Duszony

Duszony is a Polish adjective and the past participle of the verb dusic. It has two main meanings depending on context: culinary and general/medical.

In cooking, duszony (masc), duszona (fem), or duszone (neut) describes food that has been cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid, i.e., braised or stewed. The method is called duszenie. Dishes labeled duszony are typically prepared by browning the ingredients briefly and then simmering them gently in stock, wine, or sauce, often under a lid, until tender. The form agrees with gender and number, for example duszona wołowina (braised beef) or duszony kurczak (braised chicken).

In non-culinary usage, duszony also means suffocated or smothered, derived from the verb dusic (to smother or choke). It can describe a person or animal that has been deprived of air, or be used in phrases such as uduszony (smothered/suffocated). The term is distinct from related words like uduszenie (smothering or suffocation) and dusić (to smother, to choke, or to braise, depending on context).

Etymology traces to the root of dusic, encompassing both the act of smothering and the cooking technique of moist, slow heat. The word is widely used in Polish cuisine as well as in medical or descriptive language.

See also: duszenie, duszenie się, uduszenie.