What is "pierogi"

n. (context North America English) A square- or crescent-shaped dumpling of unleavened dough, stuffed with sauerkraut, cheese, mashed potatoes, cabbage, onion, meat, or any combination of these, or with a fruit filling.

Pierogi (pronounced , also known as varenyky, are filled dumplings of East 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, Slovakia and Canada where they are considered national dishes.

Pierogi are often semi-circular but triangular and rectangular ones are also found. Typical fillings include potato, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese and fruits. The dumplings may be served with toppings, such as melted butter, sour cream or fried onion. The traditional savory method is with onion, and sweet method with sour cream.