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Polish deli and bakery in Livonia where I got the kielbasa from, this is the closest Polish store to my house but not the one I usually go to (October 31st, 2025). Photo by Alexander Pirog.
Kielbasa: More Than Just a Sausage
Kielbasa: More Than Just a Sausage
by Alex Pirog
A single bit of a garlicky, smoked kielbasa fills my mouth with an unforgettable bold flavor. Kielbasa is more than just a type of sausage to me; it’s a food that connects me to my culture, identity, and brings up those special memories of visiting my family as a kid. Poland is more than my heritage, it’s a place I’ve grown up spending summers there with family I rarely see, and I created heartfelt moments with my grandparents. While at home during the year, you’ll find us regularly eating Polish cuisine to remind us of them. I will always remember the comfort of seeing kielbasa at every family dinner while catching up with my cousin. Enjoying this smoked sausage together became an idea of who we are, even though the vast Atlantic Ocean separates us. The love I have for kielbasa has shown me the importance of self identity and being proud of where I come from. I connect valuable, deep, important memories, family gatherings, and laughter with kielbasa because it’s a food that brings positivity and comfort.
As the smell of smoky, hearty kielbasa filled the air, I could taste the rich pork infused with herbs, beef, and little bits of pepper and spice. The smell covered the kitchen on Christmas night with a savory aroma making me feel at home more than ever. Whenever it’s cooking, I can hear the sizzling and popping of the kielbasa that makes my mouth begin to water. It wasn’t just the taste of kielbasa that was making this Christmas day so special, it was the fact I got to celebrate Christmas with my parents and sister and, through kielbasa, my family in Poland. As poet Charles Smith beautifully put it in the “Food & Wine” newsletter, an award-winning food magazine, “Whose mouth has not watered in a well-stocked butcher shop or fancy-food market at the sight of many varieties of sausages: fresh and smoked, stuffed with pork, beef, lamb, liver, veal, venison and poultry and seasoned with herbs, garlic, pepper and spices too numerous to count,” (Simic). This was the exact feeling I got all Christmas day and any other family event. That initial bite into the firm, juicy kielbasa has the perfect balance between a crunchy outside and a soft inside. All these senses make the experience of eating it meaningful to me by bringing back the memories from those summers.
Uncooked kielbasa unwrapped from the deli, usually refrigerated or hung to be smoked and can be eaten raw or cooked (November 2nd, 2025). Photo by Alexander Pirog.
Cooked kielbasa from the grill from my house in Farmington Hills, has cuts on top to cook the inside better and is on a plate with nothing else (November 2nd, 2025). Photo by Alexander Pirog.
Polish culture has a long history with kielbasa and makes it far more personal for families. It first popped up in the 14th century, served at large royal Christmas and Easter gatherings. According to Coleman All Natural Meats, a meat product company, “While many people in the United States only know the smoked, U-shaped version of Polish sausage, there are many more varieties to choose from…Recipes vary between towns, families, and butcher shops, but most contain a large amount of garlic as well as black pepper,” (“What Is Kielbasa? A Brief Guide To Polish Sausage”). Back in the day, kielbasa had many varieties because families usually handmade them and had their own recipes. Furthermore, they were a necessity for royalty and the smoked versions were eaten by merchants (“What Is Kielbasa? A Brief Guide To Polish Sausage”). Each kielbasa recipe told a story of a family’s tradition, the flavors capturing years of cultural heritage. Today, kielbasa tells the story of how my family took the step in moving to America while holding onto my culture.
Beyond Poland, kielbasa has influenced other similar foods across the world. Different variants of the smoky sausage can be found in parts of Europe such as Hungary, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine. Jolanta Tambor, a cultural scholar and has experience in Polish language and culture studies, explains, “Many culinary names in Polish constitute special Polish culturemes, special indicators and determiners of Polish culture, culinary culture in this case. Often, those include, as in the cases of the discussed names, culinary creations which emerged through the meeting and overlapping of cultures, and contacts between them” (Tambor). This illustrates how kielbasa intertwines with other cultures to create something new and keep the tradition. My mom has incorporated it in American foods by adding the juicy, savory kielbasa into a steaming pot of thick, creamy Kraft mac and cheese to create a staple dinner option for my family. I’ve also been able to share my family’s culture with other families. I introduced kielbasa to my girlfriend's family at their lake house on Lake Michigan during the Fourth of July. All I remember hearing were the charred bits of kielbasa falling into the grill as the sun beamed off my face and a cold breeze covered me while I tanned on the dock, reminding me of the calm comfort I felt back in Poland while eating dinner outside with my cousin. No matter where I am, kielbasa highlights my roots, my family, and a part of who I am.
For my family and I, kielbasa represents belonging and warmth, connecting us to Poland even when separated by miles of the Atlantic Ocean. Every time I eat it, it brings me back to the smell of grilled kielbasa filling my grandparents' house at family holiday dinners. It’s more than food, it’s a piece of home. Kielbasa has the capability to bridge two different cultures together, while preserving the traditions that shaped it. Even though it's just a simple sausage with flavor, it’s a kielbasa.
Works Cited
Pirog, Alexander. Photo of cooked kielbasa. 2 Nov. 2025. Author’s personal collection.
Pirog, Alexander. Photo of Polish deli and bakery. 31 Oct. 2025. Author’s personal collection.
Pirog, Alexander. Photo of uncooked kielbasa. 2 Nov. 2025. Author’s personal collection.
Simic, Charles. “Poetry of Sausages.” Food & Wine, 10 May 2016, https://www.foodandwine.com/news/poetry-of-sausages. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Tambor, Jolanta “Foreign Cuisine in Poland. Adapting Names and Dishes.” Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Kształcenie Polonistyczne Cudzoziemców, no. 27, 2020, pp. 241-265, https://www.ceeol.com/search/viewpdf?id=948278. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
“What Is Kielbasa? A Brief Guide To Polish Sausage.” Coleman All Natural Meats, 31 Jan. 2023, https://colemannatural.com/blog/what-is-kielbasa-a-brief-guide-to-polish-sausage/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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