for travellers and campers or consumed at outdoor events, such as a hunt or a carnival sleigh ride known in Polish as . It may be also eaten indoor, for breakfast, supper or as a hot starter served before soup at a dinner party. It is commonly found on the menus of milk bars, pubs and bistros throughout Poland. is particularly associated with major Catholic holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, as it can be prepared in ample quantities beforehand and only reheated on the holiday itself and the following days. The stew is typically dished up with rye bread or boiled potatoes. In a fancier setting, it may be served in stoneware bowls, puff pastry shells or bread bowls. , especially when enjoyed outdoors, is traditionally paired with shots of chilled vodka, either clear or flavored. Varieties of flavored vodka that match well with include (bison grass), (juniper), (wormwood), (various herbs) and (oak-aged). If served at home or in a restaurant, the stew may be paired with beer, red wine or Riesling. History According to Polish food historian Maria Dembińska, may derive from a medieval dish known in Latin as , or "mixture". It was made from various vegetables, such as cabbage, chard and onions, that were chopped or shredded, layered inside an earthenware three-legged Dutch oven and braised or baked. A remnant of this old procedure may be found in a recipe, in which bacon and cabbage are arranged in layers, from the 19th-century Russian cookbook A Gift to Young Housewives by Elena Molokhovets. It is believed this dish was introduced in the region by Sephardic Jews coming from the Portuguese region of Alentejo, replacing ingredients with regional produce. Similar layered dishes of medieval origin also exist in other European cuisines; they include the Italian (known in 16th-century Poland under the Polonized name ) and the Alsatian (also known as ), made from cabbage, leftover meats and fruits. They are reminiscent of a rustic Polish casserole, known in various regions as , and other names. It is traditionally made from sliced or diced potatoes, onions, carrots, sausages and bacon arranged in layers inside a cast-iron cauldron greased with lard and lined with cabbage leaves, which is placed in bonfire embers for baking. The word "" is not attested before the 17th century. At that time, it referred to any dish of finely chopped components, usually meat or fish