History

Zapiekanka was invented in 1970s socialist Poland as a cheap, filling lunch made from staples: a halved baguette, fried mushrooms, cheese and ketchup. It became the canonical Polish street food of the 1980s. Bufet Truck Zapiekanki on Plac Wolności is the city's named operator; the format also lives at every Stary Rynek night kiosk and the Poznań version comes loaded compared with the original. A late-night essential.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 baguettes, halved lengthways then crossways into 4 long pieces
  • 300g button or chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 30g butter plus 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 200g grated mature cheddar or Polish żółty (yellow cheese)
  • Polish ketchup or mayonnaise to serve
  • Pickled cucumbers and finely chopped chives to garnish

Method

  1. Soften the diced onion in butter and oil over medium heat for 8 minutes until translucent.
  2. Add the mushrooms and turn the heat up. Cook 8 minutes until the mushrooms release and reabsorb their liquid and brown lightly at the edges.
  3. Stir in marjoram, salt and pepper. Cool slightly.
  4. Heat the grill to high.
  5. Place the baguette halves cut-side up on a baking sheet. Toast under the grill 2 minutes until pale gold.
  6. Divide the mushroom mixture between the four baguette halves and top generously with grated cheese.
  7. Grill 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling brown at the edges.
  8. Drizzle with ketchup or pipe with mayonnaise in a zigzag. Scatter pickle and chives over and serve immediately.

Tip from the editors. The bread must be toasted before the topping goes on or the base ends up soft from the mushroom moisture. Crisp baguette is the only acceptable structure.

Where to eat zapiekanka

Zapiekanka in Poznań

Bufet Truck Zapiekanki ★ 4.4

Modern Polish$

Bufet Truck Zapiekanki on Kościelna 13 in Poznań sells the city's best zapiekanka, a baguette-and-cheese melt that runs under 30 $ even with the premium.

Try: Zapiekanka

Tip: The base zapiekanka with mushrooms and tomato sauce is under 20 $; the premium meat versions are still under 30.

ul. Kościelna 13, 60-538 Poznań

Pyra Bar ★ 4.0

Modern Polish$

Pyra Bar on Strzelecka 13 in Poznań is the city's potato-bar canteen since 2009, with pyry z gzikiem, plendze and pyzy at sub-25 $ prices for the canonical.

Try: Pyry z gzikiem

Tip: The lunch set with soup, main and a glass of buttermilk lands under 30 $; it is the city's best value on a regional plate.

ul. Strzelecka 13, 61-845 Poznań

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