Pyrohy, Pierogi or Varenyky – a View from Lviv


A plate of pyrohy
A plate of pyrohy

One of the most popular traditional Galician dishes, consisting of boiled dumplings of unleavened dough stuffed with varying ingredients, is known as pyrohy, pierogi or varenyky. It is similar although not the same as the Jewish kreplach. Each variation of the name is used in restaurant menus in Lviv, which is fine from a culinary perspective. Looking from a linguistic angle, a distinction should be made between “pyrohy” as a west-Ukrainian word, “pierogi” as a Polish name and “varenyky” as an east-Ukrainian name. Whatever the name, they always taste good with sour cream. The home made ones are the best, but the store bought frozen varieties with potatoes, or as served in Lviv restaurants are also delicious.