A short, dark blood sausage stuffed with pork, barley, and onion — the Silesian breakfast off the grill or in a pan.
Krupniok (the Silesian spelling of kaszanka) is the regional blood sausage stuffed traditionally with barley groats — though many recipes combine barley and buckwheat. Originally a thrift food from post-slaughter days, today it's a beloved breakfast staple sold grilled at outdoor markets across Silesia, especially during Christmas markets in Katowice and Wrocław.
A Silesian blood sausage filled with barley, pork, and pig blood — sliced and pan-fried, the surface crisps while the interior stays moist. Eaten with sauerkraut and bread.
Krupniok's barley provides starch that absorbs the pork fat and prevents the blood from separating during cooking — the barley acts as a binder. Unlike British black pudding, krupniok uses barley instead of oats, giving a chewier interior.
Variations
Silesian krupniok favors barley but often blends it with buckwheat; the wider Polish kaszanka leans buckwheat; Slovak version uses rice — three blood-sausage grains.
On the Palate
Where Krupniok sits in the Polish flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
6 steps · 2 hours
- 16 min
Cook 200g pearl barley in salted water until tender (about 40 minutes). Drain.
Watch outCook the barley just to tender, not mushy — it needs to stay whole to soak up the fat and bind the blood later.
- 223 min
Finely chop 200g cooked pork belly and offal trim; fry 1 large diced onion in pork fat until softened.
- 39 min
In a bowl combine cooked barley, fried onion, pork, 500ml fresh pig's blood, marjoram, salt, black pepper, and allspice. Mix thoroughly.
Watch outThe mix should be loose and pourable, not stiff — blood-heavy and barely holding, since it firms up a lot as it cooks.
- 415 min
Stuff the mixture into prepared pork casings (around 20-25cm pieces), tying off both ends with twine. Prick each sausage in several places with a needle.
- 544 min
Simmer (do not boil) in barely-trembling water for 30-35 minutes until firm. Cool completely.
Watch outKeep the water barely trembling, never a boil — a hard boil bursts the casings and the blood weeps out.
- 623 min
Slice and pan-fry in pork fat until crispy on both sides, or grill over charcoal. Serve with mustard and rye bread.
Watch outFry only until a dark crust sets on each side — the inside is already cooked, so you're just crisping the skin.
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