Pierogi

Pierogi(/pɪˈroʊɡi/pirr-OH-ghee,Polish:[pjɛˈrɔɡʲi];sg.pieróg[ˈpjɛruk]) are filleddumplingsmade by wrappingunleaveneddougharound afillingand cooked in boiling water. They are occasionally flavored with a savory or sweet garnish. Typical fillings includepotato,cheese,quark,sauerkraut,ground meat,mushrooms,fruits, orberries. Savory pierogi are often served with a topping ofsour cream, fried onions, or both.
Pierogi varieties are associated with the cuisines ofCentral,EasternandSoutheastern Europe. Dumplings most likely originated in Asia and came to Europe via trade in theMiddle Ages.However, the dish itself dates back to at least 1682, when Poland's first cookbook,Compendium ferculorum, albo Zebranie potraw, was published.The widely used English namepierogiwas derived fromPolish. In Ukraine and parts ofCanadathey are known under their Ukrainian name –varenyky,or, in somedialects,pyrohy.Pierogi are also popular in modern-dayAmerican cuisinewhere they are sometimes known under different local names.
The Polish wordpierogiis the plural form ofpieróg, a generic term for one filled dumpling. It derives fromOld East Slavicпиръ(pirŭ) and further fromProto-Slavic*pirъ, 'feast'.While dumplings as such are found throughoutEurasia, the specific namepierogi, with its Proto-Slavic root and itscognatesin theWestandEast Slavic languages, including Russianпирог(pirog, 'pie') andпирожки(pirozhki, 'small pies'), shows the name's commonSlavic origins, antedating the modernnation statesand theirstandardized languages. In most of these languages the word means 'pie'. However, a recent theory speculates that the wordsbierock,pierogiorpirogmay be derived fromTurkicbureg.
AmongUkrainians,Russiansand their diasporas, they are known asvarenyky(вареники).The word is the plural form ofвареник(varenyk), which derives from Ukrainianвар(var) "boiling liquid", indicating boiling as the primary cooking method for this kind of dumpling.The same term is used in theMennonitecommunity, sometimes spelledvarenikieorwareniki;andvarenikiamong CanadianDoukhobors.
Bryndzové pirohyis the Slovak term for dumplings filled withsheep milk cheese.
Colțunașiis theRomanianterm for filled dumplings.It is derived from Greekκαλτσούνι,kaltsúni, itself a borrowing from Italiancalzoni. A similarly named type of dumpling related to, or considered a variety of, pierogi, is known in Belarus asкалдуны́, in Lithuania askoldūnai, and in Poland askołduny.
Pierogi had a local variant in Poland known as Saint Peter's pierogi orpierogi Świętego Piotra.
Because the exact origin of the pierogi is unknown and unverifiable, it is the subject of frequent debate. Dumplings most likely originated inChinaand became widespread in Europe during theMiddle Agesor later periods.Some claim that pierogi were spread byMarco Polo's expeditions through theSilk Road, thus suggesting a connection to Chinesemantou.Other sources theorize that in the 13th century, pierogi were brought bySaint Hyacinth of Polandfrom theFar East (Asia)via what was then theKievan Rus'.These became characteristic to Central and East European cuisines, where different varieties (preparation methods, ingredients, fillings) were invented.
Pierogi may be stuffed (singly or in combinations) with mashed potatoes,fried onions,quarkorfarmer cheese,cabbage,sauerkraut,ground meat,mushrooms,spinach, or other ingredients depending on the cook's preferences. Dessert versions of the dumpling can be stuffed with sweetened quark or with a fresh fruit filling such ascherry,strawberry,raspberry,bilberry,blueberry,apple, orplum; stonedprunesare sometimes used, as well asjam. For more flavor, sour cream can be added to the dough mixture, and this tends to lighten the dough.
The dough, which is made by mixing flour and warm water, sometimes with an egg, is rolled flat and then cut into squares with a knife or circles using acupordrinking glass. The dough can be made with some mashed potato, creating a smoother texture.Another variation, popular in Slovakia, uses dough made of flour and curd with eggs, salt, and water.
