Bohdan Halonzka wakes up early. He gets dressed quickly, drinks his coffee, checks the news on his phone, and rushes to work. He has a demanding employer: Bohdan works in the kitchen of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. True, all that remains of the once-mighty rulers of the Order are statues in the courtyard. But if even one of the Teutonic masters could taste Bohdan’s dishes, he would surely be satisfied.
Modern life doesn’t interest Bohdan much; his world revolves around Malbork Castle, the Gothic complex built in honor of Saint Mary that served as the capital of the Teutonic Order, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland.
Bohdan Halonzka, chef in the kitchen of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
Malbork – Castle, Museum, Restaurant
The Teutonic Order (Order of the House of Saint Mary of the Teutons in Jerusalem), like many militant knightly orders, emerged in the Middle Eastern city of Acre during the Third Crusade. The Teutons quickly gained fame, authority, and considerable wealth across Europe – from Nuremberg to Venice.
The Order arrived in Poland in 1231 at the invitation of Polish Duke Conrad I of Masovia, who sought protection from raids by the Prussian pagans and promised to preserve territories seized from the Prussians. Fighting against the infidels was considered a holy cause. After prolonged wars, the Order brought the region of Prussia and Livonia under its control.
The Order’s role in Polish history is complex. Despite controversy, the Teutons defended Polish lands from invasions, built powerful castles, and introduced advanced military techniques. They also brought chivalric culture, etiquette, and, of course, refined European cuisine.
In 1309, the residence of the Grand Master moved to Malbork Castle (Marienburg), triggering major expansion and reconstruction. The castle continued to grow over the next century and eventually became one of the largest brick castles in the world—a whole complex the size of a small town. At its peak, around 3,000 people lived in the castle. Today this magnificent Gothic structure is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Malbork Castle
As long as the Teutonic knights repelled raids from Samogitia and fought the Prussians, relations with locals were acceptable. Over time, however, the Order began to carry out small “crusades” into Polish territory, seizing lands from the Polish crown. Relations with Polish kings, local nobles, and the populace soured. The once-heroic crusaders came to be called a “band of knights” and “knight dogs.” Only the Polish-Lithuanian alliance and a broad coalition of Eastern European forces defeated them at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.
Malbork Castle itself was never taken, but the knights eventually abandoned it and it passed into the hands of the Crown. The most devastating damage to the castle came during World War II, when the fortress was left in ruins. After the war, the castle was restored; the ancient cathedral, with its statue of the Virgin Mary, was the last to be rebuilt (finished in 2016), after which Malbork was formally added to Poland’s Register of Museums. Today several museums and exhibitions occupy the castle grounds, along with a themed historical restaurant whose fame extends beyond Poland.
Bohdan Halonzka’s “Gothic Cafe & Restaurant” began in 2007 as a small cafe to complement a local historical festival. At the time, Bohdan had no idea the castle would draw him in completely and become the essence of his life.
Medieval Cuisine: Wonders and Stereotypes
Bohdan has shattered many culinary and pseudo-historical stereotypes. For example, some believe a medieval-themed restaurant must be medieval in everything: wooden tables, heavy trays, clay dishes, woven tablecloths, and ancient garments. That romantic format can work as a one-time attraction, but not every visitor wants to eat a whole roasted pig with their hands while dressed uncomfortably.
A restaurant must operate continuously, so the interior of “Gothic Cafe & Restaurant” is stylish and minimalist, with subtle medieval accents. The presentation of dishes is almost classical. The Gothic elements live mainly in the recipes.
“Gothic Cafe & Restaurant”
Bohdan is frustrated by the persistent belief that medieval food was primitive, reduced to roasted meat and bean soup.
That notion often comes from people who have only experienced culinary shows at themed festivals or fans of pseudo-historical pop culture. In reality, Gothic cuisine was diverse, though different from modern cooking. Some ingredients familiar to us (potatoes, sweet peppers, sunflowers) would not arrive from the New World for another 300 years. Others (spinach, cauliflower) only became common in Europe after the Crusades and were considered exotic and costly. Lard with pickled onions, sweet beets, saffron (worth its weight in gold), and cauliflower fried with bread and lard were considered delicacies worthy of knights. Sugar was expensive; even in the master’s castle, honey was more commonly used. Boiled, baked, and stewed dishes were as popular as roasted meats. Whole carcasses on spits were usually reserved for holidays.
Sometimes people nostalgically claim there once was a pure national cuisine, untouched by globalization. That misses the point: the Teutonic Order began its life in the Middle East, and its castles stood in many parts of Western and Eastern Europe, so recipes varied widely. Bohdan does not limit himself to just local dishes from Malbork; he pays homage to the wider culinary geography of the Order.
Some assume the Order’s members were ascetic because they were knight-monks. That’s not true for the Teutons: in many ways they were warriors first, not monks.
Bohdan romanticizes and idealizes his subjects a bit: he thinks it’s important to remember that the Teutonic Order functioned as a state, and Malbork was its capital—a brilliant, magnificent capital built to glorify the Church.
