What Is The Most Famous Polish Fruit? The Most Popular Fruits In Poland.

Poland has a temperate climate that’s perfect for growing fruits. No wonder we produce some fruits that are exported across the globe. Of course, we Poles eat a lot of fruit too. 

Do you want to know what are the most famous Polish fruits to eat?

Recently, the National Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers Groups or Unia Owocowa undertook a survey to find out which fruits and vegetables were a favorite of the Polish people. They found that strawberries and apples are the most consumed fruit in our country. These are followed by raspberries, cherries (both czereśnie and wiśnie), plums, blueberries, pears, chokeberries, and currants. 

1. Apples – Jabłka

As the largest producer of apples in the European Union, with an estimated 4 170 000 tons in 2021, we love our apples. From the sweet and light to the tart and crispy, Polish apples are exported across the globe. 

In fact, two varieties of Polish apples – jabłka łąckie and jabłka grójeckie – have been registered in the EU register of Protected Geographical Indications since 2010.

The jabłka łąckie apples from the Małopolskie Voivodship have a clear blush, a higher acidity than regular apples, and have the unique characteristic of not trying brown when peeled. The jabłka grójeckie have an intense blush and are originally from the Grójec region. 

Of course, there are orchards in many regions of Poland producing the sweet apples kissed by the legendary jabłonki – the ‘apple sisters’. And you’ll find apples included in many popular Polish dishes, from the sharlotka jablecznik to the rice pudding with apples, from the carrot and apple salad to the racuchy and more.  

2. Strawberries – Truskawkami

Strawberries are eaten almost as much as apples are in Poland. Summer comes around and their juicy flesh is added to desserts, jams, kiesel, pies, cakes, jellies, and more. Kids love eating ryz z truskawkami at school lunch, and so do adults! And don’t forget the strawberry custard sponge cakes and strawberry pierogis. Some strawberries turn into kompot too!

The truskawka kaszubska from the Kashubian District have also found their way into the Protected Geographical Indications register because of their juicy flesh with higher sugar content. 

You don’t have to go to the store to buy strawberries. Buy them fresh from the vendors at the side of the roads selling them by the kilos. And if you ever find poziomki, tiny strawberries that grow wild, grab as many as you can! They’re truly rare!

3. Raspberries – Maliny

The summer months of July and August are when all the stores are filled with raspberries. These healthy berries are perfect in desserts either fresh or frozen. Raspberries are added to jams, meat dishes, salads, kisiel, jellies, meringues, and even turned into a syrup called maliniak. 

More than half of Poland’s raspberries are grown in Krasnik, and Benefis, Koral, Polana, and Polka are the most produced varieties. 

Did you know that Poland was the largest producer of raspberries after Russia and the US? We produce around 129,063 tonnes a year making us the largest producer in the EU.

4. Cherries – Czereśnie

Cherries in Poland are either sweet – czereśnie or sour – wiśnie. We use both varieties in our food from savory to sweet dishes, especially in the traditional cherry pierogi.

The sweet cherries aren’t exported as much as sour cherries are, but they are eaten domestically in large quantities. Czereśnie can be red or yellow in color and are all sweet. Regina and Kordia cherries are the most popular varieties. 

5. Cherries -Wiśnie

Smaller in size than sweet cherries, the wisnie or sour cherries are more tart and acidic. The most popular sour cherries are Wisnia Łutówka, followed by Northstar, Kelleris and Nefris.

Wiśnia nadwiślanka cherries grown along the banks of the Vistula River is perhaps the smallest variety and is in the register of Protected Destinations of Origin since 2009.

To visit the biggest orchards we can go to Mazowieckie, Lubelskie, Świętokrzyskie or Łódzkie Voivodeships. Thousands of tonnes of sour cherries are exported as is, or frozen and exported every year.

Sour cherries are also turned into pierogi like the sweet ones. They’re also added to pies or turned into jams, juices, or kompot. 

@KK – slightly confused about whether it’s only borowki or borowki jagody below

6. Blueberries – Borówki 

Polish blueberries or borówki jagody are smaller than American blueberries. The borówki amerykańskie are also sweeter in taste than wild Polish blueberries.

You’ll often find these wild ones sold by vendors outside forests in the summer months. Of course, if you have the time, you can go berry picking with your family like we used to do with babcia and dziadzio.

A good source of antioxidants, blueberries are added to many Polish dishes such as jagodzianki, blueberry and custard tarts, or mouthwatering blueberry perogies called pierogi z jagodami. Or you can simply serve them with sour cream or pierogi leniwe!

7. Pears – Gruszki

The temperate Polish climate is perfect for growing pears. No wonder we’ve increased production by almost 25% over the last 5 years. Rich in potassium, the best Polish pears come from the orchards near Mazowieckie and Łódzkie provinces. 

We add them to the famous czarnina duck blood soup or use them to make knedle dumplings. Pears are crips and tasty on their own or in salads too!

8. Chokeberries – Aronia

A North American fruit that was first cultivated in Europe in Russia in the 18th century, chokeberries or aronia got their name from the sourness of the berries.

Despite their tartness, aronia are very healthy, and Poland is now the largest producer of chokeberries in the world. We also use them to make all types of sweet and savory dishes. We even add them to tea! 

9. Plums – Sliwki

Over 100 thousand tonnes of plums are grown in Poland, either to eat as they are to be dried and turned into prunes.

In addition to desserts and pastries, we also add them to meaty dishes like the prune stuffed pork loin or prunes wrapped in bacon recipes. The chocolate covered prune or sliwka w czekoladzie, is a popular Polish dish. 

There are two varieties of prunes that received Protected Geographical Indication status since 2010. Śliwka szydłowska from the Staszów district are long and dark bluish in color with wrinkly skin. Their high sugar content makes them perfect for drying and smoking to turn into delicious prunes. Suska sechlońska from the Małopolska region is similar but less sweet. 

10. Currants – Porzeczki

The summer months of July and August are when fresh currant or porzeczki flood the markets. Czerwona porzeczka – red currants and biała porzeczka – white currants are all eaten raw gleefully, but the czarna porzeczka – black currants are considered too tart to eat raw without cooking. Ceres, Tatran, Detvan, Rosetta, and Titania are the popular porzeczki varieties.  

Like all other fruit, currants are turned into jams, preserve, juices and jellies. The sourer black currants are added to the moss cake made with spinach or the pani walewska cake. Some are also turned into homemade pasteurized drinks or added to Polish fruit soup.  

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So that’s the list of Poland’s most famous fruits, the ones that are eaten almost every week. How many of them have you tried? Comment and let us know!