Bohdan Halonzka wakes up early. He dresses quickly, drinks his coffee, glances at the news on his smartphone, and rushes off to work. He has a demanding employer: Halonzka works in the kitchen of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. Today, 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 Halonzka’s dishes, they would surely be satisfied.
Modern life doesn’t interest Halonzka much; his world revolves around Malbork Castle — built in honor of Saint Mary and once the capital of the Teutonic Order — located 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) emerged in Acre during the Third Crusade, like many militant knightly orders. 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 King Conrad I of Masovia, who wanted protection from raids by the Prussian pagans and promised to preserve lands captured from the Prussians. Fighting the infidels was framed as a holy cause, and over time the Order brought much of Prussia and Livonia under its control.
The Order’s role in Polish history is hard to overstate, though it was complicated. The Teutons protected Polish lands from some invasions, built mighty castles, and introduced advanced military techniques and chivalric culture. They also brought refined European cuisine.
In 1309 the residence of the Grand Master moved to Malbork Castle (Marienburg), which prompted large-scale expansion and reconstruction. The castle grew over the next century into one of the largest brick fortresses in the world — a complex the size of a small town. At its peak, about 3,000 people lived there. Today this magnificent Gothic structure is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Malbork Castle
As long as the Teutonic knights held back raids by the Samogitians and forced conversions of the Prussians, people were content. But eventually the Teutons began making smaller incursions into Polish territory, seizing lands from the Polish crown. Relations with Polish kings, local lords, and the populace soured. The once-heroic crusaders were derided as a “band of knights” and “knight dogs.” Only the union of Poland and Lithuania and a broad Eastern European military coalition ended the Order’s dominance 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. World War II inflicted the most devastating damage: the fortress was left in ruins. After the war the castle was restored; the cathedral housing a statue of the Virgin Mary was the last to be rebuilt (in 2016). After that restoration, Malbork was added to the Register of Museums of Poland. Several museums and individual exhibitions now sit on the castle grounds, and a themed historical restaurant has become famous well beyond Poland.
Halonzka’s “Gothic Cafe & Restaurant” began in 2007 as a small cafe created for a local historical festival. At that time he had no idea the castle would draw him in completely and become the center of his life.
Medieval Cuisine: Wonders and Stereotypes
Halonzka has shattered many culinary and pseudo-historical stereotypes. For example, some think a medieval restaurant must be “medieval” in everything: wooden tables, heavy trays, clay dishes, woven tablecloths, and staff in ancient garments. That romantic format can work as a one-time attraction, but not every visitor wants to eat an entire roasted boar with their hands while dressed uncomfortably.
A restaurant has to run day after day. So the interior of Gothic Cafe & Restaurant is stylish and minimalist, with a subtle medieval accent. The dishes are presented almost classically. The Gothic elements live in the recipes.
“Gothic Cafe & Restaurant”
Halonzka is saddened by the persistent belief that medieval cuisine was simple—just roasted meat and bean soup.
That notion usually comes from food stalls at historical festivals and fans of pseudo-historical pop culture. In reality, Gothic cuisine was varied but different from what we eat today. Some familiar ingredients (potatoes, sweet peppers, sunflowers) wouldn’t arrive from the New World for another 300 years. Others (spinach, cauliflower) only appeared in Europe after the Crusades and were considered exotic and expensive. So lard with pickled onions, sweet beets, saffron (worth its weight in gold), and cauliflower fried in lard and bread were regarded as knightly delicacies. Sugar was costly; even in the master’s castle honey was more common. Boiled dishes, baked goods, and stews were as popular as roasted meats. Whole carcasses on spits were reserved for holidays.
Sometimes people claim there used to be a purely “national” cuisine before globalization brought sushi-pizza and other borrowings. But the Teutonic Order itself began in the Middle East and established castles across Western and Eastern Europe, so its recipes were cosmopolitan. Halonzka doesn’t limit himself to Polish recipes from Malbork; he pays homage to the Order’s wide culinary geography.
Some assume the Order’s members were monk-like and therefore ate an ascetic menu. That wasn’t the case for the Teutons. In many respects they remained warriors first, not monks.
Halonzka romanticizes his subjects a bit: he thinks it’s important to remember the Teutonic Order was a state, and Malbork was its capital—a capital meant to glorify the Church.
The Order spared no expense: Damask roses perfumed the Grand Master’s rose garden and giant saffron plantations grew nearby. The menagerie housed rare animals, granaries overflowed with grain, the treasury was full of gold, and chests held 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. Malbork influenced the tastes of the royal court, not the other way around.
The castle had at least five kitchens. It also featured a grand dining hall of 500 square meters with stained glass windows, chimneys, columns, and heated floors, plus numerous smaller dining rooms. The castle constantly hosted receptions and banquets for knights and guests. At those banquets they served at least 12 varieties of wine from around the world, 20 types of beer, and 11 kinds of bread.
Knights’ Tastes
For his extraordinary dishes, Halonzka draws on the Order’s cookbooks, such as the “Königsberg Cookbook Manuscript” and the “Royal Cookbook,” which he memorized in his restaurant’s first year. The records of the Malbork treasurer also contain fascinating details about the knights’ exotic tastes. While studying them, Halonzka once found an entry recording the purchase of beaver tails for the Christmas feast—one tail cost 1 hryvnia (about 200 grams of silver). He decided not to experiment with that ingredient.
The almond sauce for “black chicken” probably refers to an expensive, dark-skinned bird with delicate meat that crusaders brought from the East.
On the other hand, the gourmet knights also enjoyed ordinary pancakes (and there were at least ten types of batter for them), or pike aspic and eggs stuffed with liver.
People often assume there were no refined sweets in the Middle Ages beyond dried fruits, marzipan, and sweet pastries. That wasn’t true for the Teutonic knights.
Halonzka says the Order’s cookbooks even contain panna cotta (listed as “three-colored jelly”) — perhaps a Venetian recipe brought back by the knights. The Teutons also enjoyed saffron ice cream and Persian pudding.
When it came to preservation, knights favored practicality. Professional warriors preferred meat—beef and pork. The castle’s cellars held barrels of preserved meat in many forms: dried, salted, smoked, or marinated in mustard, white wine (vinegar), and honey; some were coated in honey or preserved in salted lard. The knights loved lard, ham, and sausages. During Lent they prepared fish sausages, bread, mushrooms, and boiled grains.
You can taste all of this medieval luxury at Halonzka’s modern restaurant, where the passionate chef often greets guests and tells the story behind each dish.
“The Kitchen of the Grand Masters,” Bohdan Halonzka
Does he adapt medieval recipes for modern diners? Of course. Halonzka is an experienced chef and knows that visitors matter most. Does he change ancient recipes beyond recognition? He does not. Two other restaurants in the castle offer modern menus, and guests come to Gothic Cafe & Restaurant specifically for the history.
Halonzka 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 now plans to create a full culinary tour of the castle and has completed tour guide courses. Given his determination, that tour will likely be just the beginning; a new museum or museum-restaurant in the castle may follow.
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 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 nuts. 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. 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 (the root of the orchid)
- 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 that mixture to the milk with saffron. Chill the finished mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Stir and freeze for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the finished ice cream with pistachios.
