maybe we're going to go for a walk because, well, someone's got to digest that. 10 minutes later, finally, I can see the potato. Look at this. We got bacon and all the other ingredients. I have to say, this filling is huge. But it's delicious because it's also refreshing. It's got this salad, lots of vegetables. Oh, good. Guys, we tried our best. But we finished, can we say, 90%? Look at this. It was huge. Two kilos of potato filled with lots of ingredients. Somehow felt like eating a potato salad. Lots of great ingredients. There was sour cream inside, cabbage, smoked bacon, chicken. Yeah, it was nice. But if I have to be honest next time, I will go for the small one, OK? Yeah, this felt more like a food challenge. Anyway, now we got to walk because we have to digest this. See you soon. Something unexpected. We were walking around the market to digest the food and to see what the market had to offer. Yeah, the market is a little bit empty because it's 2 p.m. now. And we spotted a hole in the wall. This girl perfected the art of making Basque cheesecake. Now, I know it's not a local specialty, but we absolutely love it. You can select your own slice and toppings. Marmalade, also some jams and Nutella. Look at this beauty. Mamma mia. I may be a fool, but honestly, I always have room for dessert. Now, let's try. Look how satisfying. Wow, creamy. Heaven in a bite. OK, the Nutella is not overwhelming. Creamy, a bit cheesy, sour, and somehow slightly lemony. Look at this. This is perfection. A slice of heaven. It's very good, huh? Yeah. Very good. If there is one sandwich worth flying to Krakow for, it's this, Macianka po Krakowsku. One bite and you know why. Ragazzi, look at what I have in front of me. This is the OG of all the sandwiches. Macianka po Krakowsku, originated here in Krakow over a century ago. Now, this pulled pork has been marinated for two days and cooked at a low temperature for a long time until it's insanely tender and shredded. Look at this. Mamma mia, I'm salivating. Now, it's served with homemade bread, pickles, mustard pickle sauce, and stewed onions. This is the original version, but over there on the menu, they have lots of different variants that you can enjoy. Pulled pork and other ingredients, they use high quality, seasonal, and regional ingredients. Oh, here they don't joke, huh? Wow, I'm salivating. Ragazzi, buon appetito. Look, I'm in shock. Okay, okay. I don't know what's better, the pork or the bread. The bread is unbelievable. Crunchy, crispy, fluffy, and as you bite into it, it disintegrates. It's beautiful. Pulled pork, super juicy. Look at the juice. Look, super juicy, insanely, illegally tender, and then I love the pickles because they add just so much. A touch of saltiness, juiciness. Look at this. Beautiful. Unbelievable. It might just be one of the greatest sandwiches I've had. A minute of silence. No, no. This is illegal times 10. Times 10. This is insane. It was crazy. Mamma mia. Can we say, babe, top three best sandwiches we've ever had? It's really good. How long it took us to finish it? I mean, not even 10 minutes. Come on. It was unbelievable. I don't know how they do it. The pork was unbelievable, but the bread, oh, shock, you know. Top three best sandwiches ever. This little blue van has become a crack of legend. Every evening, hungry locals line up for one thing. It's famous kielbasa, grilled over a wood fire until perfectly smoky and juicy. It's simple, it's iconic, and it's easily one of the city's best street food experiences. This looks amazing. Looks amazing. All right. Thank you so much. Thank you. Okay, guys, finally, the food is ready. Mamma mia. Oh, but did you see the line? The way it cooks. Beautiful. And the van. What a story. Amazing. Look at this beauty. Kielbasa, which is a pork spiced sausage. So with mustard and bread. Now, you know what? I just want to try the sausage on its own. Savory. Juicy. Mad juicy. The fact that it got cooked over the fire over there, it created the outside layer. It's kind of crispy somehow. So as soon as you break it with your teeth, you got an explosion of flavor. And the meat inside is just so juicy and fatty. Beautiful. Nice kick of spice. A little smokiness because the fact that it's slow cooked over wood. Where do you get a place that cooks over wood here in Europe? Mamma mia. Now, let's try with the mustard. Beautiful. That's strong. Just use a little bit. Now, I'm going to break the bread. Beautiful. Let's go for it. This is my food. Bread, meat, on the street at night. Top. The only thing I would like now is a nice cold beer. But they don't have that. What the owner gave us is this local lemonade. Oranciata. Orange flavor. Let's see what it tastes like. Yeah, it smells like and tastes like bubblegum. But the setup is fantastic. Simple. You got the old school blue band. The old man grilling the kielbasa. The sausage is over wood. It's very simple. One table. You've got that, bread, sauce, your drink. As simple as it sounds and just so beautiful. We've had incredible food today. Incredible street food. I'm actually blown away. Number one by how beautiful the city is and how amazing and delicious the food is. Oh, cracker is unbelievable. 