Gastro-Tatras: What should you eat at the mountain hut to make sure you don’t regret it?

Apple pie in Dolina Pięciu Stawów or sour soup in Murowaniec? Pork chop or pancakes? A brief guide to the best food at an altitude of 1,500 metres above sea level..

Let’s face it – after a four-hour uphill hike, even a dry roll tastes like ambrosia. But once you’re inside the mountain hut, it’s worth knowing what to order to reward yourself for your efforts. Tatra cuisine has its legends and its… let’s just say, some less-than-stellar offerings.

Here is a subjective ranking of Tatra classics.

1. Apple pie (There is only one queen)

An age-old war rages in the Tatras: whose apple pie is the best?

• Dolina Pięciu Stawów: Legend has it that tourists go there just for this. It’s moist, warm and cinnamon-spiced. Absolutely top-notch, though I must admit my wife makes a better one :D.
• Hala Kondratowa: Here, the apple pie often disappears before midday. If you manage to get your hands on it – you’ve hit the jackpot.
• Morskie Oko: Solid, classic, but the crowd in the dining room spoils the dining atmosphere a bit.

2. Kwaśnica or Żurek?

Here the rule is simple: if you’re frozen to the bone – go for kwaśnica. A proper highlander kwaśnica should be served in a rib bowl, so sour it makes your face contort, and rich. It’s the perfect ‘fuel’ for the descent. Żurek is a safe option, but in mountain huts it’s often the ‘instant’ kind. Kwaśnica is less likely to disappoint.

3. Pork chop vs. Bigos

Bigos in the mountains is a gamble. Sometimes it’s brilliant, hunter’s style, and sometimes it’s just cabbage. On the other hand, the pork chop at Murowaniec (on Hala Gąsienicowa) has a reputation for being a “giant”. It’s pricey (we’ve already had cheap food in the Tatras), but the portion is enough to fill a grown man after climbing Zawrat.

4. Your own provisions – what to take?

Don’t want to spend a fortune at the mountain hut? No problem, most of us carry our own food. But please – don’t take chocolate, which will melt in your rucksack and turn into a brown goo.

• Kabanos sausages: A hiker’s best friend. They don’t go off, they’re light, and they provide salt and protein.
• Sandwiches: Make them at home. A cheese sandwich on the summit of Kopa Kondracka, with a view of Giewont, tastes better than in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
• Water: Remember that water from streams in the Tatras (below the springs) isn’t always safe to drink straight from the source (bacteria). It’s better not to risk an upset stomach on the trail.

Enjoy your meal and see you at the table at Dolina Pięciu Stawów!