The Pierogi, in polish = pʲjɛˈrɔɟi (plural – Pierogis) originates from Poland, sometime in the 13th century. Traditionally they were considered peasant food, eventually gaining popularity and spread throughout all social classes including nobles. Although Pierogies are still an important part of Polish culture and cuisine today, they are very popular in other European cultures such as: Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, etc… Pierogies are the Polish form of a handmade dumpling, made of unleavened dough, usually shaped into semi-circle. The seems are pressed together to seal the pierogi so that the filling will remain inside when the pierogi is cooked. The most common filling for Pierogies is potato. The potato is peeled and then ground or mashed into the consistency of mashed potatoes. There are several variations of fillings depending on where you have pierogies, but some may include: potato and cheese, mushrooms, sauerkraut, meat, potato and sour cream, fruits such as blueberry, or even spinach.
13th Century Poland
Some cookbooks from the 17th century describe how even during that era the Pierogi were considered a staple of the Polish diet, and each holiday had its own special kind of Pierogi created. There were different shapes and fillings for holidays such as Christmas and Easter, and important events like weddings, had their own special type of Pierogies ‘kirniki’ –filled with chicken meat. There were also Pierogies made especially for mourning/wakes, and even some for caroling season in January.
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