We Poles call Poland the country of blooming onions. There is a reason for this – it is about our attachment to tradition, excessive conservatism or too much frugality. That is why cebularz, or onion cake, seems to be our national treasure. We went to Lublin, one of the Polish cities, to prepare ‘cebularz’ ourselves. In these parts of Poland, onion cake is an iconic bakery item.
Eastern Poland is beautiful! See the best attractions of Lublin and the surrounding area.
Cebularz – what is it?
For us, cebularz is a tasty wheat pancake covered with a thick layer of onion and poppy seed stuffing. We created such a poetic definition for Travel-Mates. In fact, when defining regional products, you have to strictly stick to the established formula describing the appearance and recipe of a given dish. A real onion plant must therefore be round in shape and 15-20 centimeters in diameter. The cake is to be made of wheat flour, yeast and salt, and the stuffing on top is made of diced onion mixed with poppy seeds and oil. No enhancers, preservatives or strange ingredients (we say no to monosodium glutamate!). The consistency must be constant, the color – golden, the smell – specific, and the taste – (of course) truly onion-like. In short: finger licking good.
The Regional Museum of Cebularz in Lublin – photos
Spoiler alert! Theory is over, it’s time for practice, i.e. onion baking workshops. We will now tell you step by step what a visit to the museum looks like. If you don’t want to spoil the surprise, go straight to the “tickets” section.
When you open the lecture and workshop room in the Cebularz Museum in Lublin, you are immediately struck by the pleasant(?) aroma of the most popular Polish vegetable. All attractions take place in one spacious room. Its central point is a large wooden table where “stuff happens”. To begin with, the two hosts of “Bakers-Animators” tell us a little about cebularz. There is some real history and some fairy tale legend. We had never heard the latter before, so it really intrigued us. And it even warmed our hearts because it contained a short love story.
However, what we were most looking forward to was the practical classes. After all, even the most romantic story will not fill an empty belly. Therefore, it was convenient for us that the theoretical part lasted relatively short. At one point, the hosts told everyone to roll up their sleeves and asked one willing daredevil to be in the middle. Because you know, a living museum is not “Millionaires”. Here, the audience takes an active part in creating the “final exhibit”, and does not just applaud one participant.
You probably won’t be surprised when we tell you that the first daredevil was in the Travel-Mates Team, right? The second one, too. 😀 And so – together with other guests of the Regional Onion Museum – we ground, sifted, chopped, stirred, mixed, combined and prepared all the ingredients. It wasn’t easy, but as a group we managed. It wasn’t very fast, but it went smoothly. And even funny, because – we’ll tell you a secret – the hosts played some tricks on all of us.
The second half of the workshops consisted of individual activities. Each participant received their own mini portion of fresh dough. First, they had to be rolled out properly (so that they were neither too thin nor too thick), and then decorated with a fragrant onion-poppy seed mass. People with large hands may have had some difficulty completing the task. Both the rolling pins and the stuffing sticks were very small. At the end, everyone returned their raw onion cakes to the hosts for baking.
Well, it cannot be denied that our delicious creations looked appetizing, but someone clearly left them in the oven for too long. It turns out, however, that even burnt meat tastes great in the Regional Onion Museum. The hot pancake stole our palates with onion notes. Of course, we consumed it on the spot, we couldn’t resist. As a souvenir, we bought one more real cebularz to take home. Round, golden, crispy, with a diameter of between 15 and 20 centimeters – as the definition requires. 🙂 Delicious!
The Regional Museum of Cebularz – tickets
Ticket prices to the Regional Museum of Cebularz in Lublin are as follows:
- normal ticket – PLN 31.
- reduced ticket (pupils, students up to 26 years of age, retirees, holders of the National Senior Card) – PLN 29.
- children under 3 years of age enter for free.
- ticket for a show in English (date must be arranged in advance) – PLN 35.
The Regional Museum of Cebularz in Lublin – opening hours
The Regional Museum of Cebularz in Lublin is waiting for you every day – from Monday to Sunday.
- During the holiday season, individual shows are available at: 12:30, 14:30, 16:00 (reservation recommended).
- Outside the holiday period, tours for individual guests are available:
- Monday to Friday at 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:30, 16:00 (reservation required).
- on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30, 14:30, 16:00 (reservation recommended).
- Tours for organized groups are available: Monday to Sunday at 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:30, 16:00 (reservation required).
