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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