The filling is placed in the middle and the dough folded over to form a half circle or rectangle or triangle (if the dough is cut squarely). The seams are pressed together to seal the pierogi so that the filling will remain inside when it is cooked. The pierogi are simmered until they float, drained, and then sometimes fried or baked inbutterbefore serving or fried as leftovers.  They can be served with melted butter orsour cream, or garnished with small pieces of friedbacon, onions, and mushrooms.Dessert varieties may be topped withapple sauce, jam, orvarenye.
Traditionally consideredpeasant food, pierogi eventually gained popularity and spread throughout all social classes, including thenobility. Cookbooks from the 17th century describe how during that era, pierogi were considered a staple of the Polish diet, and each holiday had its own special kind of pierogi created. They have different shapes, fillings and cooking methods. Important events like weddings had their own special type of pierogikurniki– baked pie filled withchicken. Also, pierogi were made especially for mournings or wakes, and some for caroling season in January. In the east baked pierogi are a common and well-liked Christmas dish. They were stuffed with potatoes, cheese, cabbage, mushrooms, buckwheat, or millet. The most famous is theBiłgoraj pierogistuffed with buckwheat, potatoes, and cheese and then baked in the oven.
Pierogi are an important part of Polish festive seasons, particularlyChristmas Eve(Wigilia) andChristmastide. They are also served during public events, markets or festivals in a variety of forms and tastes, ranging from sweet to salty and spicy. At the 2007 Pierogi Festival in Kraków, 30,000 pierogi were consumed daily.
Polish pierogi are often filled with fresh quark, boiled and minced potatoes, and fried onions. This type is known in Polish aspierogi ruskie("Ruthenianpierogi"). Other popular pierogi in Poland are filled with ground meat, mushrooms and cabbage, or for dessert an assortment of fruits (berries, with strawberries or blueberries the most common).
Sweet pierogi are usually served with sour cream mixed with sugar, and savory pierogi with bacon fat and bacon bits. Poles traditionally serve two types of pierogi forChristmas Evesupper. One kind is filled with sauerkraut and dried mushrooms, another – smalluszkafilled only with dried wild mushrooms – is served in clearbarszcz.Leniwe pierogi("lazy pierogi") are a different type of food, similar to lazy vareniki (see below),kopytka, orhalušky.
Varenyky in Ukraine are a popular national dish, served both as a common everyday meal and as a part of some traditional celebrations, such asChristmas Eve Supper(Ukrainian:Свята Вечеря,romanized:Sviata Vecheria,lit.'Holy Supper').In some regions in or bordering modern-dayWestern Ukraine, particularly inCarpathian RutheniaandGalicia, the termsvarenykyandpyrohyare used to denote the same dish. However, Ukrainian varenyky are often not pan-fried.
Varenyky play a fundamental role in Ukrainian culture. Contrary to many other countries that share these dumplings, Ukrainians tended to use fermented milk products (soured milkorryazhanka) to bind the dough together; however, today eggs tend to be used instead. Typical Ukrainian fillings for varenyky include curd cheese, potato, boiled beans, cabbage, mushy peas, plum, currants, sour cherries (and other fruits), meat, fish, and buckwheat.
In Ukraine, varenyky are traditionally topped with sour cream (Ukrainian:сметана,romanized:smetana) and butter, as well as with fried onions, and fried pieces ofsalo(Ukrainian:шкварки,romanized:shkvarky). Whilst traditionally savory, varenyky can also be served as a dessert by simply substituting the filling of the dumpling to a sweet one. Dessert varenyky fillings include sour cherry, bilberries, sweet quark, and various fruits. The central regions of Ukraine are known for their more unusual varenyky, Poltava being known for its flour varenyky filling, in which the dumplings are filled with a mixture of flour, lard and fried pieces of bacon. However, unusual fillings can also be found in other regions, such as the hempseed varenyky fromPolissiaandGalicia.
A yearly festival commemorating varenyky is held at the Ukrainian ski resort town ofBukovelin the Carpathian Mountains. In 2013, a snow monument to varenyky was made in Bukovel, and was submitted to theGuinness Book of Recordsas the biggest snow varenyk in the world.
In Ukrainian tradition, varenyky were equated with a young moon due to the similar shape, and were used as part of pagan and sacrificial rituals. For example, cheese varenyky would be sacrificed near water springs, and farmers would also believe that varenyky helped bring a rich harvest, so they took homemade dumplings with them to the fields.