100% I will keep on coming back to the city. If you want to eat like a local in Poland, this is where you need to be. Milk bars have been serving delicious homemade food at unbeatable prices for generations. And they are still one of the best places to experience authentic Polish cuisine. Ragazzi, for lunch we made it to a super local canteen. Famous among students, locals and also workers because it's quite affordable. They have the kitchen at the back. They make everything super fresh at affordable prices. They're super sweet. Everything is of course Polish traditional food. We ordered borscht. It's a traditional soup. Pierogi. You can't leave Krakow without eating pierogi. And the pork cutlet. Mamma mia, this place is amazing. Super local. Proper old school and right at the city center. So it doesn't get any better than this. Nice. Okay, our food is here. We got pierogi ruski with cheese, cabbage and onion, I believe. Mamma mia, we are going to try pierogi for the first time. We got borscht. Super traditional. This is a famous soup in the area. Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Poland. This is made with beetroot. Look at the color. And served with dumplings. I'm salivating. I actually don't know what it tastes like. I'm very curious. Then we have pork cutlet with mashed potato and cabbage. This is going to be a great meal. And it's super affordable. I think we paid 16 euros for all this. Plus compote. So affordable. Okay, let's try the borscht first. And the broth, especially. It doesn't have any smell. Let's try. It tastes a bit sour. Like vinegar, citrusy. Maybe there is some lemon in it. That's actually nice. Very clear. Light. Doesn't taste like beetroot at all. Little dumplings. They are stuffed with something. Not sure if you can see. But I think they are filled with meat. It's actually nice. Vinegary. Almost addictive. Very surprising. I did not know what to expect before trying this dish. Now, the one and only. Pierogi. Look at this beauty. Let's go for it. Let's open it up just to show you what's inside. Okay, I need to use my hands. Ooh, potato and cheese. And onion. The key is the dough. Very light. It has been boiled, steamed. Very simple. The cheese is not too strong. You've got potatoes. As simple as it sounds. You're home for food. I thought they were going to eat it with some sauce. Like sour cream. But no one is actually having it with a sauce. So maybe that's how they eat it. But let me know in the comment section below. Do you eat pierogi without any sauce? I think next time we should try it with meat and other fillings. Just to see the difference. Some carrots in it. I can say with confidence that pierogi didn't disappoint at all. Let's try the pork cutlet now. Oh yes. This has been breaded to perfection. And fried. Let's go for it. You're home for food. Juicy. Not greasy at all. Crunchy. So satisfying. Oh my god. This reminds me of my grandma's food. Wow. Let's try some mashed potato with cabbage. Oh the cabbage is nice. I'm actually not a huge cabbage lover. But how they make it in this region of the world is making me rethink my dislike for cabbage. Now let's try the corn pulp. You see the fruit. It's actually not too sweet. It's refreshing. It completely cleanses your palate. Cleanses everything. And 10 minutes later. Look at this. We absolutely smashed it. The food was incredible. It felt like eating at your grandma's place. Really. Now we're going for a walk. And then on to our next location. We made it to a very beautiful, classy, elegant cafe in the middle of the city. Very close to the old town. They've been running for the past 50 years. So as soon as you enter. But you got two doors. This is the cafe area. Two floors. Beautiful inside. All wooden. You got the cafe area with homemade cakes, biscuits, gelato. And then another door where you can order your homemade biscuits, pastry, cakes. You name it. It's full of grandmas ordering. God knows how many kilos of stuff to bring home. Everything is super traditional. It feels old. They have the lab here in the house as well. So everything is freshly made. And this is what we got. We got cafe. Then we got a tea for Shirley. This one which is a tart. I think with lemon and meringue. And kremovka. If I'm not mistaken. This is like a millefeuille with cream. Mamma mia. This place is