Stary Browar in Poznan

Let me tell you something ladies (and gentlemen who like to shop), the new malls in Poland are amazing!!!!! I loved Poland and didn’t feel any culture shock at all, but when I got a little tired from walking and the heat, a trip to a mall fixed me right up! That, and a little Coffee Heaven (like a Starbucks). On Saturday I stayed at the P’s apartment while the others went to a funeral, but when Ian got back, he took me downtown Poznan. We came here to Stary Browar and had some supper, then wandered around the old square and took pictures and listened to street musicians until the sun went down. This mall is near downtown and has several floors filled with many small, interesting stores, not the big anchor stores you think of in the States.

Ok, and I might as well add this confession right here. In case you haven’t already figured it out, I am what is known as a “foodie”. Some people like museums, some go to zoos, but foodies are enthralled with what is on the menu! We love the sights, the scents, the colors, the textures, the unending variety of all things that originally come from mother earth herself. So, as you can imagine, a trip to a foreign country, for a foodie, has to include a lot of photos of the FOOD! Here I am having chicken cordon bleu (not so Polish), kasha, and sauerkraut (very Polish)! What is kasha? Oh, I am so glad you asked! Kasha is any kind of hulled small grain, but usually refers to buckwheat groats…groats being what you call the grain when the hull or seed coat is taken off. Kasha can be a cooked cereal affair, but here the groats are roasted and remind me of an earthy, substantial rice. On wikipedia I found this: This Slavic variety of porridge has been described as “infinitely flexible – served sweet or savoury, a meal unto itself, or as a side dish.” It also states that people have been eating kasha for over a thousand years!

You may look at this and not get very excited, but the combination of creamy chicken, chewy kasha and wonderfully savory sauerkraut was excellent! And if you have only ever had sauerkraut that came directly out of a can, you are missing something! This had mushrooms and many other flavorings added to it.