Siuforek

The soup that brings the real taste of Urzecze back to life, siuforek is a quaint and funny name for fish soup which was traditionally made and eaten by rafters. The siuforek of old was made with vegetables and freshwater fish captured in the River Vistula. It goes without saying that the siuforek of today, which is made in an attempt to recreate its traditional recipe, cannot taste like it used to. That being said, siuforek is an exquisite soup which is both tasty and easy to make.

Grażyna Leśniak, a member of the Urzeczeni Ensemble and an activist in the Szerokie Wody Foundation, is constantly seeking the recipes of old to restore the cooking tradition of Urzecze, an ethnographic microregion spanning both sides of the Vistula between its confluence with Pilica and Wilga Rivers to the south and Warsaw’s districts of Siekierki and Saska Kępa to the north. Grażyna Leśniak’s take on siuforek is slightly modified in that it combines delicate fish-and-vegetable stock with a touch of dill, lemon and minuscule dumplings. All types of bulbous or root vegetables can be used in the soup, be they potatoes, carrots, celery or parsnips. In fact, you can use any vegetables that are in season. More importantly, you should avoid using fish heads in your stock so as to avoid the overpowering taste and aroma.

Grażyna Leśniak obtained her historic recipes from Marianna Wencławek from the Łurzycanki Ensemble. Apart from siuforek, the list includes other soups such as sytocha, which is made of grated potatoes seasoned with pork fat, horseradish and beetroot borscht and śliwianka, which is made with plums. Currently, all these dishes are made on special occasions such as celebrations or events promoting the region, including Pentecost in Urzecze.