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Five questions with Ryan and Katie from Modern Perogie
Plus their favourite pierogi flavours
I can’t help but always think back to last February 24th, the day Russia invaded Ukraine. I stand with all Ukrainians during this time, not solely because it’s the right thing to do, no, I want to because Ukrainian culture is beautiful, and though times are tough, I’m interested in exploring and celebrating what makes Ukrainians unique.
So what better way to begin this fun journey than to talk about the famed Perogie, or
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Regardless of your preference, the historical root of the word is Slavic and means "festival."
“Typically pierogi are dough dumplings filled with potato and cheese, then cooked by either boiling, frying, or sautéing them with tons of butter (yes, tons of butter is necessary, and some bacon never hurt either). In Canada pierogi are served as a main dish under myriad toppings like caramelized onions and sour cream. Those prairie pillows can also be served sweet, filled with anything from blueberries to Saskatoon berries and covered in ooey-gooey toppings.”
As a Saskatoon kid, I can attest to having many stuffed with Saskatoon berries. They grew everywhere in my backyard. Delicious!
To illustrate and highlight the delight of this dish locally, I reached out to Katie and Ryan of Modern Perogie to talk about their brand, their ties to Ukrainian heritage, and why their perogie flavors are completely unique.
1. Where did your fondness and sentimentality for perogies come from?
Ryan’s grandma is Ukrainian, and many years ago she gave us the ultimate perogie dough recipe ( and of course in typical grandma style she gave it to us on her pink flowery stationary) along with a couple of metal perogie forms.
We are both hospitality industry folks (Ryan is at the Sandbar and I was at Say Mercy at the time and am currently at Dachi) so when COVID-19 struck, we were both outta work. To keep busy, we decided to try our hand at making perogies. We did bi-weekly deliveries to industry friends and family of both sweets and perogies, then it became a thing that hasn’t stopped.
Modern Perogie
2. Why Modern Perogie? What drew you to wanting to explore the realm of creativity within this market?
Because Modern Perogie was born during quarantine, we wanted to create a perogie so great, that if you didn’t have access to all the traditional sides, the perogies would be great cooked up all on their own. We wanted to take some of our favourite meals and turn them into perogies.
We aren’t reinventing the wheel, but we really want to reimagine what perogies can be. Starting from our doughs, they are all infused with a filling complimentary ingredient like our poutine eh! It has a chive-infused dough and unique fillings. There is no need to boil, they cook up from frozen in 10 minutes - kind of like a gyoza or dumpling.
3. What’s been the reception so far?
We’ve had an amazing response so far. We’ve made so many different flavours (close to 40) that people were getting excited to see what new flavour is next, and what fun name we’ll come up with. So last spring we decided to make the leap and get a commissary space. Now we are in five shops in Vancouver, with a sixth store debuting this week.
4. All time favourite perogie flavour combination?
That’s a tough one, there’s been so many. For Ryan, it would be the Viande Fumee, our take on a Montreal smoked meat sandwich, including the light and dark rye dough. Mine would be the Sunday supper, thyme-infused scalloped potatoes and ham.
But there’s one more that might take the cake, we did a collaboration with our commissary mate Top Rope Birria and made a birria perogie. It was insanely delicious.
5. Best way to eat a modern perogie?
Our perogies cook up from frozen (panfry with a little steam) in 10 mins. No boiling necessary. We believe meals make memories, so enjoy them on their own or as a side with the ones you love.
Where to buy: You can order, pick up or have delivery from their website. Or you can find them at these five spaces around town.
Mucker Next Door: 2297 East Hastings (adjacent to Dachi), Thursday-Sunday 10 am-6 pm
Collective Goods: 3532 Commercial Street, Wednesday-Sunday 5 pm-Late
Harvest Community Foods: 232 Union Street, daily from 12 pm-6:30 pm
The Federal Store: 2601 Quebec Street, daily from 8 am-6 pm
Jackson’s General : 1490 Kingsway Street, daily from 11am-6pm