August 13-16th 2015: The 13th Annual Pierogi Festival
Pierogi is definitely the most famous Polish food out there, and if you ventured over to the Small Square this weekend you would have been greeted with the smell of fresh pierogi cooking all weekend! The 13th Annual Pierogi Festival filled the Mały Rynek and our stomachs to capacity for four days straight. The festival opened on Thursday when judges tasted all the entries to the competition. Then on Friday the public tasting and voting was held, and the live music began. Saturday was filled with locals and tourists alike coming to try every pierogi flavor imaginable. And finally on Sunday at noon the announcement of the winner was made, and the good news is you’ll be able to enjoy the winning pierogi all year round in Krakow!
Stands lined one entire side of the square, with the best course of action being to stop at each booth and try at least one variety. The pierogi recipe being entered into the competition was clearly marked, making it our first choice for tasting, but it was hard to resist adding others to our plate. Most priced at only 1.50zl made it even harder to resist buying one of every flavor, from every stand!
At the end of the tasting, we noted our favorites and waited to hear the winners on Sunday. Two trophies and perfectly wrapped prizes awaited the winning participants on the stage. One statue of King Kazimierz and another of St. Jacek who is known for introducing pierogi to Poland in order to feed the poor, were the magnificent sculptures for the winners.
Meet the Winners
After awarding everyone a diploma for participation in the competition and festival, the winner of the Judge’s Vote was announced to be Pierożki Babci Władzi for their recipe of pierogi filled with plum, accompanined by a honey and nut sauce. And the award for the People’s Vote, went to Poliski Smaki for their recipe of pierogi filled with duck, fig, and lemon basil.
Where you can buy Krakow’s Best Pierogi
Pierogi from Pierożki Babci Władzi can be bought on Saturday at The Parsley Market on Niepodległości Square in the KS Korona Sport Club Basement, while pierogi from Polski Smaki can be enjoyed at their restaurant on Ulica Sw. Tomasza.
