Life in Poland

That’s So Polish: I hate spinach and “milk soup”! To takie polskie – Nienawidzę szpinaku i “zupy mlecznej”!

Polish folks may disagree on many things – politics, religion, who should win Dancing with the Stars, but there is one thing that unites them- their distaste for spinach and “milk soup”.

First of all, what is milk soup? That’s what I asked when for the 4th, 5th, 6th, 27th time I heard from an adult about the horrors of milk soup. Milk soup is made from milk, obviously, but the actual contents change from person to person. It can be oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice or milk with some homemade noodles. The common element to all of these milk soups, besides milk, is that they are yucky. Or so the Polish folks say.

The same goes for spinach. When my adult students describe being forced as children to eat spinach in pre-school, I almost want to laugh at them, but their disgust is real.

imageI actually kind of like “milk soup” and I also like spinach. What’s up with the Polish taste buds? For heaven’s sake, Polish people eat tripe. That’s way worse than milk soup. That’s way worse than spinach. That’s way worse than milk soup mixed with spinach.

Ok, that’s what I thought, until the first time I had the pleasure of spending a week in a Polish hospital. Unfortunately, I’ve had this pleasure many times. I’ve learned many things from my stays in Polish hospitals – bring your own TP and cutlery, for example, but I have also learned the origin of the Polish prejudice against 2 quite innocent foods.

Institutional milk soup and institutional spinach.

Institutional milk soup and institutional spinach are quite different from the same milk soup or spinach you would eat at home. They resemble in practically no way milk, soup, or spinach…and the smell…is horrible and that is saying something because hospitals (and pre-schools) are full of bad smells.

The first time I was served milk soup in hospital, I asked what it was. The nurse informed me (the strange foreign lady) that it was milk soup. That, I could see, but the taste didn’t agree with the description, and I said so. With a huff, the nurse informed me that maybe it was because it was made from last night’s chicken soup and powdered milk. Gulp.

Ok, that’s not the worst thing I was served in hospital. Once I was served chicken hearts and lost 4 kilos in one week (without having a baby), but that’s another story.

Back to the spinach…I didn’t bother to ask the nurse what was on my plate this time. That’s what my numerous hospital roommates were for. The lady next to me (suffering quite obviously from anorexia, but diagnosed with “nerwica”) said that it was spinach. No? Spinach? It couldn’t be. First of all, it was completely liquid. Second of all, it was brown, not green or green-brown, not brown-green, just brown. And third of all, it smelled like something found in a child’s diaper. Scratch that, it smelled worse than something found in a child’s diaper.

And now I understand why Polish folks are not very fond of milk soup and spinach. After my experiences, I too can “be Polish” and commiserate about the awfulness of it all.

Smacznego!

PS Kielbasa Stories has a new follower. Welcome Magdalena! Thanks for joining us and thanks for reading.

To takie polskie – Nienawidzę szpinaku i “zupy mlecznej”

Polacy może nie zgadzają się w wielu rzeczach – polityka, religia, kto powinien wygrać Taniec z Gwiazdami, ale jest jedna rzecz, która ich łączy – ich niechęć do szpinaku i “zupy mlecznej“.

Przede wszystkim, co to jest zupa mleczna? To właśnie pytanie zadałam, kiedy po raz czwarty, piąty, szósty, 27-my usłyszałam od dorosłych o okropnościach zupy mlecznej. Zupa mleczna jest zrobiona z mleka, oczywiście, ale rzeczywista zawartość zmienia się z osoby na osobę. Mogą to być płatki owsiane, kasza manna, krem z ryżu lub mleka z domowym makaronem. Wspólnym elementem wszystkich tych zup mlecznych, obok mleka, jest to, że są bardzo paskudne. Przynajmniej Polacy tak mówią.

To samo dotyczy szpinaku. Kiedy moi dorośli uczniowie opisują jak byli zmuszani jako dzieci do jedzenia szpinaku w przedszkolu, prawie chce mi się śmiać z nich, ale ich obrzydzenie jest prawdziwe.

Mi tak naprawdę smakuje “zupa mleczna” i szpinak też. Co jest nie tak z polskimi kubkami smakowymi? Na miłość boską, Polacy jedzą flaki. Flaki są dużo gorsze od zupy mlecznej. Flaki są dużo gorsze niż szpinak. Flaki są nawet gorsze niż zupa mleczna wymieszana ze szpinakiem.

