It might seem that rural housewives’ associations and the world of triathlon are worlds apart. Nothing could be further from the truth! This season, IRONMAN Poland events will prove otherwise.
How can these two seemingly distant worlds be connected? Izabela Lisiecka from the organizing team of the IRONMAN events in Poland explains.
Each of our races attracts participants and spectators not only from all over Poland but also from dozens of different countries. We want to use this opportunity to promote various regional cuisines – from Mazovia, Małopolska, and Greater Poland. And we will do it in cooperation with local rural housewives’ associations.
Izabela Lisiecka – Triathlon Division Leader, Sport Evolution
Regional delicacies prepared using long-standing, traditional recipes will be available to triathletes in the so-called finisher zone – the area just beyond the IRONMAN Poland finish line, where participants can relax and recover after completing their race. A similar setup was introduced by organizers during last year’s edition of Enea IRONMAN 70.3 Poznań. This year, the Rural Housewives’ Association from Słonin will return to Poznań, bringing not only the traditional pyra z gzikiem (potatoes with cottage cheese) but also plindze – Greater Poland-style potato pancakes, freshly fried and served with sour cream and sugar or in a savory version.
The housewives themselves are already inviting triathletes to join them in Poznań:
Howdy folks! Our crew from the Słonin Rural Housewives’ Association is getting ready to serve up a feast for the race in the capital of Pyrlandia. There’ll be pyra with gzik and chives, bread with lard and pickles straight from the barrel, and of course plindze with sugar and sour cream. It’s going to be one heck of a party!
Rural Housewives’ Association from Słonin
Traditional delicacies will also take center stage during the first edition of IRONMAN 70.3 Kraków. The full “menu” is still being prepared, but it will definitely include Podhale’s oscypek cheese and Kraków’s famous obwarzanek pretzels.
At IRONMAN 70.3 Warsaw – currently the largest event in the IRONMAN Poland series – participants from over 70 different countries will have the chance to discover Kurpie cuisine. Members of the Rural Housewives’ Association in Drężek will prepare specialties such as Kurpie pampuchy and fafernuchy. Pampuchy are soft and delicate dumplings that were traditionally served on Sunday afternoons. Fafernuchy, on the other hand, are sweet, nut-sized cookies shaped like gnocchi, traditionally baked between New Year’s and the Feast of the Three Kings. For those who prefer savory flavors, there will also be traditional lard served with rustic bread and pickled cucumbers.
