Obwarzanek Krakowski

The obwarzanek is a ring of dough made from two or three strands twisted together, boiled briefly in water before baking - which is what obwarzany means and what gives it the chewy, glossy crust - then topped with salt, poppy seed or sesame. Krakow records it from the fourteenth century, when its baking was a royal privilege and restricted by guild, and it has been sold on the streets here ever since. It carries EU protected geographical indication as obwarzanek krakowski, so the name legally applies only to rings made to the specification in Krakow and the surrounding district. Something like a hundred and fifty thousand are sold a day from blue carts around the city. They are best within an hour or two of baking and are dry by the afternoon, which is the single most useful thing to know about them. There is a small museum on the subject in the city.

What you actually see

• Boiled then baked - the step that gives it the chewy, glossy crust.
• Blue street carts - the standard way it is sold across central Krakow.
• A protected name - EU geographical indication limited to Krakow and its district.
• Salt, poppy or sesame - the three usual toppings.

When to go

All year, in the morning. An hour.

Honest expectations

They go dry and hard within a few hours - buy in the morning from a busy cart. Toppings vary in quality. Similar rings sold elsewhere in Poland are not the protected product.

Nearby

The Rynek, Cloth Hall and Planty are where most of the carts stand.