Bigos

Bigos [ biɡɔs ] is a Polish herb pot. It is a traditional stew, which consists of stewed sauerkraut with various meats and sausages, as well as other varying ingredients. Viewed as the epitome of classic Polish cuisine, it is especially true in Poland 's national dish, is also historical reasons but also in Lithuania, Belarus and the (mainly Western ) Ukraine integral part of the local cuisines.

Etymology

Where did the name of the dish comes from is controversial. There are three common variations.

Option 1: from Italian

One theory is that the word from the old Italian word bigutta what was said as much as kettle or soup pot, could come.

Version 2: from the Latin

The word Bigos could come from Latin. So it should have come from bigustus with bi for two and Augustus for taste. Interprets the will to the tastes of sweet and sour that are connected in one. Another interpretation says that so that the mixing of sauerkraut and fresh cabbage could be meant.

Option 3: from the German

A widespread assumption is that it can be traced back to the old German word of the 16th century Beiguss .. It should be because continuous leakage of liquid must be added during cooking ( baste ).

The court

The basic ingredients of the dish are cabbage, white cabbage, and - in different amounts - pork and / or beef and various sausages and spices that are cooked at low heat. Depending on the region, occasion and preferences as well as presence of other ingredients Bigos is however widely varied so that there is no fixed recipe. Among other things, especially mushrooms, prunes, tomatoes or Paradeismark, carrots, onions, bacon, juniper, bay leaf and allspice are mitgegart. There also exist sharp variations with paprika and cream.

To Bigos bread is traditionally served, rare as well as potatoes. Previously also hot water was added and eaten as Bigos warm soup.

Bigos is often cooked in stock; also because multiple warm up the taste improves. The slow cooking to give the high-fat meat and sausage ingredients from their fat on cabbage and cabbage.

In Poland, bigos usually part of the standard range of restaurants and is also often offered alongside sausage products of food stalls. Meanwhile, it is also found in some Western European countries on major fairs and festivals.

History

Although historians consider the court for much older, the court was the first mentioned in the 15th century. From then on, the court was - popular throughout the country Poland - Lithuania - especially likely because of the long shelf life. Here we know neither where exactly this dish comes, nor were - unlike other traditional Polish dishes - committed no recipes. Due to the size of the country, the multicultural society and associated different preferences emerged many different variants. The partition of Poland in the late 18th century has also contributed to the fact that no single recipe could prevail. No other court found in so many poems again. So is, for example, in Pan Tadeusz: W kociołkach bigos grzano. W słowach wydać trudno. Bigosu smak przedziwny, kolor I Won Cudna: Slow tylko Brzęk usłyszy i rymów porządek; Ale I never treści miejski pojmie Żołądek. ( In the boiler Bigos The taste was boiled It's hard to put into words so strange, the color and smell so wonderful: Words are only a buzz and the rhymes chance; But the content is only understood the stomach.. . )