When you are in Poland, you cannot go to any restaurant without seeing pierogies on the menu. Originally considered a peasant food, it spread to the classes and is now one of the staple foods of the Polish diet. Dumplings filled with different fillings, they are often boiled or pan fried and are delicious bites of goodness. We love to do cooking classes or food tours in new places, so learning how to make the staple food of Poland seemed like a great way to immerse our family in Polish culture. We did a class with Pierogies & More in Warsaw and learned about how to make the food but also got to sit and have a meal with a big group and learn more about each other. Isn’t that what travel is all about?
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Why We Booked It
My husband is a foodie and the chef of the family. This trip to Eastern Europe and Poland was for his 50th birthday, so obviously food tours and cooking classes were on the agenda. We used Get Your Guide to research the top-rated Food Tours and Cooking classes in the cities we were visiting, and Pierogies & More consistently came up as one of the highest rated. My kids ate frozen Pierogies at their grandfather’s house, so they were excited to learn how to make real ones. It was considered family friendly so we decided it was one of the best ones to try.
How the Class Works
When you enter you are greeted by the lovely teachers who instruct you to wash your hands and put on an apron to protect your clothing from the flour that soon will be flying everywhere.
You are sat two to a board. The board in front of you has premeasured-out flour, filling ingredients, salt, round cutters, and a spoon and fork. Each two-person board has a different set of ingredients. There are meat ones, vegetarian and even vegan ones. You did not have to choose your ingredients, but it was OK because you will get to try them all if you want to.
Once in, we were given a bit of background on pierogies and their status in the Polish society. Then we were given instructions on making the dough and able to get hands dirty. This was the part my kids liked the best. I was proud of my husband, he really wanted to get in and make the dough but he hung back and let the kids have a little fun. Then, as we let the dough rest, it was time to mix the ingredients. I was with my daughter and let her do all the mixing, but here my husband wanted to get his turn in and went to town mixing the filling ingredients perfectly.
Next, you are rolling out the dough, cutting out the circles and filling the perogies. Here everyone gets to get their hands in. The teacher does a great job of showing you all the different closing techniques, from easiest (use a fork) to hardest (complicated Chinese dumpling style closures). I barely got the basic ones down but my husband and daughter did complex closures and fancy perogies. Once all of them were made, the teachers took them over to boil.
As they cooked, the rest of us lined up to wash up and sit down at the communal table. Soon, plate after plate of perogies were in front of us, and we all passed them around getting to try all the different perogies that were made. As we all sat at the table, we got to know each other and enjoyed a meal together, which is what I love about travel. My daughter and another 12-year-old girl at the meal bonded over their mutual love of Taylor Swift. I got to meet a local teacher who talked about the education system in Poland. These things only happen over a meal like this.
After the meal, we were treated to local Polish liquors made from fermented fruit. I loved the peach one, but the cherry tasted a bit too much like cold medicine for me. We let our 14-year-old try some and I was heartened to watch his face writhe in disgust. I have a few more years, I think, before I have to worry about this one drinking.
We were all offered leftovers to take home as we thanked our teachers and headed out the door. We looked at my husband because now we expect fresh – not frozen – pierogies for the rest of our days.
Advantages and Considerations
Advantages
- Everything is pre-measured out for you. It makes the process quick and easy and accessible for even your smallest budding chef. Plus it’s just fun to get in there and work with your hands.
- There are so many different filling options, you can be sure to find pierogies to eat, even if you are a vegan. They ask about dietary restrictions when you sign up for the class, and when you attend, they make sure to point out ones to avoid if you have that restriction. Both my daughter and I have sensitivity to dairy, so they found us and made sure to point out the ones with cheese.
- You walk out full. Make sure to come with an empty stomach because not only are perogies filling, but you end up making enough for an army to eat.
Considerations
- I would not bring babies to this class. There is not really a place for them to be while you are making the pierogies. The youngest I would recommend is a toddler and little kids who can sit for an hour and help you with cooking.
- The class made the process easy because all the prep work was done. I could see how much prep work goes into making these pierogies. This is one of those dishes where you spend a weekend prepping, make a big batch, and freeze a bunch to eat later. (Think Mexican Tamales or Puerto Rican Pastels)
- This is not the US. One thing I noticed was that we did not wear gloves, but we all shared the food that we created. We did wash up beforehand. I am not much of a germaphobe so I felt comfortable with the meal and sharing with others. But I know that some may not be as comfortable.
How to Book
Pierogies & More has a selection of cooking classes beyond pierogies. This includes Polish Liquors, Pastas, empanadas, and special experiences for corporate events and hen and stag parties (bachelor and bachelorette parties for us Americans). They also have a food tour of Old Town Warsaw.
We used Get Your Guide to book. You can also book the pierogies classes directly online and call to book any of their other classes or food tour.
Recommendation: Book the Class!
This was one of the most fun experiences we had in Warsaw. The kids loved getting in and getting to mix up things and cook. My daughter loves to be in the kitchen so she was in her element. My oldest also likes to help, and was meticulous trying to perfect their pierogi closure techniques. My husband enjoyed learning all the different ways you could make them and fill them. I loved having the communal meal at the end and getting to know both foreigners visiting and locals taking the class for fun. We left with happy kids, a new skill, full stomachs and more perogies to take home than we could eat on the trip. If you are looking for a cultural immersion experience for the whole family, this is the experience to book.
Edited by SKS
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