The Order lacked nothing in the way of splendor: in the Grand Master’s rose garden the scent of Damask roses filled the air, and his grounds hosted saffron plantations; rare animals populated his menagerie; the granaries were full of grain, the treasury full of gold, and the dining hall stocked with silver goblets. When King Casimir III of Poland visited the castle, he was struck by the splendor of the Grand Master’s residence and the elegance of his table. It was Malbork that influenced royal tastes, not the other way around.
There were at least five kitchens in the Grand Master’s castle. The castle had a large dining hall of 500 square meters with stained glass windows, chimneys, columns, and heated floors, along with numerous smaller halls. The castle regularly hosted receptions and banquets for knights and guests. At these events, no fewer than 12 varieties of wine from different regions, 20 types of beer, and 11 kinds of bread were served.
Knights’ Tastes
When creating his extraordinary dishes, Bohdan draws on the Order’s cookbooks, such as the “Königsberg Cookbook Manuscript” and the “Royal Cookbook,” which he memorized in the restaurant’s first year. The records of the Malbork treasurer also contain fascinating details about the knights’ exotic tastes. While studying them, Bohdan once found a record of beaver tails purchased for the Christmas feast—22 hryvnias for a batch, with one tail costing 1 hryvnia (roughly 200 grams of silver). In that case, the chef decided not to experiment.
And what about the almond sauce for black chicken? That likely refers to the costly and still sought-after “chicken chermani,” birds with black skin and delicate dark meat that crusaders brought back from the East.
On the other hand, the gourmet knights enjoyed ordinary pancakes (though with at least ten types of dough), pike aspic, and eggs stuffed with liver.
It’s often assumed medieval people had few elegant sweets beyond dried fruits, marzipan, and sweet pastries. Not so among the Teutonic knights.
Bohdan says the Order’s cookbooks even include a panna cotta under the name “three-colored jelly” — perhaps a recipe the knights brought back from Venice. The Teutons also enjoyed saffron ice cream and Persian puddings.
When it came to provisions, there was little room for frills. Professional warriors preferred meat—beef and pork. The castle’s cellars held barrels of preserved meat in many forms: dried, salted, smoked, and marinated in mustard, white wine (vinegar), and honey, or packed in honey and salted lard. The knights adored lard, ham, and sausages. During Lent they prepared fish sausages, bread, mushrooms, and boiled grains.
You can taste this medieval luxury in Bohdan’s modern restaurant, where the passionate chef often greets guests and shares the story behind each dish.
“The Kitchen of the Grand Masters,” Bohdan Halonzka
Does he adapt medieval recipes for modern palates? Of course. Bohdan is an experienced chef and knows the restaurant’s priority is its visitors. Does he change ancient recipes beyond recognition? Not at all. Two other castle restaurants offer modern menus, while guests come to “Gothic Cafe & Restaurant” specifically for historical flavors.
Bohdan has published three books: “The Kitchen of the Grand Masters” (Kuchnia Wielkich Mistrzów), “The Kitchen of Polish Kings” (Kuchnia Królów Polskich), and “The Taste of Gothic” (Smak Gothicu). He has also completed a tour guide course and plans to create a culinary tour of the castle. Knowing his determination, this is likely just the beginning; we may see a new museum or a museum-restaurant in the castle someday.
And now, a few knightly recipes:
Teutonic Chicken
- 1 kg chicken (preferably wings and drumsticks)
- 2-3 apples
- 200 g wine
- 1-2 tbsp honey
- 1-2 tbsp mustard
- 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 1/2 loaf of white bread
- 200 g milk
- 1 egg
Cut the apples and sauté them slightly. Soak the bread in milk with the egg. Rub the chicken with spices, garlic, honey, and mustard. Mix the chicken with the apples and soaked bread, and pour the wine over it. Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes.
The only unclear part of the recipe is the inclusion of bread: from a modern perspective, it seems unnecessary.
Green Walnut Sauce
- 1/2 bunch of dill
- 300 g cottage cheese
- 1 kg chanterelle mushrooms
- 150 g butter or cream
- Hazelnuts – to taste
- Garlic – to taste
Chop the mushrooms and sauté them. Mince the garlic and hazelnuts. Finely chop the dill. Mix all the ingredients. Use the mixture as a sauce for chicken and roasted vegetables or as a spread on toast. Nowadays it is also enjoyed with tomatoes.
Saffron Ice Cream
- 1/2 l milk
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cream
- 1/4 tsp saffron
- 1/4 cup rose water
- 1 tsp salep powder (ground orchid root)
- Pistachios
Steep the saffron for 20 minutes. In a pot, combine the milk, cream, rose water, and steeped saffron. Separately mix the sugar with the salep powder. Gradually add the sugar-salep mixture to the milk with saffron. Refrigerate the finished mixture for 30 minutes. Then stir and freeze for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the finished ice cream with pistachios.
