Kazimierz is a charming historical district closely associated with Jewish culture. It was built in 1335 by Kazimierz Wielki. The idea was that there would be another center competing with Krakow. For many years, the area was known internationally as home to the largest Jewish community in Europe. A very important part of the Jewish Quarter in Krakow is the New Square (Plac Nowy). It was once the heart of the lively Jewish quarter, the main meeting point and meeting point for its residents' daily paths. Plac Nowy can hardly be called a typical trading platform. The character of this place is changing along with the life of the entire area. If you ask anyone about this square, they will immediately answer “Okrąglak”. This is a shopping pavilion built in 1900, consisting of two structures: an internal hall and a surrounding ring with retail outlets, built on a dodecagonal plan. These buildings are separated by an open corridor that serves as the entrance to the shops. The facility has two symmetrically located entrances, on the western and eastern sides. In 1927, it was leased to the Jewish community, and a ritual poultry slaughter was organized here. The slaughterhouse was closed by the Nazis at the beginning of the occupation, and the market in Okronglaku has since reopened. After the war, Okrąglak again served as a market, although for a number of years most of the shops were simply warehouses for traders selling their goods on stalls. With nowadays there are small stalls serving the typical Polish snack, casserole. This is a dish that can be bought at a small kiosk, cafe or bar on every central pedestrian street in Poland and beyond. Zapekanka is a Polish fast food, open-faced hot sandwich created in Poland in the 1970s. Originally it looked like an elongated bun filled with onions and mushrooms, covered with grated cheese or white cheese, for example, oscypek. This type of hot sandwich is usually served with mushrooms (champignons), also with sausages, ham or bacon, with ketchup or other sauces. Variations may include other ingredients, depending on the cook's taste or availability. Casserole sandwiches are made from fresh ingredients, baked in the oven, or purchased ready-made in the store, like frozen foods for heating in the microwave. Due to the short preparation time and low price of ingredients, the dish is popular in small catering establishments. Casseroles first appeared on the streets of Polish cities in the 1970s. The Polish authorities, under the leadership of the first secretary of the PUWP, Edward Gierek, allowed a small participation of private enterprise in the catering sector. This move led to the proliferation of small family-run catering businesses, known in Polish as mała gastronomia. Okrąglak is a place of evening gastronomic pilgrimage, a meeting place, and a selling point for cult casseroles.
