Recipes for soups, cakes and festive dishes have survived among the inhabitants of the Spiš region, who usually prepared them with what was available at home, grown and cultivated on the farm: potatoes, grains, meat from the farm, gifts of the forest, as well as vegetables and herbs. The mistresses of the kitchen transformed these products into true works of culinary art. The recipes were simple; however, cooking and baking required a lot of time and work. The food was delicious and healthy; therefore, it is worth drawing on this traditional culinary wealth even today.

Some of the old recipes have been recorded and, to save them from being forgotten, published in the book Śpiskie Smaki. The recipes of Spiš cuisine presented in the book are a collection of 27 recipes for the preparation of Spiš regional dishes. These local recipes reflect many aspects of the lives of the inhabitants of Spiš, because cuisine is always closely connected with the traditions and religion of a given region, as well as the culinary tastes and prosperity of its inhabitants. Both the ingredients and the methods of preparation in the book have been presented using the regional dialect.

Juha, fizoły ze śliwkami, sałata na kwaśnym mlyku, randula, chytre mjyso, kiska grulano, bufty, rogi, derkliki are just some of the examples of dishes which have been prepared in Spiš for generations. Sometimes the combination of tastes can seem surprising. Has anyone ever tried a sweet cake that smells of cinnamon, prepared with boiled white cabbage? It melts in your mouth! Discover the recipes of the Spiš regional cuisine and try them in the comfort of your own home.

The dishes presented in the book are the work of the countryside women – members of the ‘SPISZ się na medal’ Local Initiatives Association. The publication was created as the culmination of culinary workshops carried out by the ‘SPISZ się na medal’ Local Initiatives Association as part of the ‘Smaki z regionu Spisza’ [Flavours of the Spiš region] project with the financial support of the Małopolska Region from the funds of the open tender ‘Małopolska Gościnna – IV edycja 2020’ [Hospitable Małopolska – 4th Edition 2020].