The Pierogi Problem : Cosmopolitan Appetites And The Reinvention Of Polish Food

The culinary landscape of Poland is undergoing a significant transformation, shaped by a new wave of food producers, chefs, and media personalities. The Pierogi Problem delves into these people’s networks, places, material culture, and media presence to explain how Polish tastemakers are strategically embracing context-specific approaches to localize discourses, practices, and values within an increasingly globalized food culture.

In the decades after the end of Poland’s socialist regime, there was a growing interest in foreign cuisines and Western consumption habits. However, today, ingredients, cooking techniques, and dishes that were once considered ordinary or part of the country’s uncomfortable past are being refashioned to reflect transformations in cultural hierarchies. The Pierogi Problem chronicles how and why local, traditional, and artisanal foods are reemerging to satisfy changing cosmopolitan appetites.