Marie Curie at the table

In the Poland where Maria Skłodowska grew up, the pivot of the day is the obiad, taken midday: it almost always opens with a hot zupa (soup), followed by a drugie danie ("second dish"), and closes with a napój like kompot. Alongside everyday meals stands the solemn table of Wigilia, Christmas Eve, meatless and fasting, where the oplatek is shared and poppy seeds, dried fruits, and preserved fish return. Zakąski (small cold savory and sour appetizers) open festive tables.

Polish cuisine is a cuisine of sourness: rye flour is soured in water for a few days to obtain zakwas, the base of żurek, cousin of bread sourdough and the brine of lacto-fermented cucumbers. This living acidity, economical and invigorating, is the backbone of the table where Maria was raised.