Cebularz lubelski is a wheat dough disk 5 to 25 cm in diameter and about 1.5 cm thick, with a high, crispy rim. The dough contains more sugar and fat than ordinary bread. On top there is a layer of finely chopped raw onion mixed with poppy seed, salt, and oil. In the oven the onion browns and perfumes the kitchen, and the crumb becomes light and soft.
The geographical indication dossier states that the first to bake the cebularz were Jewish bakers from Lublin’s old town, and that written references to the recipe date from the 19th century. Between 1919 and 1939, cebularz was made in many Jewish bakeries in the city and sold by street vendors in baskets. After World War II it was baked again in the first reopened bakery in Lublin and became part of bakeries throughout the region.
In 2007 cebularz entered Poland’s List of Traditional Products, and in 2014 the name cebularz lubelski was registered as a protected geographical indication by the European Union. All stages, from filling to baking, must take place in the Lublin voivodeship, and the disk is shaped by hand. Because the onion is not cooked beforehand, cebularz keeps for about 48 hours.
In Lublin, cebularz is sold in bakeries and at regional fairs and festivals, whole or in pieces. It is eaten as a snack, cold or warm, at any time of day.