Sunday, October 22, 2023

Polish Kielbasa Update

 Polish Kielbasa Update

 A Kielbasa as part of the święcony Easter basket was always a part of local Catholic Polish-American tradition when I was growing up in the Berkshires.  The kielbasy were homemade on local farms or special-ordered for Easter from small local meat markets. These kielbasy were garlicy, spiced and smoked a certain way.  

 As my world expanded through education, career and travel, I retained my taste for genuine Polish kielbasa, of the type that were sourced in Southeastern Poland, where my ancestors, and many of the Polish-Americans from the Berkshires originated, and where I visited in 2013.

 Long story short, after sampling Kielbasa from various locales, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Polish Chicago, and Southeastern Poland itself, for my taste, the best kielbasy I found were from Labuda’s Market in Wilbraham, Massachusetts.  Many kielbasa aficionados agreed.

 Earlier this year, Labuda’s suddenly closed, creating a drought among kielbasa lovers in New England and New York State, and as far away as Dallas in my case. I have subsequently learned that two other well-known meat markets and kielbasa makers in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, have also recently closed.  One was Sikorski’s (originally Winski’s), where I traded when I lived in New Jersey, and the other was Kiszka’s, also known as the West Nassau Meat Market. 

  I have gone online and have also asked friends and family about where to get good kielbasy now that Labuda’s is closed. 

 Bernat’s in Chicopee, Mass has a good reputation, but when I tried to order online, shipping was nearly $180 on a $60 order.  I plan on phoning them about this, and will consider this a “drive to” market when I’m in the area.

There is cooked kielbasa from Bernat’s sitting on my sister Joan’s kitchen cabinet in Savoy.  I believe that this is Bernat's Signature Kielbasa – Kielbasa Tarnowska.  Joan advises that this kielbasa is close to Labuda’s in taste and quality.

  The link is: https://www.bernatspolishdeli.com/

 I have tried Alex’s kiebasa. Pretty good, but not as good as Labuda’s.

 https://www.amazon.com/AlexMeat-Alex%60s-Meat-Kielbasy-Krestyanskie/dp/B00RPSSO30?&linkCode=sl1&tag=homekitchentalk-20&linkId=d84d0b01cc56cddcd5d8c644a8f49dbc&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 I have also tried Konopelski’s from Pennsylvania.  Very good, with taste and quality pretty close to Labuda’s.  A little salty and fatty, but that adds to the excellent taste overall.  The taste grew on me in succeeding days.  Alex’s was leaner and less salty, and that made it a little more bland.

https://konopelskimeats.com/products/smoked-polish-kielbasa

 Another online Polish market with pretty good looking kielbasy I Polona Meat Market in Chicago.  They proffer a dry ice shipping container, and their shipping costs seem reasonable.  They have good descriptions of what the various kielbasy are about.  Look under “deli” and “smoked sausages”.  I’ll give them a try at some point in the future.

https://www.polana.com/collections/smoked-sausages/products/chlopska-kielbasa-peasants-sausage

 Same for Piast Polish Market in Northern New Jersey.  Seems to have a good reputation, and has a good selection which they seem to carefully ship.  https://www.piast.com/pages/buy-kielbasa-online

 Polish Deli Online also looks good  https://www.polishdelionline.com/store/c3/Kielbasa.html#/

 So does this one in Pittsburg  https://www.polishfoodandgifts.com/polish-regular-kielbasa-wiejska-smoked-sausage-two-sticks/

 General comments on brands of kielbasa:

https://homekitchentalk.com/brands-of-kielbasa/

 Make your own kielbasy?  Looks like a decent recipe, with and without casings.

Find it online: https://thecookful.com/homemade-kielbasa/

 Ray Gruszecki
October 22, 2023

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