The common termPirogge(pl.Piroggen) describes all kinds of Eastern European filled dumplings and buns,including pierogi, pirozhkis andpirogs. Certain types of piroggen, both boiled and baked, were common fare for Germans living in Eastern Europe and the Baltic are still prepared by their descendants living there and in Germany. In particular, baked pīrādziņi are known asKurländer Speckkuchen("Courlandbacon/speck pies") in the cuisine ofBaltic Germans.
Schlutzkrapfenclosely resemble pierogi; they are common inTiroland northern Italy's German-speaking region ofSouth Tyrol, and are occasionally found inBavaria.Fillings may include meat or potatoes, but the most widespread filling is a combination of spinach and quark (Topfen) orricotta.Another similar Austrian dish, known asKärntner Nudel(Carinthiannoodles), is made with a wide range of fillings, from meat, mushrooms, potato or quark to apples, pears ormint.These regional specialties differ significantly from the most commonSwabianfilled dumplings known asMaultaschen.
InHungarian cuisine, thederelyeis similar to the pierogi, consisting of pasta pockets filled with jam, cottage cheese, or sometimes meat.Derelye is consumed primarily as a festive food for special occasions such as weddings; it is also eaten for regular meals, but this tradition has become rare.
InRomaniaandMoldova, a similar recipe is calledcolțunași,with regional varieties such aspiroștiinTransylvaniaandBukovinaregions andchiroșteinMoldaviaregion.Colțunașiis either a dessert filled with jam (usually plum), fresh sour cherries,or cottage cheese, or savory, filled withdillseasoned cheese (telemeaorurdă), mashed potatoes, or chopped meat. The dough is made withwheat flourand the colțunași are boiled in salted water,pan-fried in oil, or baked in the oven.
The word is a cognate with Slavickalduny, a type of dumplings. In both Bukovina and Transylvania, the namepiroștiis used in Romanian families of German or Slavic origin and the filling can also be a whole, fresh, seedless plum. The termcolțunașis used by native Romanian families and are usually filled with cottage cheese or quark and served topped withsour cream smântână, traditionally calledcolțunași cu smântână.
Varenikiare most often filled with potatoes (sometimes mixed with mushrooms),quark cheese, cabbage, beef, and berries.They can be topped with fried onions and bacon, or butter, and served with sour cream. This Ukrainian dish became especially popular in Russia during the Soviet period, when it became part of the menu of public catering and internationalSoviet cuisine.Pelmeniare significantly different; they are smaller, shaped differently and usually filled withground meat(pork, lamb, beef, fish) or mushrooms as well as salt, pepper, and sometimes herbs and onions.
In modern Russian,pirozhkialways mean a baked, in oven, or sometimes in a frying pan, usually under the lid, dough with filling.  For dough with fillings, cooked in boiling water, exact naming is used – vareniki, pelmeni, pozy (steamed), etc.
In Belarus, its close proximity to Poland, Ukraine, and Russia helps create a unique blend which takes up all three.Kaldunyare the result, and are one of the most recognizable foods from Belarus.
Due to centuries of close-knit community and mass migration from theNetherlands, northernPrussia,the Russian Empire, and the Americas, theRussian Mennonitesdeveloped a unique ethnicity and cuisine. In RussianMennonite cuisinethe pierogi is more commonly calledverenikiand almost always is stuffed withcottage cheeseand served with a thick white cream gravy calledschmaunt fat.Russian Mennonites will also stuff theverenikiwith fruit such asSaskatoon berriesorblueberries. It is often accompanied with farmer sausage (formavorscht) or ham. Mennonite-styleverenikiis no longer common in Poland, Russia, or Ukraine, but is very common in theCanadian prairies,Chihuahua, Mexico,Paraguay,Bolivia, and other places where Russian Mennonites settled.
A traditional dish inSlovak cuisineisbryndzové pirohy, dumplings filled with saltybryndzacheese mixed with mashed potatoes.Bryndzové pirohyare served with some morebryndza(mixed with milk or sour cream, so it has a liquid consistency and serves as a dip) and topped with bacon or fried onion. In Slovakia,pirohyare semicircular in shape.
Along withbryndzové halušky,bryndzové pirohyis one ofSlovakia's national dishes. Some other varieties includepirohyfilled with mashed potatoes, apples, jam, orquark.
