Best kielbasa in US?
 

Where can I find the best kielbasa in the states? We all think of Maine for the best lobster, but what area is best for sausage? Midwest? Please help -- I'm salivating!

Polish neighborhood in greenpoint brooklyn. I love going there many shops with 200 sausages hanging from the ceiling (variety beyond belief), speaking polish helps but you can usually find someone bilingual on line.

Kielbasa. Hmmmm. Kielbasa. The casing is key. If it's too dark, it's a little too gamey. If it's too light in color, it's not savory enough.

New Castle,Pa.----Wasilewski`s Market........

New Britain, CT - Nozewski Market - they make all of their kielbasa on the premises.

Hamtramck, Michigan. A suburb of Detroit. The best kielbasa outside of Poland.

Thanks John for posting the definitive answer. I tried to post three times and each time my spelling of Hamtramck looked more and more wrong. I'm assuming you've spelled it correctly. It has to be the best!

bOSTON HAS SURPRISINGLY GOOD KIELBASA IN THE OLD POLISH AREA. thAT SAID, I would think the midwest might have even better.

Central Nebraska was settled by Southern Germans and Poles. The best Kielbasa I have ever eaten was in the diner on the town square, in Tecumseh NE (South eastern part of the state). It was home made, very spicy and served with also homemade sweet and sour cabbage.

Utica, NY - I can't rember the name of the place, but anyone from Utica will know where I mean.

midwest shmidwest the true polish communities stay as close as they can get to Poland in U.S GREENPOINT Bklyn baby. I grew up on this meat, my father was second generation and spoke Polish fluently. I would come to the east coast for Polish food.

The best is in NYC on 2nd Ave between 8th & 9th Streets in the Ukrainian section. The butcher is called Barchinskys (sp?).

A couple of years ago, we used to frequent a street vendor in NYC (5th Avenue in the mid 50's) who sold the most incredible kielbasa lunches. A link or two with potatoes and sauerkraut for about 4 bucks. Wow, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!! <BR>Any NY-ers in the area-is this gentleman still in business?? <BR>

With all of the (usually valid) criticism thrown the way of Scranton, PA, it is only fair to acknowledge that the area offers some of the best Polish food in the country. Everyone seems to have a favorite Mom and Pop grocery/butcher that makes kielbasa. (Note that local spelling may vary - e.g., kilbasi) They've been so good for so long that even the chain stores know they have to offer some pretty good stuff to compete. There's also a substantial "underground cottage industry" in the area, especially around deer season.

Chicopee Massachusetts (western part of Massachusetts near Springfield) has a big Kielbasa Festival every year. They claim to showcase the world's largest kielbasa. Check it out!

Hamtramck, Michigan. Definitely!

I just want to say that I think this is a great posting, and I am SO happy to see that everyone has given such informative replies. I am a kielbasa fan but opened this posting with a sense of dread, thinking this might be a joke! You never know around here. :)<BR><BR>That said, my vote is definitely for Hamtramck.

Schwetti's Deli in Brooklyn. Mmm. I can't wait to get my mouth around a Schwetti Kielbasa.

Any stall at the Broadway Market in Buffalo. Buffalo is 2nd only to Chicago for the greatest amount of Polish immigrants in America. These people know their sausage.

Hmmm. Casing.

Where is Hamtramck, Michigan please? and is there a particular store where you buy the kielbasa?

Jimmy's Red Hots in Chicago on Cicero! Absolutely THE best!

Hamtramck is basically a city-within-a-city. It's within the city limits of Detroit. Sorry I can't recommend a spot for kielbasa, though.

Kaminski's Market in Duryea,PA, Just outside of Scranton.

I thought that Scranton was scrapple country?

SSS-<BR>Scranton is just above the scrapple line. Scrapple is more a Philadelphia/ Lancaster thing. You may find some in the Scranton area, but not as often as you find kielbasi, or even pierogi, or holupki, or crushchiki, or kolachi...

Ok now my Polish Ancestors are toughing on my shoulder. Tell me what holupki, crushchiki,kolachi are.

holupki - aka gwumpki - is another name for stuffed cabbage (stuffed with ground beef and rice, stewed in tomato sauce)<BR><BR>crushchiki - a thin strip of dough, sort of noodle shaped, with a slit made on one half and the other end pulled through, then deep fried and dusted with powdered sugar; think it is supposed to look like a cross and is a traditional easter food<BR><BR>kolachi -sometimes used to generically refer to a number of danish pastry -like sweets, in the NE PA tradition it usually is a sweet dough rolled pinwheel fashion in to a log shape, traditionally filled with poppyseed, chopped nuts, sweet cheese or a prune paste ("lekvar")<BR><BR>Bonus even though you didn't ask: pysanki = intricately decorated easter egs. Made with something of a modified batik technique in which wax is applied, patern etched and various dye colors applied. <BR><BR>Since Michael Patrick King, Executive Producer of "Sex and the City" grew up in the Scranton area, do you suppose any of these will make it into the show? Can't you just see Charlotte gushing over a fine example of pysanki art? And as for Samantha and that kielbasa, well...it's just too easy!

how does one pronounce "Hamtramck"?

You can find the best kielbasa in between Legstrama, CA and Fresno. It's a little stand called Meiween Aire. Good stuff. And great atmosphere. People are really friendly too.

To add to Steve's comment, Hapanowicz market in Utica,NY makes great kielbasa.

Polock Johnny's in Baltimore used to be pretty good. Haven't been down there in a while--I assume they're still around. My daughter still remembers them fondly.

I really love the innovative spelling of all these Polish foods.<BR>It's kielbasa, golabki, chrusciki, kolacze and pisanki.<BR>But, on the other hand, who cares, as long as they taste great, right?

Is the kielbasa better in San Jose or San Francisco?<BR><BR>By the way, Lithuanians are known for good kielbasa. My grandmother, whose mother was from the old country, made a great kielbasa. <BR><BR>Unfortunately, I never learned to make it or spell it.<BR><BR>I am going to look for that vendor on 5th Avenue. Wish me luck

Hamtramck is pronounced Hamtramick.

Sorry, but my Busia makes the best kielbasa in the U.S. The best is made with venison -- you can find great venison kielbasa in northern Michigan.<BR><BR>And her paczki were the best too -- and hey, it's almost Easter -- paczki time!<BR><BR>

it's buffalo ny, all the way.the broadway market has some of the best polish sausage you will ever want to taste.

for "wondering"

Topping.

Two questions: What does &quot;topping&quot; mean?...I've seen it in several posts, and where is the old Polish section in Boston? I've never even heard of it.(I guess I should be ashamed!) Thanks! ps: I've never made them, but my great-grammy (she looked like a dried-apple doll, LOL!) always used bacon grease in her golombki. (well, I imagine bacon fat would help anything taste good!)