zima

Hunter Stew

Bacon Spread

In Poland, "zima" (ZHEE-mah) means winter! Are you feeling the winter weather ("pogoda") today where you live?  Brrr! Here in the New York City area, it's cold! ("zimno")

In the winter months, the Polish kitchen turns to family favorites such as barszcz, bigos, and kluski. As an invited guest, you might be offered a glass of mulled wine ("wino grzane"). The cozy pleasure of homemade comfort food is also found in countless small-town restaurants. In winter, you'll find smalec waiting for you on the table.

Although the foothills and mountains of southern Poland are likely to be white with snow, the capital city of Warsaw and several other big cities can be more wet than white. Here are photos of Poland in winter. Poles are accustomed to inclement weather, and Polish culture has many winter activities, both indoor and outdoor, during the winter months.