Jke > wrote:

> Of course I'll have to eat. So: what are good things to eat in Poland? I am
> thinking perogi,

Yes, and there are many kinds of pierogi, with various fillings.

> sauerkraut with all kinds of meat,

That would be bigos.

> and then there is some
> sort of sour soup that I think is made sort of like sourdough starter.

That would be bialy barszcz (white borscht), also called zurek. It is
made with kwas, in this case a fermented ryemeal juice.

> Any
> other ideas?

Try other soups, such as barszcz (czerwony), the red variety, of which
there are several further versions. Also, if you can find it, czarnina,
goose or duck soup made with blood of said fowl. Consider also
chlodnik, cold clear beetroot soup with various other components - very
refreshing. Also, flaki, literally tripes (plural), but also a mildly
spicy soup with tripe, which can be very good. Krupnik is a beef-barley
soup that can be very good. (Krupnik is also a variety of sweet vodka).

Also try zrazy, the Polish version of Rouladen/involtini/paupiettes.

For dessert, try kisiel, a Polish version of the Russian kisel, a simple
jelly- or fool-like concoction, made of fruit juice, sugar and potato
starch.

Also, by all means try Polish sausages. In order to do that, please
ignore all the unqualified comments made about kielbasa upthread.
"Kielbasa" means (generic) sausage in Polish and, as you can well
imagine, there are various and sundry kinds, smoked and unsmoked, fresh
and dried, spicy and bland, etc. So, do visit a good butcher shop, not
a supermarket - get one recommended by a local if possible - and buy a
sample each of sausages that appeal to you. Eat them with some local
breads.

Victor