91热爆

Tomasz Hornowski came from Wroclaw to the UK five years ago as builder to work on the new Arndale market. He now owns his own food stall selling Polish food and drink.

鈥淭he manager of the market asked me if I wanted to open my own business, so I did,鈥� says Tomasz. 鈥淚 was thinking of opening a pancake house at first, but I decided to go for a Polish store instead,鈥� he says.

His shop - The White Eagle - is now one of many in Manchester selling a wide range of Polish produce, including dumplings, sausages, and their own traditional kind of bread, which is richer and more seasoned.

鈥淲e sell a lot of bread, but our biggest selling item is Bulka Tarta, a type of breadcrumb mix that is used to cook with. We cover steak or fish in eggs and breadcrumbs and bake it in the oven. This is a very common dish in Poland, along with dumplings.

Polish Vodka

"Other favourites include Ptasie Mlecka (chocolate creams) and Maslanka (buttermilk). And of course there is the vodka!鈥�

While he caters mainly for Manchester鈥檚 Polish community, Tomasz says he does get some interest from locals: "I do get a few British people in. They're usually people who have Polish friends or relatives or who have been to Poland, so they know a bit about the food."

Polish influence?

Polish stores in the UK have grown in popularity in recent years. The long established Barbakan delicatessen in Chorlton may have been sourcing authentic Polish ingredients and delicacies for years 鈥� but it鈥檚 not the only one. There are now hundreds of outlets 鈥� from the humble corner shop to specialist online retailers 鈥� now selling Polish fare across the city.

The British palate has certainly adapted in recent years 鈥� the Chicken Tikka Masala was named Britain鈥檚 favourite dish 鈥� and in Manchester food from India, the Caribbean and China have all made a huge impact on the city.

But will Polish cuisine prove a hit with Mancunians? And will it influence our own food culture, in the same way as curry, pizza and Chinese?

Whilst Polish dishes are making their way onto some restaurant menus - Polish stew is often included on the Sandbar鈥檚 list of specials - it is yet to be seen whether or not this cuisine will be as popular.

Popular Polish food

Tomasz says its lack of popularity may have something to do with a particular vegetable we know all too well!

鈥淚 think that maybe people are afraid to try Polish food, as they don鈥檛 know much about it,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut Polish food isn鈥檛 just cabbage. We eat good food and a lot of it is not so different to what's here in the UK, we just cook it differently,鈥� he says.