Traditional gifts to bring home from Poland? It can’t be easier. Start with these 7 traditional Polish gifts and add anything else that catches your eye to the list.
Last updated: August 17, 2024
Polish Souvenirs: The Top 7 Traditional Gifts to Bring Home from Poland
There was a time when I was buying small souvenirs from every city and country we visited. In most cases, mini magnets with images of major landmarks added weight to a carry-on we traveled with and later found their permanent home on our fridge.
This habit eventually faded away, replaced by “a book from a new place“. Often it’s more than just one novel. But from time to time, I still can’t help myself and splurge a little bit on authentic gifts and souvenirs.
The last time this happened was in Poland. Overwhelmed by colors, smells, and the abundance of Polish traditional gifts and souvenirs, I wanted them all. I managed not to spend a fortune on presents for myself and my family, although the temptation was hard to resist.
Nevertheless, this unforeseen experience helped me compile this Polish gift guide that contains 7 traditional gifts you should bring home from Poland.
OUR GUIDE TO POLISH GIFTS AND SOUVENIRS: THE 7 TRADITIONAL GIFTS FROM POLAND
1. Ceramics
The Polish think that dishes in which food is served play almost as an equal role as the food itself. A pretty dish makes food taste better. In some rare cases when the food is far from the standards of Polish cuisine, hard work of saving the dining situation falls on colorful ceramics.
Many visitors buy these traditional gifts as treasured souvenirs to remind them of their trips to Poland. Interestingly enough, Polish ceramics often don’t touch the polished surface of any dining table. Instead, they take their places of honor on long shelves loaded with souvenirs from around the world.
2. Jams and Preservatives
Jams or preservatives go hand in hand with the ceramics as one of the best ideas for traditional gifts from Poland. Made from different types of berries and quite often without adding sugar, this gift brings the taste of Poland to any part of the world. Moreover, served in a colorful ceramic saucer, it still reminds of the flavors of Poland even months later.
3. Honey
Honey is another great alternative for a traditional gift from Poland for anybody with a sweet tooth. Similar to the jam, taste and texture of honey greatly differ from one place of the country to another. Some honey tastes sweet, some even sweeter depending on where it was collected from.
While honey might not be such a unique gift, the interesting ceramic jars and bottles it’s sold in makes it nothing short of a perfect traditional gift from Poland.
4. Pierniczki
Pierniczki are gingerbread cookies baked according to traditional Polish recipes. These treats are especially popular for Christmas and St. Nicholas Day.
Interestingly, Toruń, a city in northern Poland where Nicholas Copernicus was born, claims to be a place that started the gingerbread tradition. While this statement is arguable, you can’t help but buy pierniczki as an ideal traditional gift to bring home from Poland.
READ MORE: Recipes Around the World: Vegan Lebkuchen
5. Polish Nesting Dolls
Some traditional gifts from Poland have twins in different countries. In the case of Polish nesting dolls, they originated in Russia and then traveled to Poland where they adapted to local tastes and slowly took place on the traditional Polish souvenirs list.
Polish nesting dolls don’t differ drastically from Russian matryoshka dolls. And yet somehow these wooden beauties in colorful national clothes quickly became one of the most popular souvenirs to buy when in Poland.
6. Keepsake Boxes
Keepsake and memory boxes are the second most popular Polish traditional gifts made of wood after the above-mentioned nesting dolls. The decorative boxes are both beautiful and functional. They say box making has a long history in Poland that takes its beginning in the Tatra Mountains.
7. Coffee Table Books
An avid book lover can’t find a better traditional gift than a coffee table book loaded with images of famous landmarks and cities, Polish traditional dishes and glimpses of the country’s past. Apart from the aesthetic part of these souvenirs, they do a great job of introducing Poland to their new owners and their friends.
Nesting dolls are a Russian tradition, not Polish
Author
I agree. But some countries in Eastern and Central Europe share so many similarities in their cultures, cuisines, and traditions, that sometimes it’s hard to draw a line here. It’s especially difficult for people that were not born or raised in these countries.