Sienkiewicz w polskiej gastronomii. Przyczynek do popularności autora „Trylogii”

Among various motifs of Henryk Sienkiewicz’s influence, aspects related to popular culture and the quotidian rank unexpectedly high. Conscious allusions to the titles and characters from his fiction in the names of restaurants, inns, bars, and other similar catering facilities, are numerous enough to be significant. The owners of such facilities use these fictional references with the intent of appealing to both the knowledge and the emotions of their customers. They intend not only to directly encourage consumption, but also to invoke a certain aesthetic premium caused by the memories of school reading. These aspects will be analysed on the basis of several examples, mostly two restaurants: one inKrakow and the other in Bydgoszcz both styled “Ogniem i Mieczem” as well as one styled “Jarema”. Close attention will be given to multiple elements of their self-stylisation, such as menus, decor, and advertising. Other examples will explore the fictionally or biographically influenced characterisation and stylisation of such locations as Podlasie (Wola Okrzejska being Sienkiewicz’s birthplace), Częstochowa (especially Kiemlicze and Kmicic), or even Warsaw. The article concludes with an emphasis of the range of the author’s influence, especially in the context of quotidian culture.