Reservations can be made by phone (+48 690 199 160, +48 697 146 114) or by e-mail (muzeumcebularza@gmail.com).
The Regional Museum of Cebularz – visiting time
Allow about an hour for a visit to the Regional Museum of Cebularz.
The Regional Museum of Cebularz in Lublin – how to get?
The Regional Museum of Cebularz is located at ul. Rybna 9 in Lublin.
- We encourage ecological walking and cycling trips – the museum is located in the very center of Lublin, 3 minutes’ walk from the Old Town Square.
- If you want to use public transport, the closest stop to the museum is Brama Krakowska, a little further – Szewska.
- Information for those arriving by car: in the center of Lublin you can use city parking lots. They are free on weekends, fees apply on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Regional Museum of Cebularz – tips
- It turns out that cebularz is a real royal delicacy – or at least that’s what a legend says, which we’ll share with you. According to her, the author of the recipe for the Lublin delicacy is a certain Esterka. A young and (apparently extremely) beautiful Jewish woman had the opportunity to host King Casimir the Great himself, returning from a hunt. She was not prepared for anyone’s visit, so she quickly prepared a warm treat from what she had in the pantry – the ingredients for today’s onion soup. The ruler liked Esterka’s cuisine so much that he made just one visit to her humble home. It is said that their relationship was not only culinary, but also romantic. After all, the way to the heart is through the stomach!
- We came across a workshop with the participation of two Mr. Bakers, but certain circumstantial evidence (the museum’s website and photos on the Internet) indicate that the role of the presenters may also be played by a mixed couple: one Esterka and one Mr. Piekarz. I wonder what it will be like in your case.
- The Regional Museum of Cebularz was established in July 2017 and at the moment (March 2024) is the only living museum in Lublin.
- In 2007, cebularz was included in the list of traditional products in the “Bakery and confectionery products” category in the Lublin Voivodeship. The delicacy has a Protected Geographical Indication.
The Regional Museum of Cebularz in Lublin – reviews
- Patrix – 7/10. This is a museum that will allow you to learn about the history (or maybe more of a legend?) of the Polish delicacy – ‘cebularz’. There are no exhibits in this museum – it focuses on the story of the previously mentioned legend. It’s very funny. Perfect for a trip with children – it’s magical for both big and small ones. A small minus is that you could feel that the gentlemen running the show didn’t want to show anymore and it felt like they wanted to finish their work and go home.
- Wiolczix – 9/10. I see a strong inspiration here from the Croissant Museum of Poznań (the Cebularz Museum was created later, so if there was inspiration, we know who it came from). Nevertheless, both the lecture and the workshops on baking the “treasure of the Lublin region” are very interesting, pleasant and fun. Living museums are a completely different dimension of exploring the world than viewing exhibits through glass cases. I love it! Even though I’m not a good cook, I managed to make quite good onion cake myself. I subtract a point for burning our onions by the host. 😉
The Regional Museum of Cebularz – FAQ
What city is the cebularz from? Where can I buy Polish onion cake?
Cebularz, a wheat pancake with onion and poppy seeds, is a traditional product of the Lublin region. It is one of the most popular food products in this region. The baked goods come from Jewish cuisine and can be bought all over Poland. (Although, of course, the tastiest will be the one made, bought and eaten in Lublin.)
Who invented cebularz?
Cebularze “historically” comes from Jewish cuisine. Their origin is shrouded in legend. It tells that the first onion soup was prepared by a young Jewish woman, Esterka, who hosted King Casimir the Great in her home, returning from a hunt. How much truth is there in this? It is unknown.
What kind of dough for cebularz / Polish onion cake?
Cebularz lubelski has been included in the list of traditional products since 2007, which means that its composition and recipe are strictly defined. “Procedure-compliant” baking must be made from wheat flour and yeast.
Where to buy cebularz in Lublin?
The portal lubelski.pl has published a ranking of places where you can buy the best onions in the city. Piekarnia Mielnik took 3rd place. Piekarnia Kuźmiuk was 2nd in the ranking. The winner was Piekarnia-Cukiernia Marcin Orlikowski. We bought our baked goods at the Regional Museum of Cebularz and they turned out to be of really good quality.
The Regional Museum of Cebularz in Lublin – map
The Regional Cebularz Museum is located in the Old Town of Lublin.
