Toasted Sandwich · Communist-Era Icon

Zapiekanka

Photo: MichalPL / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Poland's favorite street snack was born from a French baking license bought by a Communist Party leader in the 1970s.

Zapiekanka is a halved baguette toasted open-face with sautéed mushrooms and melted cheese, finished with a squeeze of ketchup, and sold up to half a meter long from street stands and food trucks. Modern versions pile on ham, bacon, or whatever toppings a vendor has on hand.

Why it's made this way: It appeared after Poland licensed French baguette production in the 1970s, and cheap, simple toppings made it an affordable meal during a decade of food shortages — a combination that stuck around long after the shortages ended.