Ok, tak myślałam, dopóki nie miałem przyjemność spędzić tydzień w polskim szpitalu. Niestety, miałam tę przyjemność wiele razy. Nauczyłam się wielu rzeczy podczas moich pobytów w polskich szpitalach-zabrać za sobą papier toaletowy i sztućce, na przykład, ale również nauczyłam się pochodzenia polskiego uprzedzenia wobec 2 całkiem niewinnych produktów żywnościowych.

Instytucjonalna zupa mleczna i instytucjonalny szpinaku.

Instytucjonalne zupa mleczna i szpinak są dość różne od tej zupy mlecznej lub szpinaku, który jemy w domu. Nie przypominają ani trochę mleka, zupy lub szpinaku … i zapach … jest straszny i to właśnie dużo mówi, ponieważ szpitale (i przedszkola) są pełne brzydkich zapachów.

Po raz pierwszy jak zaserwowano mi mleczną zupę w szpitalu, spytałam co to było. Pielęgniarka poinformowała mnie (dziwną zagraniczną panią), że to zupa mleczna. To widziałam, ale smak nie zgadzał się z opisem i tak też powiedziałam. Z irytacją, pielęgniarka poinformowała mnie, że może to dlatego, że to było robione z wczorajszego rosołu i mleka w proszku. Łyk.

Ok, to nie jest najgorsza rzecz, którą dostałam w szpitalu. Kiedyś dostałam serca kurczaka i straciłam 4 kg w ciągu tygodnia (bez urodzenia dziecka), ale to inna historia

Wracając do szpinaku … nie pofatygowałam się, aby spytać pielęgniarki, co było na talerzu tym razem. Po co miałam moich licznych współlokatorów w pokoju. Pani obok mnie (oczywiście chora na anoreksję, ale u niej napisano “nerwica”) powiedziała, że to szpinak. Nie? Szpinak? Nie może być. Przede wszystkim, to było całkowicie płynne. Po drugie, było brązowe, a nie zielone lub zielono-brązowe, a nie brązowo-zielone, tylko brązowe. I po trzecie, pachniało jak coś z dziecięcej pieluchy. Wymazuję to, pachniało gorzej niż coś z dziecięcej pieluchy.

I teraz rozumiem, dlaczego Polacy nie za bardzo lubią zupę mleczną i szpinak. Po moich doświadczeniach ja też mogę “być Polką” i marudzić o okropnościach tego wszystkiego.

Smacznego!

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  • Reply
    Stardust
    October 3, 2010 at 6:57 pm

    Dear Lord:) I used tu hate a milk soup when I was a kid, only because it was a mandatory breakfast at my home:( Till now I'm not crazy about milk and use for coffee only. Once in a blue moon I can have a cereal, but is happening only if I run out of ideas:) And if I remember correctly spinach looked like a cow's patty. Now I love spinach, preferably baby spinach salad with nuts and pears. Mmmmm:))

  • Reply
    thea
    October 3, 2010 at 8:18 pm

    no way, i'm polish girl and i love spinach! maybe because i never had a chance to hate it as a child – my mom never served it. hmm, wonder why… for the other hand i used to had those milk soups as a kid, not too often and no bad memories at all, but then – i never made milk soup for myself. or for my kids. or for anyone at all! somehow i never felt a need ;)about tripe – i'm totally with you. the smell itself is a killer… *shiver*

  • Reply
    thea
    October 3, 2010 at 8:24 pm

    hmm, as i posted a comment i felt that i should introduce myself and say that i really love your blog. it's a great read!

  • Reply
    Czarny(w)Pieprz
    October 3, 2010 at 8:48 pm

    I don't use milk at all. And I really hate milk soup – it's just like a nightmare from my childhood. It doesn't matter what you put inside it – suger or salt it always tastes badly. I used to hate spinach but after visiting UK I belong to the spinach eaters – love it:)

  • Reply
    tranikowa
    October 4, 2010 at 8:55 am

    don't make fun of our taste buds – yours (American) are not better ;). pancake with an egg and bacon and a scoop of salty butter? salty peanut butter and sweet jelly sandwich? don't you think it is weird? ;)I always liked milk soup, and was eating my sister's who hated it. I just didn't like korzuch.