Klepe are popular in Sarajevo, filled with minced meat, and topped with sour cream, garlic, and paprika.
Ajdovi krapi(literally buckwheat carps) are a dish popular in the northeastern and Alpine regions of Slovenia. Made with buckwheat rather than wheat flour and filled with a mixture of cottage cheese (skuta), millet, and fried onions, they are traditionally topped with pork fat crisps, fried bacon, or fried onion, but today often with butter breadcrumbs.Along withžganciandštruklji, they form a trio of buckwheat-based dishes typical ofSlovenian cuisine.
Piruhiis a traditional dish made in some parts ofAnatoliawhich was also existed inOttoman courtcuisine. It is usually made with wheat flour and egg 
and filled with a mixture ofTulum cheese, parsley, and onion. Served with toasted walnuts in butter.
Pierogi were brought to the United States and Canada by Central and Eastern European immigrants. They are particularly common in areas with large Polish or Ukrainian populations, such as the Province ofAlberta, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and New York City (particularly in the East Village of Manhattan and Greenpoint in Brooklyn) along with its New Jersey suburbs.Pierogi were at first a family food among immigrants as well as being served in ethnic restaurants. The pierogi in America initially came fromCleveland, Ohio, when the first documented sale of pierogi was made at the Marton House Tavern in Cleveland in 1928.In the post–World War IIera, freshly cooked pierogi became a staple of fundraisers by ethnic churches. By the 1960s, pierogi were a common supermarket item in the frozen food aisles in many parts of the United States and Canada, and are still found in grocery stores today.
Numerous towns with Central and Eastern European heritage celebrate the pierogi. They have become a symbol of Polish-American cultural identity. Many families make them together for Christmas.The city ofWhiting, Indiana, celebrates the food at itsPierogi Festevery July.Pierogi are also commonly associated with Cleveland, where there are yearly events such as theSlavic VillagePierogi Dash and theParmaRun-Walk for Pierogies.Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also celebrates pierogi. There is a "pierogi race" at every homePittsburgh Piratesbaseball game. In the race, six runners wearing pierogi costumes race toward a finish line. In 1993, the village ofGlendon, Albertaerected a roadside tribute to this culinary creation: a 27-foot (8.2 m) fiberglass perogy (preferred local spelling), complete with fork.
The United States has a substantial pierogi market because of its large Central and Eastern European immigrant populations. Unlike other countries with newer populations of European settlers, the modern pierogi is found in a wide selection of flavors throughout grocery stores in the United States. Many of these grocery-brand pierogi contain non-traditional ingredients to appeal to American tastes, includingspinach,jalapeño, andchicken.
Pierogi enjoyed a brief popularity as a sports food whenPaula Newby-Fraseradopted them as her food of choice for the biking portion of the 1989 HawaiiIronman Triathlon.For more than a decade thereafter,Mrs. T's(the largest American pierogi manufacturer) sponsored triathlons,some professional triathletes and "fun runs" around the country. For many triathletes, pierogi represented an alternative to pasta as a way to boost their carbohydrate intakes.
According to pierogi manufacturer Mrs. T's, based inShenandoah, Pennsylvania, pierogi consumption in the United States is largely concentrated in a geographical region dubbed the "Pierogi Pocket", an area including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Chicago, Detroit, parts of the northern Midwest and southern New England which accounts for 68 percent of annual US pierogi consumption.
Canadahas a largePolish populationas well asUkrainianpopulations, the latter being particularly concentrated in thePrairie provinces. Pierogi (known locally as perogies) are common throughout the country.The Canadian market for pierogi is second only to that of the U.S. market, the latter having been the destination of choice for the majority of Central and Eastern European immigrants before and during World War II.Packed frozen pierogi can be found wherever Central and Eastern European immigrant communities exist and are generally ubiquitous across Canada, even in big chain stores. Typically frozen flavors include analogs ofruskie pierogifilled with potato and eithercheddar cheese, onion, bacon, cottage cheese, or mixed cheeses. Homemade versions are typically filled with either mashed potatoes (seasoned with salt and pepper and often mixed with dry curd cottage cheese or cheddar cheese), sauerkraut, or fruit. These are then boiled, and either served immediately, put in ovens and kept warm, or fried in oil or butter. Popular fruit varieties include strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, andsaskatoon berry.