so beautiful. I absolutely love there. And it's just full of locals. All right. Let's try the tart first. This is what Shirley ordered. You got the meringue. It smells citrusy. It has lemon in it. Just imagine. Elegant buttery tart with lemon and meringue. Exactly like you would imagine. A cloud of joy. So citrusy. Amore. You'll love it. You'll absolutely love it. Now let's try this one. Kremovka. Mamma mia. So flaky. Crispy. Okay. Oh my god. This is so fresh. So fresh. I hope you can hear the sound. This is too big. How do I even eat it? Do I do like this amore? This is serious. Yeah. Cream. Super thin. Crispy. Flaky layers. And it's like for me. It disintegrates in your mouth. So fresh. And light. And we came yesterday for a quick coffee break. And we were impressed by this place. Super cozy. Local. Beautiful. So traditional. Absolutely love it. And then I said. Oh tomorrow we have to come and include it in the video. Because this is highly recommended. Now we also got our coffee. Ah I got a double espresso. Shelley got her tea. She loves tea. And here we are. Imagine outside is cold and you're here. How beautiful this place is. Super cozy. Warm. Nice. I'm gonna finish this. And then we have one more street food dish that we need to try. We saved the best for last. Krakow's legendary Zapie Kanka. It's the city's most iconic street food. Beautiful. Now let's see if it's as good as everyone says. Thank you. And here we are. Final street food. Zapie Kanka. Which is a bread. Topped with ingredients. Usually cheese. In this case. Mushrooms. Salami. And sauces on top. Put in the oven. Nicely toasted. Look at this. Melting cheese. Beautiful. Over here we go. As I said. Cheese. Mushrooms. And the Carolina Reaper. Super spicy sauce. Even the owner told me. Are you sure? So you know what? Let's give it a go. Okay. This is a super famous street food here in Krakow. And I'm very excited. Oh my god. Smells spicy. Now, buon appetito. Oh yeah. It is a bit spicy. But let me tell you. Crunchy bread. Pillow on the inside. Lovely stringy cheese. The mushrooms are somehow juicy. And wow the sauce. Ladies and gentlemen. It is spicy. Oh yeah. Super spicy. He's laughing. But it's so good. It's very satisfying. Because of the cheese. And the bread. Because it's crunchy and soft at the same time. And somehow the chili sauce is addictive. Okay it's spicy. But for some reason. The spicier the better. It makes you feel like to keep on biting. And keep on eating. Wow. A bomb. Now let's go for the other one. Usually this is one slice okay. And then we decided to get two halves. So we could try two different flavors. Basically same base. Mushrooms and cheese. Plus salami and a different sauce. Mayo and wasabi sauce. This one won't be as spicy. But it's got the salami on top. I can taste a hint of wasabi. And the salami wow. Thinly sliced. It gives a nice savory kick to it. Beautiful. Oh my god. I still can feel the chili. I still can feel the spicy sauce from the previous one. But oh. I can see myself eating this every week. Let's say not every day. And we are really next to a beautiful park. And outside now is a little bit cold and windy. If it's not cold and windy. You can easily take it to the park and enjoy. It's beautiful and super delicious. Beautiful. And guys. Yes we didn't like it that much. So we decided to order our second one. We went for the original like before. This time without salami. And without spicy sauce. This is for Shirley. Plain. This is for me. With Mexican sauce. By the way. The owner is incredibly friendly. And I think we found the king of Zapie Canca. Almost even better than the previous one. Phenomenale. This is definitely the best way to end our food tour here in Krakow. Okay guys. We made it to the park. Right next to the shop we had the Zapie Canca before. And wow. We had two fantastic day here in Krakow. The food. We can say it was absolutely shocking. We loved everything. The city is beautiful. Clean. Definitely the place we will keep on coming back to. We have so many dishes. Sweet and savory. Which one was my favorite? Tough. Because the Zapie Canca before. Absolutely phenomenal. Kielbasa last night. Absolutely amazing. That was a 35 year old shop. Amazing. And the pulled pork sandwich. Mamma mia. That was crazy. I think I have to go for the pulled pork sandwich. But also the other two that I just mentioned were up there. Now Amore. Which one was your favorite out of all the dishes we've had? The pulled pork as well. Oh my god. That dish alone is worth flying to Krakow to. It deserves an award for sure. Now having said so. Thank you so much for watching. Let me know in the comment section down below which dish in this video was your favorite. Thank you so much for watching. See you next week. Ciao.