Obwarzanek krakowski

Anobwarzanek krakowski(Polish pronunciation:[ɔbvaˈʐanɛkkraˈkɔfskʲi], plural:obwarzanki krakowskie[ɔbvaˈʐaŋkʲikraˈkɔfskʲɛ]; also spelledobarzanek) is a braided ring-shapedbreadthat is boiled and sprinkled withsaltandsesameorpoppy seedsbefore being baked. It has a white, sweetish, moist and chewy crumb underneath a crunchy golden-brown crust. Traditionally sold from street carts, it is a popular snack in the Polish city ofKraków, where it has the status of a regional food withprotected geographical indication. It is closely related to, but distinct from,bagels,bubliksandpretzels.
The termobwarzanek krakowskiisPolish. The Polish nounobwarzanek, orobarzanek, derives from the verbobwarzać, "to parboil",which refers to the distinctive technique of boiling the dough before baking. The adjectivekrakowskidenotes anything coming from or related to the city of Kraków.
Anobwarzanek krakowskiis a ring-shaped baked product with a hole in the middle. It takes the form of an oval or, seldom, a circle. Its surface is formed by strands of dough, round or oval in cross-section, twisted into a spiral. The colour ranges from light golden to light brown, with a distinct sheen. A typicalobwarzanekis 12–17 centimetres (5–7 in) in diameter, 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) thick, and weighs 80–120 grams (3–4 oz).
The visible strands of the spiral on the crust are firmish to the touch and the surface varies from smooth to slightly rough. The crumb inside is pale, soft and slightly moist. The taste is sweetish, which is typical of bakery products that are first parboiled and then baked.Obwarzankiare traditionally decorated by sprinkling them with various ingredients, including coarse salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds,nigellaseeds, mixed herbs or mixed spices (paprika,caraway,pepper), gratedcheese,onionflakes, etc.
The earliest known references toobwarzankibeing baked in Kraków, Poland's former royal capital, appear in the accounts of the court of Queen Jadwiga and her consort KingVladislaus II Jagiełło. An entry dated to 2 March 1394 mentions the product using both its Polish name and its equivalent in PolishMedieval Latin,circuli,or "rings": "for the queen, for rings ofobwarzanki[pro circulis obarzankij], 1grosz".
In 1496, KingJohn Albertgranted the bakers' guild of the city of Kraków a monopoly on baking white bread, includingobwarzanki. This privilege was subsequently confirmed by all Polish kings up toJohn III Sobieski. Initially,obwarzankicould be made only duringLentby bakers specially designated for that purpose by the guild. The guild issued a decree in 1611 regulating the sale ofobwarzankiinside the city walls and the choice of bakers who were allowed to sell them.
A radical change took place in the 19th century. On 22 January 1802, a decree was signed which stipulated that any baker had the right to bakeobwarzankiwhen it was his turn to do so. The bakers authorised to bakeobwarzankiwere selected by the drawing of lots. The custom of drawing lots probably ended in 1849, there being no evidence that it continued after that date. This could mean that, over time, the rules were relaxed and any baker could makeobwarzankion any day of the year, as is still the case today.
Obwarzankiwere sold from stalls which opened before 6 a.m. so that the inhabitants of Kraków could buy them freshly baked early in the morning. The guild monitored the quality and freshness of the products, eight of its members being responsible for carrying out checks on stalls. Any transgressions were severely punished. Eventually, people started sellingobwarzankiin other ways. As late as the 1950s, they were sold straight from wicker baskets.
In modern times,obwarzankihave been sold not only in shops and bakeries, but also from street carts. There are between 170 and 180 such carts offeringobwarzankiin Kraków today. An average of almost 150,000 are sold on the Kraków market in a single day.
Theobwarzanek krakowskioften features in campaigns to promote Kraków. As a well-known symbol of Kraków andLesser Poland, it is often used in advertising aimed at locals and tourists alike. It has also won an award at theNasze Kulinarne Dziedzictwo(Our Culinary Heritage) competition, and received a prize at the 2003Polagra Farm international fairinPoznań. It always features at theŚwięto Chlebabread festival, an event that is held regularly in Kraków.