Zapiekanka

Zapiekanka is an open-face sandwich very similar to the Italian appetizer bruschetta. A halved baguette or bread with loads of tomato or garlic sauce,  usually topped with mushrooms & grated hard cheese baked until crispy on the outside. Some variants also include onions, paprika & chives. It’s the most popular fast food in Poland. The name of the dish comes from the word “zapiekac” which means to bake & it was a cheap & easy dish, especially during the hard times of Soviet scarcity.

A very popular type of Zapiekanka is a “student’s Zapiekanka” or “whatever Zapiekanka” made of whatever is at home at the moment, bread & cheese. Many restaurants & street vendors serve it throughout Krakow. Where do you go for a bite like this? Well, this is one you don’t really need a restaurant for. Most of the locals go for Plac Nowy Square. One of the favorites there is Zapiekanki u Endziora. The lines of local customers in front of this fast food place are the best guarantee for what you’re gonna get.