Pierogi – What is it?
The pierogi is commonly associated with Poland but did it originate from there? Several hundred years ago you could find food that was consumed in China similar to the pierogi. While now known as an Eastern European food there is a long history tied to the pierogi. It is possible through the travels of Marco Polo between China and Italy is how the pierogi moved across the continent.
You can find the basic pierogi in Poland as far back as the thirteenth century. But it was not until the seventeenth century that the name pierogi was associated with the food. There are cookbooks dated to this time where you can find original pierogi recipes. In fact every holiday had a version of a pierogi associated with it.
Different fillings and shapes are used for Easter versus Christmas in pierogi recipes. Large pierogies were made for weddings. These were usually filled with chicken and also called kurniki. You can even find pierogi recipes that call for baking the food. Today many of these traditions are no longer followed.
Pierogies are delicious and similar to a dumpling. You can fry or bake pierogis. Fillings can include meat or just mushrooms. Considered the national food of Poland the pierogi can also be made with sauerkraut. Pierogies are also similar to the tortellini or ravioli that you find made in Italy.
The basic pierogi recipes calls for dough that is rolled thin and a filling. You are only limited by your imagination as to the options of what you can fill a pierogi with. You can make pierogios from sweet to spicy. Traditional fillings for pierogies include mushrooms, sauerkraut and forcemeat. But you can use cabbage and other meats as well in a pierogi. For sweet pierogi recipes you can use strawberries or bilberries. Cheese is also a popular pierogi filling. A popular cheese filling is a white cheese or cheese curd.
A ruskie pierogi recipe should not to be confused as a Russian dish as you will not find anything like it served there. This version uses potatos and cheese as filling ingredients. Sometimes onions are also included in this filling. This pierogi recipe is the most popular version served in North America.
Traditional pierogi recipes use ingredients from the region where they are made. Dried mint, potatoes, cheese, lentils are commonly used. Other popular filling ingredients include mushrooms, ground meat and cabbage. For desert pierogies berries are used with blueberries and strawberries being the most common used. You usually serve pierogies with either bacon bits and melted butter or sugar and melted butter.
The uszka is another dumpling Polish dish that is smaller than a pierogi. They are more similar to the ravioli in Italy. While the pierogi is usually eaten by itself the uszka is generally used in borscht. Their fillings, shape and size lend them to be used in this manner. You will really savor all these Polish dishes and would also recommended them to your family and friends!
For further info on pierogi and pierogi recipes click on the links.
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