Polish tennis star Świątek baffles Brits with favourite dish of pasta and strawberries

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Polish tennis star Iga Świątek has caused surprise at the Wimbledon Championships after revealing that her favourite meal is pasta with strawberries and yoghurt.

The dish is popular in Poland, where many have fond memories of eating it during summer as children. But it often raises eyebrows among people from other countries – perhaps even more so at Wimbledon, where strawberries and cream (without any pasta) is an iconic snack.

Speaking on Saturday after defeating American rival Danielle Collins to reach the fourth round in the ladies’ singles, Światek was asked in a courtside interview what she might be eating later.

She revealed that, while the traditional British dish of fish and chips would be “too heavy” during the tournament, her favourite meal is pasta with strawberries, which Świątek said she used to eat as a child,

Pressed for more detail by the baffled interviewer, former British tennis player Annabel Croft, Świątek said that the pasta and strawberries are mixed with yoghurt (some Poles prefer to use śmietana, a type of sour cream).

“You should try it guys….It’s just great,” said Świątek, a five-time Grand Slam winner who is currently fourth in the women’s world rankings. Croft appeared unconvinced, describing the dish as “strange” but “fascinating”.

The Polish player’s favourite meal was also met with surprise and some distaste on social media. “I will support Iga’s every right and wrong, but strawberry on pasta…girl,” wrote one of her fans. Another suggested it should be “illegal”.

However, many Polish users jumped to the dish’s defence, noting that it is a common and popular part of summer for Polish children.

Świątek herself then joined the debate, sharing a photo on Instagram of strawberries, pasta and yoghurt. “Come in [sic] guys, this is a Polish speciality,” she wrote.

Her post was then shared by the Polish embassy in the United States, which tagged the Italian embassy to ask for their thoughts. At the time of writing, Italy had not taken an official position on mixing strawberries and yoghurt with pasta.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Iga Świątek/Instagram

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.