In the photo above, you can see a part of the Lower Silesian Piernik representation along with maps and folders of the Wroclaw town [vrotsuav] and Dolny Slask region (Lower Silesia). In a while, they will reach lovely Tramonti di Sopra at the beautiful Festa della Pitina festival, which is starting this Friday, thanks to hard and effective work of Pro Loco Tramonti Di Sopra and Slowfood Condotta del Pordenonese in the Slow Food International network.

The Slow Food Dolny Slask Convivium Leader, Anna Rumińska, an architect, food anthropologist and culinary educator, will present four types of Piernik from Dolny Slask (Bassa Slesia). She will also present some other delights of the region, that were prepared by our members and partnera, Gosia, Dorota, Ewa, Renata, Pawel, Lukasz, Janek, Tomasz: e.g. oskola (traditional birch sap collected by hands from organic birch trees), camelina oil (false flax), flax and Canabis sativa seeds creme, and also Canabis sativa flour. all products are straight from small scale manufacturers located in Dolny Slask and Slask Opolski – both regions created obce a province of Slask.

There will also many, many other amaziing products at the festival presented by Italian and foreign gourmets. You are welcome to join the Slow Food team in Tramonti di Sopra – the heart of the beautiful Tramontina Valley (Val Tramontina)!

Perhaps you haven’t known this yet, but the Piernik from Dolny Slask (Bassa Slesia) is what you need to make your life easier, hotter, tastier, more flavoured, more natural…, just better.?

What is Piernik from Dolny Slask? Some say it’s a gingerbread cookie, but we call it PEPPERBREAD due to the crucial name derived from PEPPER (PL: pierny, pieprz). Besides, it’s much more than a cookie because some types of Piernik were not actually eaten, although they were fully edible. They щ simply too expensive to be eaten, so they were exposed at noble or Rich houses to asign the rich landlord. They were also used as a family medicinal treat. Along with the pastries, wooden, wax and ceramic moulds were made in order to press out (“print”) the ornaments that had symbolic meaning. Also other Piernik was made, e.g. the Spicy Piernik (Piernik Przyprawowy) that was very, very spicy and so used for seasoning meals, meat gravies included – one of the historic meals of Dolny Slask is “Dumny Henryk” with use of the Spicy Piernik. It’s a sausage with thick gravy made of dark beer and Spicy Piernik, served with mashed potatoes. Delicius…!

So, again… What is an authentic, traditional Piernik from Dolny Slask? Who of you knows? Well, it’s a type of resistant, symbolic, medicinal, spicy, good, clean, fair, local type of a noble bread, or pastry, or even a torta, as it was named in medieval times: piperatas tortas (1293, Swidnica, Poland). It’s always worth reminding that the authentic, traditional Piernik from Dolny Slask is made of the best and cleanest, local ingredients (beside the spices), and this is what makes the difference!

??? You don’t know what treatment to choose for better health? Take the Spicy Piernik from Dolny Slask, it will cure you.

??? You don’t know what gift to choose for a friend? Take the Figurative Piernik from Dolny Slask, it will say what you cannot say.

??? You don’t know which food survives in travel around the world? Take the Spicy Piernik from Dolny Slask, you will like it even after a year.

??? You don’t know how to astonish your guests? Take the “Piperatas Tortas” Piernik from Dolny Slask, it goes back to medieval times.

??? You don’t know how to add a flavour kick to your gravy? Take the Spicy Piernik from Dolny Slask to season you meals, it will replace your energy drink.

??? You don’t know how to play with your kids? Take the dough for the Figurative Piernik from Dolny Slask, it will replace a modelling clay.

??? You don’t know how to find a vegan Piernik? Take the vegan Piernik from Dolny Slask, you will combine the medieval taste with the mindful choice.

??? You don’t know what food can recall the baroque Taste of Poland? Take the lavender Piernik from Dolny Slask, it will surprise you with taste combination.

??? You don’t know how to have a cookie and avoid gluten? Take the non-cereal Piernik from Dolny Slask, you will easily join the Piernik lovers.

??? You are Friulan and don’t know how you can connect Friuli to Dolny Slask? Take the Spicy Piernik from Dolny Slask, grind it and… add to your plate with pitina from Tramonti di Sopra! They will both combine amazing way!?????

Too much? Oh, no. It’s just Piernik from Dolny Slask.?? One Piernik – many uses. Only in Dolny Slask region.

The regional tradition includes a few types of slow Piernik from Dolny Slask: figurative, spicy, lavender, soft, layered, iced… Four of them will arrive to Tramonti di Sopra to represent the Slow Food Ark of Taste delights from Dolny Slask (Bassa Slesia), Poland during the Festa della Pitina, July 19-21 – check the programme to find a lot more:

https://www.facebook.com/648880698557565/posts/2147583112020642/

Several manufacturers and researchers have started founding the Slow Food Community and Slow Food Presidio for promotion of this amazing, historic, symbolic, local product of Dolny Slask, that id endangered by domination of mass products made of conventional ingredients. Join the Festa della Pitina event to have a try of authentic Polish slow Piernik!?? We thank very much to the Organizers for inviting us to this amazing event. We’ve been there already two editions and we cannot stop, it’s so cool!?