Bigos, gołąbki, and hearty slow-cooked favorites

Cabbage—fresh and fermented—anchors many of Poland’s most recognizable dishes, with bigos (hunter’s stew) as the flagship: sauerkraut and cabbage stewed with multiple meats, often with mushrooms, built for cold weather and big batches. It’s frequently described as a national or emblematic dish because it captures the “Polish winter table” in one pot.