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Years ago, in rural Poland, roadside inns had played an important role in everyday life. They were the places to meet, dance, and celebrate, or even to make business transactions. In addition to this, the roadside inns also provided accommodations for travelers, and a place to store their carts and have their animals fed and cared for. Many roadside inns were situated along the main roads and trade routes, and almost every village had its own inn.
In the Beskidy Mountains region, two original roadside inns have survived; Rzym Inn in Sucha Beskidzka and Stara Karczma (Old Inn) in Jeleśnia. Stara Karczma is a beautiful wooden building with a huge gable roof and an interior with many traditional decorations, but the most important feature here is the local cuisine! Of course you can taste kwaśnica: a sour soup from the mountain region made from sauerkraut and a meat base of spareribs or bacon. They also have many different kinds of pierogi’s, and meats and a local specialty called ‘prażucha’, which is a kind of dumpling made from scorched flour with gravy. Prażucha is usually enjoyed by those who are brave lovers of tradition. Formerly, prażucha was the daily meal for poor people.
One thing is for sure, and that is that Jelesnia’s Stara Karczma is full of history, and by following the traditional recipes, it serves delicious food.
See the map of all Tastes of Poland: http://blog.polishorigins.com/2013/05/21/tastes-of-poland-introduction/
Aga Pawlus
PolishOrigins Team