Poland Culture Vs American Culture Essay

The country of Poland historically experienced a variety of dependency on countries that conquered them. As the nation struggled for independence, the traditional culture and foods adapted influence on the other controlling nations. Through history Poland was overtaken by a variety of countries which influenced the culture and food traditions. Poland independence was significantly re established much like how the modern student and government restriction change the economy in America today. “College students’ ideas about food are embedded in the value system of U.S. society. Unlike non capitalist societies where food exchanges reduce social distance and solidify relationships” (Counihan 113) The influence of war and economic status change of

Poland began as early as the middle ages, specifically the 11th century when the first documentation of this region was published. Ruled by the dynasty of Piasts, the polish settlers began their country which was then reigned by Boleslaw the Wrymouth in the years of 1102 through 1138. Boleslaw divided his dynasty to his sons, which in result weakened poland. In 1384 Polish nobles finally accepted the king of Hungary’, Louis, daughter Jadwiga as Queen of Poland. The Jagiellonian king died in 1572 and since he never left an heir to the Polish monarchy it became an elective institution.
Poles controlled the Ukrainian Cossacks during the 17th Century, through the rebellion of 1648 and the Russians joined them in a war against the Poles in 1654. Along with these rebellions, in the year of 1655 the Swedes invaded Poland, as the Turks ruled Southeast Europe. Then in 1673 a Pole named Jan Sobieski was elected king, bringing us to the large change of territory in the 18th century. “The Poles have not declared war against anybody, and yet three-fourths of the burden of the war have fallen upon them and their country.”(Hausner 3) The Russian, Prussian and Austrian great powers decided to help themselves to Polish territory. The Poles quickly rebelled again in 1863, bring the country into the 19th century when the Poles formed political movements including the Nationalist League, the Christian Democrats and the Polish Socialist Party.
In 20th century Poland, the country eventually regained its freedom after the First World War. Poland was threatened by both Nazi Germany and Communist Russia in the 1930 and in 1939 the two signed a secret agreement to divide Poland between them. World war two brought much strife as Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. The Poles fought valiantly but on the 17th of September the Russians invaded from the east. Polish soldiers and airmen escaped through Hungary and Romania to France and some Polish warships escaped to join the British navy. Poland were absorbed into Germany, but at the Potsdam Conference in July of 1945, the provisional government agreed to the redrawing of Poland's borders. The western border was moved further west and most of the Germans, who lived there, were expelled. The eastern border was also moved west and some territory was taken by Russia. “...communism-fundamentally an attempt to harness every human energy, dictate every motive, and control every social act- cannot tolerate the existence of religious faith…”(Barnett 4) There was a Russian communist overtaking in Poland, when the regime took power in stages between 1945 and 1947. The elections were held on 4 June 1989, which was a humiliating defeat for the Communists. In August 1989 Tadeusz Mazowiecki became Prime Minister of Poland and the Communist tyranny was over. In modern day Poland, they are able to elect rulers such as Lech Kaczynski became President of Poland in 2005.
Poland has powerful neighbors including Germany and Russia who often fought over the land of Poland. Poland was forced to form many political alliances throughout its history. These nations influenced its food customs due to the vast changing of powers. “Nor was it a tradition preserved whole cloth within the boundaries of the family threatened by external forces. It was, in e ect, a tradition created as part of a symbolic strategy of socialization and discipline and mobilized frequently in response to crises and changes occurring inside and outside the immigrant family.” (Italian American Table 71) A major example of the influential powers of other nations occurred during the 16th century. The marriage between King Zygmunt to the Italian princess Bona Sforza brought Italian food customs to Poland. There was the first introduction of salad to Polish cuisine, referred to as called salad greens "wloszczyna" meaning "Italian things". There are a variety of other foreign dishes that were adapted in the Polish traditional foods such as goulash (stew) from Hungary, pastry from France, and borscht (beet soup) from Ukraine. All these foreign dishes have become part of a unique Polish cooking style.
Until the partitions of Poland, the country was one of the biggest countries in Europe.

