All Pierogi Kitchen – Mesa, Arizona
Not surprisingly, culinary historians aren’t in complete agreement regarding the origin of pierogi. Most believe dumplings likely traveled from Asia along the Silk Road to Eastern Europe. Perhaps they were even brought over by Marco Polo or Turkish traders. That’s the more likely origin story. The more popular Polish origin story credits St. Hyacinth of Poland for the pierogi. In fact the Polish exclamation “St. Hyacinth with his dumplings!” is a call for help during hopeless circumstances (much like St. Jude being asked to intercede in the resolution of hopeless causes). There are two legends involving St. Hyacinth and pierogies. During a visit to a village in Poland, a hailstorm broke out, destroying crops and leaving people with the prospect of famine. Hyacinth told them to pray. The next day, the crops were miraculously restored. As a token of gratitude, the people then treated Hyacinth to pierogi made from those crops. The second legend mentions Hyacinth feeding people with pierogi during a famine caused by the Mongol invasion of 1241.Whatever the true origin of pierogies may be, you can’t dispute that divine intervention was involved in the creation of one of the most universally popular foods throughout Eastern Europe. They…