warpus
In pork I trust
If you are ever invited into a Polish household, when you arrive you should be greeted with a table full of "kanapki" (as well as a bottle of vodka and probably beer, and snacks).
These kanapki things are a big part of Polish culture, but nobody ever really talks about it. They're just always there. When we visited Poland back in 2004, every single house we stopped by for a visit had kanapki waiting for us. These are also very popular to eat for breakfast or lunch, as well as supper. In Poland (at least where I grew up) we'd eat breakfast, then kanapki at school (2nd breakfast aka lunch), then we'd eat dinner when we got home, and then we'd eat kanapki for supper (or leftovers).
Common toppings include butter, salami, sausage, radish, cheese, lettuce, tomato.. pickle.. eggs as well, although it wasn't that common where I grew up. When you visit somebody (not just a bro, think of visiting an aunt or uncle) they will present you with usually kanapki of different varieties. There will usually be vegetarian options, various meat options, etc. They are meant for hospitality in this context, so the host usually mixes it up so that the guests have options. And since there is no bread covering the toppings, it's easy for guests to see what's on offer.
"Kanapki" is the polish word for "sandwich", although from what I understand it is usually used to describe open-face sandwiches. It's actually kind of weird, because my mom used to make me sandwiches for school that had bread on both sides. They are also "kanapki" but.. just more portable. And yet, when somebody says "Kapanki", most people think of the kanapki you'd be greeted with when visiting a Polish family - i.e. no bread on top. After all, how barbaric would that be to not show your guests what toppings each sandwich has?
This word (kanapki) originates from the French word Canapé - which in English seems to translate to "sofa". I will blame google translate for that. Either way, Canapés are little hors'd'euviaehrs (sp) - which are usually open face. So that's where the Polish open face sandwich seems to originate.
This Polish obsession with kanapki has lead to the creation of the Zapiekanka. It's essentially a kanapka (singular of kanapki) on a slightly more bun-like carb thing, with cheese on top, which is then thrown in the oven and usually topped off with ketchup. Ingredients differ from a usual kanapka in that there's usually meat, mushrooms, and cheese. If you ever visit Poland, you will find these zapiekanki served in bars, sold by street vendors, etc. It is from what I understand the most popular Polish street food.
So yeah.. This is why I didn't really understand why North Americans insist that every single sandwich be covered up with extra bread (initially, when I migrated here). From a Polish pov the extra bread is only required if you are making your kanapka portable - i.e. something you can eat at school while walking around. It's a lot easier to do if you're breaded up on both sides. But if you're just sitting at home, why the extra bread? It's just extra carbs.
So that's the Polish approach to sandwiches. As you can see it stems from a French snack. I bet the north American sandwich has a slightly different history that maybe traces it back to something British, instead of French?
These kanapki things are a big part of Polish culture, but nobody ever really talks about it. They're just always there. When we visited Poland back in 2004, every single house we stopped by for a visit had kanapki waiting for us. These are also very popular to eat for breakfast or lunch, as well as supper. In Poland (at least where I grew up) we'd eat breakfast, then kanapki at school (2nd breakfast aka lunch), then we'd eat dinner when we got home, and then we'd eat kanapki for supper (or leftovers).
Common toppings include butter, salami, sausage, radish, cheese, lettuce, tomato.. pickle.. eggs as well, although it wasn't that common where I grew up. When you visit somebody (not just a bro, think of visiting an aunt or uncle) they will present you with usually kanapki of different varieties. There will usually be vegetarian options, various meat options, etc. They are meant for hospitality in this context, so the host usually mixes it up so that the guests have options. And since there is no bread covering the toppings, it's easy for guests to see what's on offer.
"Kanapki" is the polish word for "sandwich", although from what I understand it is usually used to describe open-face sandwiches. It's actually kind of weird, because my mom used to make me sandwiches for school that had bread on both sides. They are also "kanapki" but.. just more portable. And yet, when somebody says "Kapanki", most people think of the kanapki you'd be greeted with when visiting a Polish family - i.e. no bread on top. After all, how barbaric would that be to not show your guests what toppings each sandwich has?
This word (kanapki) originates from the French word Canapé - which in English seems to translate to "sofa". I will blame google translate for that. Either way, Canapés are little hors'd'euviaehrs (sp) - which are usually open face. So that's where the Polish open face sandwich seems to originate.
This Polish obsession with kanapki has lead to the creation of the Zapiekanka. It's essentially a kanapka (singular of kanapki) on a slightly more bun-like carb thing, with cheese on top, which is then thrown in the oven and usually topped off with ketchup. Ingredients differ from a usual kanapka in that there's usually meat, mushrooms, and cheese. If you ever visit Poland, you will find these zapiekanki served in bars, sold by street vendors, etc. It is from what I understand the most popular Polish street food.
So yeah.. This is why I didn't really understand why North Americans insist that every single sandwich be covered up with extra bread (initially, when I migrated here). From a Polish pov the extra bread is only required if you are making your kanapka portable - i.e. something you can eat at school while walking around. It's a lot easier to do if you're breaded up on both sides. But if you're just sitting at home, why the extra bread? It's just extra carbs.
So that's the Polish approach to sandwiches. As you can see it stems from a French snack. I bet the north American sandwich has a slightly different history that maybe traces it back to something British, instead of French?
