Paul's Mind Is Blown At A Warsaw Bakery | Paul Hollywood's City Bakes | Tonic

It’s not communist food! It’s Polish , traditional food that has been served for centuries in Poland!!

It is not communism food! It is Polish food, served by mothers, grandmothers, and generations before. It is just home food.

Uh, a pierogi is not an “unfried empanada.” An empanada is a pierogi that’s fallen into a deep fryer, thank you very much.

Loved this episode. Although most British programs show Poland in a winter emphasising on how cold it is. Maybe because 30C+ in Warsaw in Summer compering to average of 20's C in London wouldn't look so 1980's...

Not communist food Paul. Polish Mamma food!🇵🇱

I was lucky enough to attend school with people who came from Poland while it was still under the USSR. They were some of the warmest, sweetest, delightful people I had ever met. I had two little girls who considered me family . I was happy they made it to the USA and I was glad when Poland was no longer under Communist rule. They made me want to visit and I still want to go... even more now. Pierogi is a gift to the world.. I love them!

I have one historical remark. The first Milk Bar, i.e. a eatery serving vegetarian dishes based on milk, eggs and flour, was opened in Warsaw in 1896 by Stanisław Dłużewski (a noble, owner of a huge farm near Warsaw). The bar was called "Mleczarnia Nadświdrzańska" and was located at Nowy Świat Street. The bar was profitable and soon other entrepreneurs opened similar establishments. In 1918, the idea of milk bars spread throughout the country. In the following years of crisis, the popularity of milk bars grew even more, and special ministerial orders regulated the size, composition and prices of the food so that it was also available to poorer people. The number of such bars increased during communism. The quality of the served dishes has dropped. Polish culinary tradition was killed during the communist era. It has survived in homes, especially in the countryside. The tradition of noble and bourgeois cuisine is slowly being revived.

I remember when I was little, maybe 7 or 8 years old (late 80s), my uncle was a truck driver for a company that transported either raw materials (flour, yeast, etc.) to bakeries, and then distributed finished goods (breads and rolls) back to the local stores out in the small cities and villages of Poland. Mainly the southeast region. I remember him bringing a loaf or two of country style baked bread home after his supply runs. Big ol' loaves that were about 13 - 15 inches in diameter and about 5 inches thick in the center. Freshly baked and sometimes still warm and fluffy and crusty... Top it off with some home made smoked sausage, or lard with bacon and pickle, and it was just deliciousness unrivaled. I miss those days.

"It's absolutely freezing" When the hell did we have such a cold winter to say it's freezing? "It's -7 degrees." Oh, ok.

I live in Chicago and all the Polish food I knew before this show were pierogis. I'm so excited to try the other pastries Paul showed. I'm so lucky there are Polish bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores here.

From the second home of the Pierogi, Pittsburgh, I am just as upset Paul is calling Pierogis uncooked empanadas

I really like that Magda's bakery looks like a grandma's cooking, rather than an uber polished, pristine patisserie. It's got something 'old school cool' about it, makes it feel more homely!

living here in Ireland and being Polish at the same time made me miss my home even more... great show 👍👍👍

Tea with milk is seen as a drink for nursing mothers everyone else drinks it with lemon or black.

Magda’s cakes look absolutely fabulous

"It's like loads of moms feeding me food" haha Paul, you're in the right place friend. I'm not Polish but I'd go there in a heartbeat, those ladies know what they are doing

I lost it when he asked for milk to his tea as if that was obvious:D

I'm OK with you saying "Poland - a former communist country" as long as you remain consistent. "Great Britain - a former global empire responsible for ethnic clashes of the 20th century in Africa and Indian subcontinent" "United States - a country that thrived on slavery for centuries" You get my point I hope?

Man! From someone who’s been living in Poland for over 5 years, all the introduction with mentioning ‘Former Communist State’ was super annoying. It’s not like it was a choice.

The bread bakery is amazing. It's like stepping back in time.