The culinary tradition of Poland is a mixture of influences of many cultures that have met each other over the centuries in Polish lands. The dishes that we eat today in many cases have their counterpart in the culinary arts of our neighbors. This does not only apply to dumplings, but also to the pork chop. This flagship dish is a cheaper alternative to the Viennese schnitzel, popular in Galicia. In our restaurant in Krakow, the dish is available in its original version.
The history of the breaded cutlet
As the name suggests, this dish is part of the culinary tradition of the Austrian state. The idea for a breaded meat schnitzel was taken from Italy by an Austrian marshal who was stationed there with his army. The Viennese version of the dish quickly spread throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With the partitions of Poland, the dish reached our lands, mainly to Galicia. No wonder then that almost every restaurant in Krakow has a Viennese schnitzel on the menu.
Problematic name
The original Wiener Schnitzel is made from a thin slice of veal, rolled in breadcrumbs, fried in butter and served with a lemon wedge. Only such a dish can be called Wiener Schnitzel or Viennese cutlet – the name is reserved. In many restaurants the dish is called Viennese cutlet, it is a signal to the customer that the cutlet is most likely made of cheaper pork. The pork chop, popularized by a culinary book from the 19th century, is made of pork.