Potato and cheese or sauerkraut versions are usually served with some or all the following: butter or oil, sour cream (typical), fried onions, fried bacon orkielbasa(sausage), and a creamy mushroom sauce (less common). Some ethnic kitchens will deep-fry perogies; dessert and main course dishes can be served this way.
The frozen varieties are sometimes served casserole-style with a mixture of chopped ham, onions, peppers, and cheddar cheese or with an Italian-style mixture of ground beef, onions, and tomato sauce.
National chain restaurants in Canada feature the dish or variations.Boston Pizzahas a sandwich and a pizza flavored to taste like pierogies, whileSmitty'sserves theirs as an appetizer deep-fried with a side ofsalsa.
Lazy varenyky(Ukrainian:книдлі, ліниві вареники,Russian:ленивые вареники) inUkrainianandRussiancuisine orleniwe pyrohyin Rusyn aregnocchi-shaped dumplings made by mixingdomashniy sir(curd cheese) with egg and flour into quick dough. The cheese-based dough is formed into a long sausage about2 centimeters (3⁄4in) thick, then cut diagonally into gnocchi, calledhalushkyinUkrainianandRusynandgalushkiinRussian. The dumplings are then quickly boiled in salted water and served with sour cream or melted butter.
The name "lazy varenyky" reflects the quick preparation time of the dish, usually taking 10 to 15 minutes from assembling the simple ingredients to serving the cooked dumplings.Lazy varenyky differ from standard varenyky in the same way that Italiangnocchidiffer fromravioliortortellini: these are fluffy solid dumplings, rather than stuffed pockets of dough. The same dish inPolish cuisineis calledlazy pierogi(Polish:leniwe pierogi).
Pierogi have their own patron saint:Saint Hyacinth of Poland, a monk tied to the history of pierogi.He is sometimes called "Święty Jacek z pierogami" (St. Hyacinth with his pierogi) and prayed to under this moniker, this custom is especially tied to the traditional "baked pierogi of St. Hyacinth" ofNockowainSubcarpathia.In addition, "Święty Jacek z pierogami!" is an old Polish expression of surprise, roughly equivalent to the English language "good grief" or American "holy smokes!" The origin of this usage is unknown.
In Ukrainian literature, varenyky appeared as a symbol ofnational identity, sometimes stressing its distinction from Russian. In the poem by Stepan RudanskyVarenyky-Varenyky(1858), a Russian soldier asks a Ukrainian countrywoman to cook varenyky for him. However, he cannot think of the word "varenyky", while the woman pretends not to understand him.
The Great Pittsburgh Pierogi Race N'at, commonly called the Great Pierogi Race, is an American mascot race between innings during a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game that features six contestants racing in giant pierogi costumes: Potato Pete (blue hat), Jalapeño Hannah (green hat), Cheese Chester (yellow hat), Sauerkraut Saul (red hat), Oliver Onion (purple hat), and Bacon Burt (orange hat).
Though Pierogi simply refers to filled dumplings in Poland and other Slavic countries, they actually hold deeper significance. Traditionally in the medieval ages, the rich enjoyed pierogi as a high-class meal, considering it a delicacy. Pierogi gradually gained popularity due to their affordability and versatility, and people began serving them at festivals, religious holidays, and as a common food for everyone. On festival days and religious occasions such as wigilia, families served pierogi as a symbol of unity.Pierogi also represented ethnic pride in Polish communities and helped unite Poles during difficult times. Entire communities often gathered to spend a day making pierogi together. Pierogi require labor-intensive preparation, symbolizing the tenacity of the Polish people and their ability to overcome hardships.
A monument to varenyky was inaugurated inCherkasy, Ukraine in September 2006.The monument erected at the entrance to a hotel depictsCossack Mamay(a Ukrainian folklore hero whose fondness for varenyky was narrated byTaras ShevchenkoandNikolay Gogol) eating varenyky from an earthenware pot, with a huge crescent-shaped varenyk behind him.
In 1991, a giant 7.6-meter (25 ft)-tall pierogi statue on a fork was erected in the village ofGlendoninAlberta, Canada.In January 2010, a pierogi statue was proposed to be erected inMinneapolis, Minnesota.