Poland is a country whose economy is in transition – it is obvious to us – our last visit here was in 2011. Most Poles would say that their transport, health, and education systems have improved dramatically. I suspect, however, there might be a generational gap when they are questioned about food retailers in today’s Poland.

There are far more food outlets from the big chains – KFC, Burger King, McDonalds etc. There have been queues of young people outside ramen restaurants or lined up to buy bubble tea. The big grocery chains are located in the shopping centers situated in the outer suburbs. What  appears to be lost since our previous visit are the food halls and the farmers’ markets, the local butchers and the green grocers. Perhaps this has been Australia’s story too – until the last decade or so where farmers’ markets, restaurants sourcing local produce and the concept of ‘paddock to plate’ have become a growing part of the consumer’s conscience.

That’s why the Wroclaw Market Hall has been such a pleasure to revisit. There are some French or Greek cheeses in the cheese stalls but most of the produce for sale is Polish. Bananas and pomegranates are available (hardly Baltic staples), but overwhelmingly the veggies are those that grow locally – and the only fruit widely available are different types of tomatoes, apples and cultivars of plums – although raspberries and strawberries from Polski often feature too.

We have our eyes set firmly on dining at a pierogi-serving bar (aka Polish cafeteria) down the road- no alcohol at these institutions – although you can pick up your vodka when you fill up your car with fuel or if you drop in to a Rossman chemist store to buy tissues, make up and … a bottle or two of wine.

Our dinner tonight was made with ingredients bought from the market hall today – mushrooms from a nearby forest, brussel sprouts from a local grower, cream from a small factory outside Wroclaw, and perogi from a giant factory in …. Lithuania. …Sigh

You can’t win em all Farquhar – but you can always enjoy a shot of vodka in the most unlikely of circumstances!