Pierogi

Pierogi

Pierogi topped with fried onion
Alternative names	Pirogi, pirohy, pyrohy, varenyky
Type	Dumpling
Course	Appetizer, main, dessert
Place of origin	Central and Eastern Europe
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Dough: flour, eggs, water Filling: various

Pierogi (pronounced /pɪˈroʊgi/ pi-ROH-ghee), also known as varenyky, are filled dumplings of Eastern European origin. They are made by wrapping pockets of unleavened dough around a savory or sweet filling and cooking them in boiling water. These dumplings are popular in Slavic (Polish, Slovak, Ukrainian, Russian), Baltic (Latvian, Lithuanian) and other Eastern European cuisines (such as Romanian), where they are known under local names. Pierogi are especially associated with Poland, Ukraine, and Slovakia, where they are considered national dishes.

Pierogi are often semicircular, but triangular and rectangular ones are also found. Typical fillings include potato, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, and fruits. The dumplings may be served with a topping, such as melted butter, sour cream, or fried onion, or combinations of those ingredients.

The English word "pierogi" (plural: "pierogi", "pierogies", or "pierogis") comes from Polish pierogi [pʲɛˈrɔgʲi], which is the plural form of pieróg [ˈpʲɛruk], a generic term for filled dumplings. It derives from Old East Slavic пиръ (pirŭ) and further from Proto-Slavic *pirъ, "feast". While dumplings as such are found throughout Eurasia, the specific name pierogi, with its Proto-Slavic root and its cognates in the West and East Slavic languages, including Russian пирог (pirog, "pie") and пирожки (pirozhki, "baked pastries"), shows the name's common Slavic origins, antedating the modern nation states and their standardized languages. In most of these languages, the word means "pie".