The Independence Day Goose Fair

 

Last Saturday I went with a Polish friend to The Goose Fair a festival of traditional handmade foods at Przysiek, which is on the road to Torun.

It was Independence day here - a really big day in Poland; not only do they celebrate those who died in the world wars but their liberation form oppression in the 2nd world war and subsequent struggles.

 

It’s a national holiday, people were moving around town to services and remembrances in their best clothes but there were also many informal events, a big music festival in Gadansk and  a Food festival in Przysiek.

I asked why it was called a Goose Fair and the reason is that there are so many foods made with goose products in Poland, (I think it might be one of the national symbols) and the food festival of traditional polish foods celebrate this.

We arrived at an enormous flood lite field and the aroma was amazing with barbeques and foods cooking over hot coals, soups and stews bubbling in electric saucepans and smoked meats and cheeses hanging everywhere.


 


All this was interspersed with sampling many flavoured vodkas, my friend was looking for a gift and we had to do a lot of sampling!! My favourite was a quince flavoured vodka but the cherry, raspberry and orange ones were all delicious too. 

 

I sampled delicious breads; the cheeses were out of this world – if only I could remember what they were called!! One in particular was a smoked chesses made in the mountains, I think it might be boiled as it is slightly rubbery like a paneer and is moulded into traditional shapes. The feed sellers, cut it into slices, slash the top of it, as you would a mango and then put it on a hot griddle. Well, it was delicious served with cranberry sauce.


Another delicious treat was a baked pierogi with goose meat inside and a fried potato cake with goose meat and mushrooms inside.


this was a treat I swerved but apparently should have gone for. Gelatinous goose fat slathered on a hunk of   sourdough bread  and topped with pickles . The pork fat even has crackling in it!!

Apple cakes on the pierogi stall


Some of the many goose products on sale at the food festival


A vast array of different dried mushrooms. A student last night told me it is a polish past time to go collecting mushrooms.


 a live traditional polis band, there was a cookery demonstration next to it.



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