Which restaurant in Bolesławiec serves the world’s oldest dish?

On Sundays, rosół is an essential dish on many Polish tables. But the Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia, in the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates, enjoyed this simple and healthy soup thousands of years ago. Today, this area stretches from northern Syria to the Persian Gulf and from Iran to Arabia.

In addition, the Culinary Atlas of the World compiled a ranking of dishes that are slightly younger than rosół. They, too, have survived centuries of change, migration and wars to remain popular on our tables.

Sauerkraut, already known to the ancient Romans in the 1st century AD, took first place. The samurai soup from the 7th century AD—Japanese miso soup—also ranks highly. It is a fish broth with soybean paste and many additions.

From India comes dosa, known since the 8th century: a delicious, crispy pancake made from fermented rice-and-lentil batter.

The ranking includes borscht from Ukraine (9th century AD), initially cooked with orache, until beets were added for flavor and the red color associated with the soup.

Hungarian goulash dates back to the 10th century. This one-pot, nutritious dish contains meat, onions and peppers and is very popular in Poland.

And what about pierogi—the dish commonly associated with Polish cuisine? Although we often claim its origin as our own, it is worth noting that the original recipe did not originate in Polish lands. Some sources point to the 17th century as the period when pierogi became popular in Poland, while others move the date back to the 13th century.

Interestingly, pierogi exist in various forms in many cuisines around the world, from Ukrainian and Russian, through Italian and German, to Chinese. The Far East is believed to be the place where people first began making pierogi.
The hypothesis is that the recipe for this dish reached Poland from Kyiv through Bishop Jacek Odrowąż. Regardless of the historical complexities, pierogi—whether filled with cabbage and mushrooms, cheese or meat, or, in the summer version, with bilberries and sour cream—have become a permanent part of Poland’s culinary landscape.