 A typicalzapiekanka served on a paper tray | |
| Type | Street food |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Poland |
| Associatedcuisine | Polish |
| Invented | 1970s |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Baguette,button mushrooms,cheese |
| Ingredients generally used | Ketchup |
Azapiekanka (Polish pronunciation:[zapʲɛˈkaŋka]ⓘ; plural:zapiekanki,pronounced[zapʲɛˈkaŋkʲi]) is a toastedopen-face sandwich made of a slicedbaguette or other long roll of bread, topped withsautéedwhite mushrooms,cheese and sometimes other ingredients such asham. Served hot withketchup, it has been a popularstreet food inPoland since the 1970s.
ThePolish wordzapiekanka comes from the verbzapiekać, which means "to bake a dish so that its ingredients combine, and a crispy, browned crust forms on top,"[a] and may refer to variouscasseroles and other foods prepared in this manner.[2]
.jpg)
A typicalzapiekanka is made from one half of abaguette,[3] or any other long roll of white bread, cut lengthwise, as for asubmarine sandwich.[3][4] It may be up to 50 centimetres (20 in) long.[3] The bread is topped with sliced,sautéedwhite mushrooms and gratedcheese to form anopen-face sandwich, which is then toasted until the bread becomes crisp and the cheese melts. Hard, mature yellow cheese with high fat content that melts well in heat, such asgouda,edam,emmental,tilsit orcheddar, is best for this purpose; Polish smokedsheep milk cheese, such asoscypek, is also a popular choice.[5] Azapiekanka is best served hot. The typical garnish istomato ketchup, usually splattered on the cheese in a generous amount.[3][4]
Oven-bakedzapiekanki are available with additional ingredients and sauces, which has earned them the moniker of "Polishpizza".[3] Varieties include "diablo" withbacon,pickled cucumbers and spicy sauce; "Gypsy" withham andsweet and sour sauce; "Greek" witholives andfeta cheese; and "Hawaiian" withpineapple andbarbecue sauce; patrons may also choose their own combinations. While thezapiekanka is primarily a street food, home-made versions also exist, such as the "student'szapiekanka", made from bread, cheese and whatever else is at hand at the moment.[4]
Zapiekanki first appeared in the streets of Polish towns in the 1970s under the leadership ofEdward Gierek, who bought the license for the production of baguettes from the French.[6] This purchase can be linked to his upbringing, as he spent his formative years in France and Belgium.[6] Morevoer, under his leadership of thePolish United Workers' Party, authorities of thePolish People's Republic allowed a degree of private enterprise in thecatering industry. This move led to quick proliferation of small family-owned foodservice establishments, known in Polish asmała gastronomia, or "small gastronomy". Their spread continued during thefood shortages of the following decade. They usually took the form of stands ortravel trailers turnedfood trucks servingzapiekanki along with simple dishes ofPolish cuisine, such askiełbasa sausage,boiled ham hock ortripe soup, andAmericanfast food staples, likehot dogs,hamburgers,ice cream, andFrench fries.[7][8]
Demand forzapiekanki fell with the reintroduction of themarket economy in the 1990s, but they were still served by the few "small gastronomies" that survived the competition with large fast food chains. Somezapiekanka stands even attained cult following, such as those located inPlac Nowy (New Square) in theKazimierz district ofKraków. Today,zapiekanki remain a relatively popular street food and student dish.
| Foods |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| By location | ||
| Mobile catering | ||
| Lists | ||
