What is pierogi

Seasonal fruits are used as a filling: mainly bilberries or strawberries. Pierogi filled with a specially prepared sweetened Polish curd cheese called a white cheese by the Poles is also very delicious and popular.

The name does not indicate any Russian origin, since such food is unknown in Russia. Ruskie pierogi comes from the prewar Poland's region called Red Ruthenia today it is within a territory of Ukraine.

A filling is made of cooked potatoes, white cheese and stir-fried onion. Ruskie pierogi is probably the most popular kind of pierogi in North America. But it is important to underline that this is not the most popular in Poland, although it still is very much liked.

Of course there are also some peculiar kinds of a traditional Polish pierogi which have a regional character. For example in Eastern Poland pierogi with lentil filling are well-known. Locally, in the region of Lublin pierogi are filled with cheese, potatoes and dried mint, which grants to it a slight tang.

Other traditional Polish stuffed dumplings, much smaller than pierogi, are known as uszka this is quite similar to Italian ravioli. In Poland uszka are not recognized as a kind of pierogi. The word uszka means 'little ears'.

Indeed, uszka are smaller than pierogi, have a more complicated shape, and are usually filled with mushrooms or meat and never eaten on their own.

This special kind of Polish food is served during Christmas Eve within a red beet clear borscht or a traditional dried mushroom borscht. How did the history of pierogi look like?

There are some people who know the history of Eastern European food and believe that some kind of prototype of pierogi was imported from the Far East. Admittedly, going back a few hundred years ago, we find information about quite a similar food being eaten in China.

Well, so many wonderful things come from this country that one might think pierogi are not an exception. There may be a grain of truth in that.

Some say that the portotype of pierogi had come from China and travelled to Italy during the expeditions of Marco Polo. However, the whole truth is not known. In Poland pierogi are made since the thirteenth century.

The word pierogi appears for the first time in Polish literature in the second half of the 17th century - the time when some of the first Polish cookbooks were published. In this distant past pierogi were exclusively prepared on during the holiday season. The fact that each holiday had its own kind of pierogi assigned is also interesting. Pierogi of a completely different shape and filling were served during Christmas Eve or Easter!

Also some important events like a wedding were accompanied by their special kind of big pierogi. These wedding-time pierogi were called kurniki and were traditionally filled with chicken meat. Knysze were made for a mourning and served during the wake. In January — a period of Christmas caroling — some special pierogi known as koladki were baked! Sadly, these intricate traditions are no longer cultivated in Poland.

Probably they are not even known nowadays. I think this is a pity. But the variety of standard, modern Polish pierogi is so huge that, nevertheless, I believe we all should feel really satisfied :. Nowadays Polish pierogi are quite common in United States. Pierogi were imported to North America by Polish immigrants more than one hundred years ago.

Ready-made frozen pierogi are available in some other countries in the world which are aware about Polish cuisine. Since the United States, Canada or United Kingdom are among them, you can find frozen Polish pierogi in a grocery store or some Polish deli. As far as I know in U. It is only one of many original kinds of Polish pierogi, not at all the most popular in Poland. So I would venture to say that someone who ate only ruthenian pierogi does not even know what pierogi exactly are!

Believe me, pierogi with potato and cheese filling have as many supporters, as adversaries. Here is some demonstrative picture to let you know about absolutely basic kinds of Polish pierogi. But allow me to repeat this once more and say, that those who ate exclusively frozen pierogi purchased in grocery or Polish deli store lose a lot. In a previous part of this article I've mentioned a few advantages of pierogi, thanks to which it is worthwhile learning how to make Polish pierogi on your own, at home.

To sum up what I have wrote there: 1 quite simple preparation pierogi dough requires experience but you will become an expert more quickly than you think , 2 it is a very cheap food, 3 it can be frozen for a long time, 4 it is a universal dish - you can put inside as many things as you like. Frozing home-made pierogi is a piece of cake and food will preserve its great taste. Incomparable with ready-made, frozen pierogi. I should emphasize that pierogi made by industrial machines are far, far away from original, traditional Polish pierogi.

Usually the taste of the dough is not so bad, although it is not like it should be, either. Industrial dough has a simply less delicate, gentle taste. In a few of the worst I have tried, they tasted like flour. The dough is always too thick on purpose.

Moreover, most often frying ready-made pierogi is troublesome, since dough is prone to break down and becomes unappealing. However, what is much more disappointing is the filling. Its taste is completely incomparable to what you can achieve at home. And I think this does not require any explanation. Would you expect that a little-known company mass producing pierogi uses the best quality products to make the filling? Repeat with the other half of the dough. Save the scraps; these can be snipped into small pieces and added to simmering soups.

Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal, then seal again with the tines of a fork. At this point the pierogi can be frozen for up to 4 weeks, or refrigerated overnight, or cooked in a large stockpot of boiling salted water. Only cook about 10 pierogi at a time, so that they have room to float without sticking.

When the pierogi float, they're done. The time will vary depending on if they're fresh or frozen. Add the drained pierogi and cook until browned and crisped. Serve hot with additional sour cream, applesauce, or other condiments.

If your filling is a bit watery due to the potatoes, add a tablespoon of flour to help thicken it up. Are pierogi a new dish for you? These savory filled dumplings were originally peasant fare native to Central and Eastern Europe, but they've overcome class boundaries and become popular among those from all walks of life. Place a spoonful of potato or sauerkraut filling in the center of each circle and fold over, pinching edges together to seal.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; drop perogies in boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they float. All Rights Reserved. Rating: 4. Read Reviews Add Review. Save Pin Print Share. Gallery Perogies. Perogies derek. Perogies Mary beth. Perogies Josie Ruby. Perogies nicole. Recipe Summary test prep:. Nutrition Info.

Ingredients Decrease Serving The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified. Add all ingredients to shopping list View your list. I Made It Print. Full Nutrition. Reviews Read More Reviews. Rating: 4 stars. I followed the recipe for the most part to make the dough, but my polish family always sauteed ground beef and sauerkraut together in a pan and then used this mixture to stuff the dough. Also after we boil the perogies, we always fry them in a pan with onions.

Not the healthiest meal, but it is very good. I am not really sure what the "traditional" filling is, but my family either used potatos and cheese or this ground beef version, which is the family favorite. We also always served potato salad and coleslaw and my grandfathers homemade polish kielbasa! Read More. Most helpful critical review Heather. Rating: 3 stars. I haven't tried this particular perogy recipe, but a genral tip for perogy dough making: Reserve the water you boiled your potatoes in, and use that to make your dough.

The starch makes the dough easier to roll and handle. Reviews: Most Helpful. I used this recipe only for the dough, and added some fresh cracked pepper for a little flavour.