un Polish myth claims that the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, Casimir IV, fed his army with gołąbki (sarmles) before a key battle of the Thirteen Years' War, outside Malbork Castle, against the Teutonic Order in the second half of the 15th century. Victory is attributed to the properties that give strength to this hearty meal.
"First of all, you should know that the word «gołąbek» has a double meaning in Polish. It is, of course, our wonderful dish, but it also means pigeon. This can confuse a lot of people, including Poles who often question this strange name choice. There is, however, an explanation for this linguistic story: the word «gołąbek» came to Poland in the 19th century from Ukraine, where a very sophisticated dish called «hołubci» was served during aristocratic holidays and parties. It consisted of a pigeon stuffed with other wonderful things and wrapped in cabbage leaves. The idea of hołubci came to Poland and was not only translated but also adopted by the poor masses. The pigeon was replaced with much cheaper minced meat and rice (the poorer the cook, the more rice would be added to the dish) and only the original cabbage leaf was kept"
Source & photo:.polishfest-ny.org
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