  • Reply
    Chris
    October 4, 2010 at 11:31 am

    Wow! What a response. I see I've touched a sensitive area ;)It is true for me that milk is mostly an additive to my coffee (like Stardust) but in the past I was an avid milk drinker. I hope my bones will thank me later.Hi Thea. Thanks for joining us. I, too, like spinach esp on pizza or with cream and pasta…or with salmon.Czarny – Not even in coffee?Tranikowa – Mmmm, pancakes with butter and maple syrup and a side of eggs and bacon. PB&J sandwiches. Foods of my dreams 😉 I don't like korzuch either (I call it \”milk skin\”) but my sister absolutely loved \”pudding skin\” when we were kids. She would eat the pudding skin and then put her pudding back in the fridge and wait for another one to develop. Gross!

  • Reply
    Chris
    October 4, 2010 at 4:01 pm

    Sorry, kożuch not korzuch. Whoops!

  • Reply
    nielot
    October 4, 2010 at 8:46 pm

    I like spinach, but my sister-in-law as a child called it \”bear's poo\”. And have you ever tasted an institutional fried egg? They used to give it to us at school canteen and it was absolutely horrid. Almost white and completely solid.

  • Reply
    Chris
    October 5, 2010 at 6:54 am

    nielot- I have not had the pleasure of eating an institutional fried egg, but I've been to all the major institutions – to school, to work, to hospital, to court…maybe if I get arrested I'll get my chance at that egg ;)Luckily, at Lizzie's Pre-school the food is pretty good. All except the \”serówka\” as Lizzie says. They have additional fruit and veggies as snacks and also something sweet like pudding or gelatin or a cookie. They have a good balance.

  • Reply
    tranikowa
    October 5, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    I meant to come back 2 days ago and correct that misspelled kozuch, but unfortunately didn't have time. I was hoping you won't catch it! – haha

  • Reply
    tranikowa
    October 5, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    oh yes- I also meant to come back and tell you that my mom who is now 58, remembers that she had to eat milk soup with potatoes!

  • Reply
    thea
    October 5, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    i can join self-crrecting party with my \”for the other hand\” i just noticed. i really should read what i write before i hit \”post it\”.

  • Reply
    Czarny(w)Pieprz
    October 5, 2010 at 8:44 pm

    Chris – coffee must be strong and jet – black (certainly without sugar) :)))

  • Reply
    agra
    October 6, 2010 at 7:40 am

    I love spinach… But obviously it must be with garlic… I thaught my child to eat them BEFORE he went to pre-school and now it`s one of his favorites plates :)sorry for mistakes – i speak (and write) much better french then english…

  • Reply
    Chris
    October 6, 2010 at 10:23 am

    Tranikowa (I wanted to give you the nickname Trani but I decided against it)- I didn't catch the spelling of course. Eagle-eyed Misiu did. Milk soup and potatoes? Your Mom wins the prize. Yuck!Thea – I am quite immune to mistakes when I am not at work and this is an open environment. Don't worry. Just write :)Czarny – I support you in the no-sugar coffee but my coffee should be described as \”milk with coffee\” instead of \”coffee with milk\”.Agra – Don't worry. Thanks for writing. We've also introduced the \”yucky\” foods at home and now they're not so yucky for the kids. Esp herring. I don't like herring at all but my kids love them. We do spinach and garlic with eggs. Delicious!

  • Reply
    ucieczka
    October 7, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    Luckily for me in pre-school and on the camps they fed me with great milk-soups so I don't have traumatic feelings about it. However I rarely eat them now. On the other hand I loved spinach, 3 years ago I could eat it everyday and now? yuck, can't say really why I changed my mind about it. And the number one food-trauma of my childhood is liver. I only got to the staircase of my house (and I live on the 3rd floor) and knew what was for dinner, so when I was opening the door of the apartment instead of \”Hi Mum!\” I used to say \”I'm not going to eat that!\” … 😉 And that hasn't changed a bit.

  • Reply
    Rinonka
    October 8, 2010 at 7:17 am

    Yuck, kozuch was the worst thing ever. Spinach I don't care, I'm not the biggest fan though. I remember in my kindergarden, zupa mleczna was sweet with noodles and it always had kozuch. YUUUCK.

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