Pirogi come in different shapes and forms: they are often oblong with tapering ends, but can also be circular or rectangular.[1][6] They can be closed or open-faced with no crust on top.[6]
Dough
Pirogi are usually made from
yeast-
raiseddough,[3][6] which distinguishes them from
pies and
pastries common in other cuisines.[3] In former times, the dough for Russian pirogi was made predominantly of
rye flour. Later it was mixed with
wheat flour. Nowadays, mainly wheat flour is used.[3]
There are also variants made from
shortcrust,
flaky or
puff pastry. In East-Slavic languages, pirog is a generic term which denotes virtually any kind of pie, pastry, or cake. Тhus,
Karelian pastry (known as Karelian pirog in Russian), Jewish
knish or
charlotte cake are considered types of pirog in Eastern Europe.
Filling
The filling for pirogi may be sweet and contain
tvorog or
cottage cheese, fruits like
apples,
plums or various
berries, as well as honey, nuts or
poppy seeds. Savory versions may consist of meat, fish, mushrooms, cabbage, rice,
buckwheatgroats, or potato. In
Ukrainian and
Russian cuisines, pirogi (as well as their smaller versions called
pirozhki) with a savory filling are traditionally served as an accompaniment with clear
borscht,
broth, or
consommé.[6]
Types
Certain types of pirog are known by different names:
Coulibiac, a middle-size Russian pirog of oblong shape with a complex filling;[7]
Kurnik ("chicken pirog"), also known as wedding pirog or tsar pirog, a dome-shaped savory Russian pirog, usually filled with chicken, eggs, onions,
kasha or rice, and other optional components;[8][9]
Pirozhki (Russian
diminutive, literally "small pirogi") or pyrizhky (Ukrainian), individual-sized
buns that can be eaten with one hand;[1]
Rasstegai ("unbuttoned pirog"), a type of Russian pirog with a hole in the top;[10]
Shanga, a small or medium-size open-faced circular savory pirog endemic to and widespread in
Ural and
Siberia;[11] "Shanga is a bakery product made of unleavened or yeast, wheat, rye or rye-wheat dough. The dish is of Finno-Ugric origin, spread from
Karelia to the Ob, including the
Russian North. It is part of the national cuisines:
Komi cuisine,
Mari cuisine,
North Russian cuisine,
Udmurt cuisine."
Vatrushka, a small sweet pirog, popular in all Eastern Slavic cuisines, formed as a ring of dough with quark in the middle.[12][13]
Similar
West Slavic pastries, such as Czech and Slovak
Kolach, and Polish
Kołacz, usually have sweet fillings.
^
abcDarra Goldstein. A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality, "Russian pies", p.54. Russian Information Service, 1999,
ISBN978-1880100677
^Вильям Похлебкин. Кулинарный словарь,
Пироги. Москва: Центрполиграф, 2007,
ISBN978-5-9524-3170-6 (
William Pokhlyobkin. The Culinary Dictionary, "Pirogi". Moscow: Centrpoligraph, 2007; in Russian)
^
abcdВильям Похлебкин. Большая энциклопедия кулинарного искусства,
Пироги русские. Москва: Центрполиграф, 2010,
ISBN978-5-9524-4620-5 (
William Pokhlyobkin. The Great Encyclopedia of Culinary Art, "Russian pirogi". Moscow: Centrpoligraph, 2010; in Russian)
^Max Vasmer. Russisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. Winter. Heidelberg, 1953–1958 (in German);
Пирог (in Russian)