Today is National Strawberry Day.
Here in the US, we use this magnificent fruit to make a whole lot of foods sweeter, tastier and healthier.
That’s also true in Poland, where one of the foods that goes best with strawberries is pasta.
If you think putting fruit on pasta is weird, here’s a question: what is a tomato?
I will grant you that this is unusual cooking in this part of the world, so let’s dig in a little deeper.
How you make this dish is the easy question to answer: while your pasta is cooking, you mix juicy strawberries with some yogurt and maybe some honey or sugar.
When the pasta’s done, pour the sauce on top and enjoy.
Fans will tell you that while pasta is better known as the base of savory recipes, there’s nothing inherently savory about most pastas, and they go just fine in a sweeter dish.
The bigger question is why people in Poland make, and love, this dish.
One reason is that Poland is a big strawberry producer; people there also put them into pierogi and serve those with fresh cream.
I’ve also read that the typical Polish palate may be a little more sugar-friendly than other parts of the world, which would mean a lot of people there would be up for a sweet pasta dish.
The meal’s popularity may also be related to Poland’s history.
During the Cold War, the country had a Communist government, and like people in many other countries in that sphere, people in Poland had to cook and eat what was available, and strawberries were available.
Of course the best way to tell if this is something YOU might like to eat is to give it a try.
Connoisseurs will tell you to wait until early summer, the peak of strawberry season, to put it all together.
But if you really can’t wait, you don’t need to. I won’t tell.
Starting today in Wabasha, Minnesota, it’s the Grumpy Old Men Festival.
This community was the setting for the movie starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret.
So they celebrate by screening the movie and organizing some suitably Midwestern winter activities, like polka parties, outdoor bars and an ice fishing tournament.
I’m Brady, but wouldn’t it be grumpier to complain about the movie?
Strawberry Spaghetti Is The Sweet Polish Pasta You Need To Try (Mashed)
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