A classic three-course Polish feast

‘Poland to me means pierogi, schabowy [Polish-style schnitzel], beetroot, cucumber salad, sausages and buckwheat,’ says Monika. ‘Our kitchen has a distinctive character while being comforting.’ Before you eat pierogi, you hear Poles rave about them but pay little attention. Once you’ve tried them, you want them to be available every day. You’ll find ‘lazy pierogi’, which are a bit like gnocchi, along with pierogi made with dough and stuffed with wild mushrooms and sauerkraut or potatoes and cheese. With both types, melted butter is a must. I started to disappear to the cheap café round the corner from the hotel every lunchtime. My solitary pleasure. Dear pierogi, lazy or traditional, I’m sorry I didn’t discover you earlier.

Poland, I feel the same about you. Next stop, Gdańsk.