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Best Obwarzanek krakowski in New York
“Boiled, seeded, and baked into a crunchy-outside, chewy-inside ring that Kraków claims as its own.”
What the real thing tastes like
An obwarzanek krakowski (Polish pronunciation: [ɔbvaˈʐanɛk kraˈkɔfskʲi], plural: obwarzanki krakowskie [ɔbvaˈʐaŋkʲi kraˈkɔfskʲɛ]; also spelled obarzanek) is a braided ring-shaped bread that is boiled and sprinkled with salt and sesame or poppy seeds before 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 of Kraków, where it has the status of a regional food with protected geographical indication. It is closely related to, but distinct from, bagels, bubliks and pretzels.
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An obwarzanek krakowski is a braided ring of dough that takes an unusual path to the table: boiled first, then scattered with salt and seeds, then baked until the exterior shatters into a golden-brown crust. Underneath lies the real prize—a white, sweetish crumb that stays moist and chewy no matter how you bite into it. Street vendors in Kraków have been selling these since time immemorial, and the city has protected the tradition fiercely, recognizing it as something that belongs nowhere else.
Order it here when it has
- crunchy golden-brown crust
- moist and chewy crumb
- sweetish flavor
- protected regional heritage
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