Cooking & Markets

1. Jak się robi pierogi ruskie?

   yak sheh ROH-bee pyeh-ROH-gee ROOS-kyeh?

   How do you make Russian-style pierogi?

   Usage

   Used to ask about making the most popular pierogi filling — potato and farmer's cheese

   Grammar Note

   "Się robi" is the reflexive passive, meaning "is made / how one makes it". "Ruskie" means Ruthenian-style (cheese & potato filling)

2. Ile mąki dodać do ciasta?

   EE-leh MONK-ee DOH-dach do TSYAH-stah?

   How much flour should be added to the dough?

   Usage

   Used to ask about flour quantity when making dough for bread, pierogi, or pastries

   Grammar Note

   After "ile" (how much), Polish uses the genitive. "Mąki" = genitive of "mąka" (flour). Quantity expressions always take genitive

3. Jak długo gotować bigos?

   yak DWOO-goh goh-TOH-vach BEE-gos?

   How long should bigos be cooked?

   Usage

   Used to ask about cooking time for bigos, Poland's national hunter's stew

   Grammar Note

   Bigos uses "kapusta" (cabbage), "kiszona kapusta" (sauerkraut), and various meats. Traditionally cooked for days — it improves with reheating

4. W jakiej temperaturze piec sernik?

   v YAH-kyey tem-peh-rah-TOO-zheh pyets SEHR-neek?

   At what temperature should sernik be baked?

   Usage

   Used to ask about the baking temperature for sernik, the traditional Polish cheesecake

   Grammar Note

   "W + locative" = in/at. "Temperaturze" is the locative of "temperatura". Polish ovens use Celsius temperatures

5. Czy używa pan/pani kminku w tej potrawie?

   chih oo-ZHIH-vah pahn/PAH-nee KMEEN-koo v tey poh-TRAH-vyeh?

   Do you use caraway seeds in this dish?

   Usage

   Used to ask about caraway seeds, a key spice in Polish cuisine

   Grammar Note

   "Używać" takes a genitive object. "Kminku" is genitive of "kminek" (caraway). "W tej potrawie" = in this dish (locative)

6. Podaj mi przepis na kapuśniak

   POH-day mee PSHEH-pees nah kah-POOSH-nyak

   Give me the recipe for kapuśniak

   Usage

   Used to ask someone for the recipe of kapuśniak, a traditional Polish cabbage soup

   Grammar Note

   "Podaj" is the imperative of "podać" (to give/hand). "Na + accusative" = for (a recipe for). Kapuśniak is a hearty sauerkraut soup

7. Muszę namoczyć grzyby przez noc

   MOO-sheh nah-MOH-chich GZHI-bee pshes nots

   I need to soak the mushrooms overnight

   Usage

   Used when preparing Polish dishes that use dried mushrooms, which require overnight soaking

   Grammar Note

   Dried forest mushrooms (grzyby leśne, esp. porcini) are essential in Polish cooking — used in Christmas barszcz and bigos

8. Czy to ciasto jest gotowe?

   chih to TSYAH-stoh yest goh-TOH-veh?

   Is this dough ready?

   Usage

   Used to check if dough is ready to use when baking

   Grammar Note

   "Gotowe" agrees with "ciasto" (neuter noun). Polish adjectives change by gender: "gotowy" (m), "gotowa" (f), "gotowe" (n)

9. Ile oleju potrzeba do smażenia?

   EE-leh oh-LEH-yoo pot-SHEH-bah do smah-ZHEH-nyah?

   How much oil is needed for frying?

   Usage

   Used to ask about the amount of oil needed for frying

   Grammar Note

   "Potrzeba + genitive" = is needed. "Do + genitive" = for (purpose). "Smażenia" is genitive of "smażenie" (frying)

10. Podeślij mi babciny przepis na sernik

    poh-DEH-shliy mee bab-CHEE-nee PSHEH-pees nah SER-neek

    Send me grandma's recipe for cheesecake

    Usage

    Used to ask for grandma's traditional Polish cheesecake (sernik) recipe

    Grammar Note

    "Babciny" is an adjective derived from "babcia" (grandma). "Sernik" is made with "twaróg" (quark/farmer's cheese), very different from cream cheese

11. Tofu

    Usage

    Point to this as an ingredient; Polish supermarkets sell it labelled "tofu"

    Grammar Note

    A loanword; neuter and indeclinable

12. Zupa

    Soup

    Usage

    Point to this on a menu or when cooking; classic Polish soups are "żurek", "rosół", and "barszcz"

13. Owoce

    Fruit

    Usage

    Covers fruit in general; vegetables are "warzywa"

    Grammar Note

    Plural form; the singular is "owoc", but as a foodstuff the plural is used

14. Czosnek

    Garlic

    Usage

    Point to this as an ingredient; to have it left out, say "bez czosnku"

15. Cebula

    Onion

    Usage

    Point to this as an ingredient; to have it left out, say "bez cebuli". Spring onion / chives are "szczypiorek"

16. Papryczka chili

    Chili pepper

    Usage

    The hot chili; "papryka" on its own means bell pepper or paprika powder, so say "papryczka chili"

17. Kolendra

    Coriander

    Usage

    The herb; the fresh leaf is "świeża kolendra" and the seed spice is "kolendra w ziarnach". To avoid it, say "bez kolendry"

18. Imbir

    Ginger

    Usage

    Point to this as an ingredient; fresh ginger is "świeży imbir"

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