Everything you ever wanted to know about pierogi — THE PIEROGI EXPERIMENT (2024)

FAQs

What is a fun fact about pierogies? ›

Some believe the pierogi came from China and through Italy via Marco Polo's expeditions. Another popular origin story involves Saint Hyacinth, who is often considered the patron saint of pierogi. According to this story, Saint Hyacinth brought the pierogi to Poland from Kievian Rus, now Ukraine.

T's, based in Shenandoah, 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 ...

The first recorded evidence of the word dates back to the 17th century, but the dish likely made its way to Polish territories much earlier. According to legend, the 13th-century Saint Jacek Odrowąż introduced pierogi to the nation, when he fed dumplings to the poor in Kraków following the Tatar invasion.

This recipe is a simple combination of flour, eggs, water, and salt. You might need to add a little more water or a little more flour based on the humidity of the day, the weight of the flour, and other factors. The dough should not be so dry it is crumbly or so wet it is sticky.

Pierogi are an important part of Polish culture and cuisine today. They are served in a variety of forms and tastes (ranging from sweet to salty to spicy) and are considered to be the national dish. They are served at many festivals, playing an important role as a cultural dish.

Also called perogi or perogy, Polish pierogi (pronounced pih-ROH-ghee) or homemade pierogies are small half-moon dumplings. They're also chock-full of fabulous fillings. Interestingly, the word pierogi is actually plural. But the singular form pieróg is hardly ever used.

One region eats more pierogis than the rest of the country

The "Pierogi Pocket" region encompasses five midwestern states: Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. A few cities — including Chicago and Detroit — are also included in this area, according to The Pierogi Experiment.

A Culinary Link to Pittsburgh's Immigrant Past

These filled dumplings are considered the national dish of Poland and are popular in other Slavic countries like Ukraine, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Russia. Pittsburgh was introduced to the pierogi by the immigrants who came to the area.

Ted's mom, Mary Twardzik, better known as Mrs. T, always enjoyed cooking for her family—and everyone loved her handmade pierogies.

Are pierogies healthy? ›

Eat a serving of pierogies to boost your iron intake. Each four-pierogi portion delivers 15 percent of the daily recommended intake of this mineral. The iron in this dish helps transport oxygen throughout your body, which influences the amount of energy available to you. Pierogies also provide calcium.

Similar to ravioli, pierogies do sometimes contain ground meat, but they're also commonly stuffed with creamy mashed potatoes or even fruit. They can be eaten warm, cold, fried, baked, or boiled, and they are served with sauces that won't remind you of any other stuffed dough concoction you've encountered before.

A tried and true method for cooking pierogies is frying. The texture is crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. And, they make great side dishes, appetizers, or perfect finger-food for snacking! Pierogies are amazing when deep-fried!

T's Pierogies is a mass market brand of pierogies in the United States. It is a product of Ateeco, Inc. based in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania.

Polish Pierogi

A pierogi is a European-styled dumpling. These dumplings are prepared very differently than traditional Chinese dumplings. They can also be savory or sweet with fillings such as potatoes, meat, cheese, or fruits. First, pierogies are boiled and then either baked or fried with butter.

Pierogi Ruskie

This is because the origins began in the Ruthenia region, which is partly where modern-day Poland and Ukraine sit, and has also been known as Red Russia and Eastern Galicia in the past. These are the most popular pierogi in Poland – the dough is filled with cottage cheese, potato and onion.

Like many other dishes, pierogi have a disputed past. Aside from Poland, a great number of countries claim to be part of its origin story including the Ukraine, Lithuania, Russia, Romania, and as far east as China. Historically, everyone agrees that these dumplings have been eaten and enjoyed since 13th-century Poland.