Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Wódka (vodka) is a Polish staple — the word means, roughly, “precious little water.” Poles take vodka seriously and control its production assiduously. Its ingredients are domestically grown, and pure vodka contains some combination of just six ingredients: potatoes, rye, wheat, barley, oats, and the wheat-rye hybrid triticale.
Żubrówka, the most famous brand of vodka, comes with a blade of grass from the bison reserves in eastern Poland (look for the bison on the label). The bison “flavor” the grass...then the grass flavors the vodka.
Traditionally, vodka is shot rather than sipped, and it’s chased not by another drink but by salty, greasy food: pickles, lard, herring, potato pancakes, or steak tartare (but never just bread, which soaks up the spirit and keeps it in the stomach). For “Cheers!” say, “Na zdrowie!” (nah ZDROH-vyeh).
Learn more about Polish food and culture in our new special, "Rick Steves Poland" youtu.be/70GXfWe3CyA
Wódka (vodka) is a Polish staple — the word means, roughly, “precious little water.” Poles take vodka seriously and control its production assiduously. Its ingredients are domestically grown, and pure vodka contains some combination of just six ingredients: potatoes, rye, wheat, barley, oats, and the wheat-rye hybrid triticale.
Żubrówka, the most famous brand of vodka, comes with a blade of grass from the bison reserves in eastern Poland (look for the bison on the label). The bison “flavor” the grass...then the grass flavors the vodka.
Traditionally, vodka is shot rather than sipped, and it’s chased not by another drink but by salty, greasy food: pickles, lard, herring, potato pancakes, or steak tartare (but never just bread, which soaks up the spirit and keeps it in the stomach). For “Cheers!” say, “Na zdrowie!” (nah ZDROH-vyeh).
Learn more about Polish food and culture in our new special, "Rick Steves Poland" youtu.be/70GXfWe3CyA
