żurawina

In Polish, "żurawina" (zhur-ah-VEEN-ah) means cranberry.  While cranberry sauce is most popular in the United States during Thanksgiving ("Dzień Dziękczynienia"), you will find that Polish tables have cranberry in one form or another throughout the year.

Also, while American cranberries are grown in wet bogs, Polish cranberries are picked from bushes.  A walk through the countryside ("krajobraz") will reveal both wild cranberries and cranberry orchards.  The tart fruit is picked and mixed into fruit preserves ("dżem") or made into a condiment ("sos"). 

It is not uncommon to see Polish cranberry sauce served alongside meat pierogi ("pierogi z mięsem") or with Oscypek, the famous cheese produced by Polish highlanders.