As a consequence some features of cuisines of other nations. Many Poles say that their national cooking is a blend of influences. Besides own recipe ideas, over the centuries polish cuisine collected what best at the culinary tradition of neighboring countries and nations. Lasting 123 years, the historical period of partition of Poland also affected the shape of some Polish dishes and introduced some new ones, many coming from German and Austro-Hungarian cultures. Polish cuisine from the Middle Ages to the 19th century had a variety of new ingredients added due to the change in rulership and import and exporting of products. In the middle ages there was a great purpose for agricultural produce, such as millet, rye, and wheat. The main protein meats were sought out of wild and farm animals, as well as, fruits, herbs and local spices. Published in the "Medieval chronicles" on a Polish cuisine focused article, the writer described the cultural food as very pungent. With the use large amounts of the meat and groats, prodigious seasonings amounts, mainly pepper, nutmeg and juniper the highly flavored food was overall considered bitter. The reasoning behind this food flavoring was for the purpose of preservation due to the harsh winters and lack of materials during war

times.
The alleged traditional Polish cuisine specializes in a variety of influential dishes. The classic mealy and cereal dishes were commonly found in such platters like dumplings, kasha, and pierogi. Found in the products of sylvan fleece ordinarily consisted of mushrooms, fruits, and herbs. Pork was often used, as well as, including cold cooked meats and sausages. Freshwater fishes were introduced and popular on the coast of Baltic Sea. There was also a great deal of baking breads and cakes, desserts, vodka and fruit liqueurs. Common spices used on Polish dishes were horseradish, dill, juniper, pepper, sour cream, and curd cheese. Beetroots, cucumbers, cabbage, apples, cherries, blueberries, gooseberry, plums, pears, and morello cherries were vegetables and fruits gathered by Polish natives within the country. The new Polish cuisine is regional diversity, such as the sheep's dairy products in the mountains to the freshwater fishes in the Land of Great Mazurian Lakes. The cuisine of Poland is influenced by the geographical and political factors within the nation as a whole.
The climate of Poland influenced the agricultural production of vegetables, fruits and the fish gathering. Due to the cold weather there was a search for were preservable items that could be stored for three to four months period. “...in the processes of rural changes in Poland. Monika Stanny stresses rather relatively ambivalent effects of such policies in the process of overcoming of historically established socio-economic discrepancies among various regions in Poland.” (Gorlach; Klekotko; Nowak 17) The most commonly stored foods were peas, the broad bean, kohlrabi, and the turnip. In the forests. Sylvan fruits were gathered such as wild strawberries, blueberries, currants, raspberries, wild black raspberries, and even wild mushrooms. On the coast of the Baltic Sea, herring, codfish, dory pollack, sprat and sole were commonly used in Polish platters. With all the common foods came a variety of religious fasting and processing of such ingredients within the Polish cuisine. Historically, the first know fast was brought out upon the rule of King Boleslaw I the Brave (967-1025). He ordered to knock out teeth of those who didn't refrain oneself from eating the meat in fast days. Although many of the same fasting times still exist modernly, it is not as intensive as the previous punishments on neglecting the fast. In present day Poland many citizens continue to practice fasting on Fridays, holidays eves and additionally three times for the quarter in so-called 'dry days' for religious purposes within the faithful community.
An everyday Polish meal maintains many traditional values with modern twist. The common dinner in Poland is usually had about two pm and consists of three dishes and soup constitutes the first dish. When keeping with tradition on Sunday a chicken stock (broth) is typical consumed. The main course is a meat dish usually, or fish at Friday's, examples of such main course are a pork cutlet ('kotlet schabowy') which is customarily served with boiled potatoes (in chunks or crushed in puree) and with vegetable 'sorowka' (shredded root vegetables with lemon and the mayonnaise or cream). More traditionally one would replace potatoes with groats. During the Polish dinner time, a dessert consists of a cake as a third dish, examples of such are poppyseed cake, the cheesecake or the yeast cake with fruits. In the majority of families compote or juice fruit is served during main course. Each dish is considerably influenced by the variety of other countries that obtained rulership in the past and still impact the modern cuisine and traditional values.