Plac Handelka - local products and traditional bread

Located near Stary Kleparz, Handelka Square at Św. Filipa 14 is becoming a new site on the culinary map of Krakow, you will regularly meet small producers and local breeders from Krakow and the surrounding areas.

The initial editions of the regional products market at Plac Handelka are already behind us. The first was held under the slogan: "Bread and friends". The event was accompanied by the official opening of the Handelka bakery. The Bread and Friends project is one of the events organized as part of the Slow Food CE project pilot campaigns. As part of this and upcoming events, the organizers would like to show how important it is to return to the idea of slow food and combine it with craft art. Krakow residents and the tourists who visited the market on Sunday, September 8, had the opportunity to taste the best bread, organic cheeses, honey, preserves, as well as to supply home pantries for the upcoming autumn and winter.

The organizers also made sure exhibitors shared their stories and knowledge - talks about regional products, traditional recipes and production secrets were held throughout the event. Stories by Marcin Jabłoński about bread, speaking with great respect about his (sometimes difficult) love of baking, were very popular. He also talked about the bakery's efforts to obtain the certificate necessary for baking and selling real Prądnicki Bread, a regional product with a protected geographical indication. Each participant could make their own sourdough for bread under the master's supervision and take it home with them. Bakers were happy to share their knowledge and recipes, and the participants kept them to be able to bake the perfect bread in their homes. There were also workshops throughout the day led by Marta Krzyżek-Siudak from the Live Obwarzanek Museum of Krakow. The history of the Krakow obwarzanek dates back to 1394. The tradition of this baking has survived to this day, thanks to which we can enjoy a snack that Władysław and Jadwiga Jagiełło ate at the court. Both children and adults, having heard the history of the symbol of Krakow, could take on the role of bakers. Everyone could kneed, bake and then eat their own obwarzanek. 

The owner of the Kalwaryjskie Przetwory also shared her knowledge, talking about the secrets of perfect marinades, pickled products and homemade kombucha, as well as the owner of Pemako who speaks about the production of goat cheese and breeding goats – the most important animals for her– with incredible commitment. The creators of the Morawski Apiary explained the importance of the role of bees in our environment and the value of proper beekeeping culture. At the fair, you could also buy country eggs and learn what to look for when choosing them. The organizers did not forget about the youngest visitors. In addition to the Krakow obwarzanek baking workshops, a children's corner was set up where the works of small participants were created.

Subsequent editions of the market at Handelka Square took place on September 15 (farm cheese), September 22 (a forester’s house), September 29 (Meat Fair), October 6 (Preserves) and October 13 (Zero Waste Fair).