Saskatoon Perogies and Ukrainian Comfort Food

Saskatoon perogies are the comfort food of the Prairies: soft dumplings, filled and boiled, then often fried with onions and served with sour cream, alongside cabbage rolls and beet borscht. Handmade shops, church suppers and Ukrainian delis all make them. Order a plate, share it, and ask what was made that day.

Perogies are the dish most closely tied to Ukrainian settlement across the Prairies, and Saskatoon eats them more seriously than most cities.

What are Saskatoon perogies?

A perogy is a soft dumpling of dough wrapped around a filling, boiled, and then often pan-fried with onions. The usual fillings are potato and cheese, but cooks also use cabbage, sauerkraut and cottage cheese. In Saskatoon perogies are served with sour cream and fried onions. The spelling varies by region and family, and you will see perogy, pyrohy and pierogi, so do not be put off by a menu that spells it differently.

Where can you find handmade perogies in Saskatoon?

In a few kinds of place. Small shops make perogies by hand in batches and sell them hot or frozen, church and community halls hold suppers where volunteers make hundreds at a time, and Ukrainian delis and farmers' markets sell them by the dozen. Handmade perogies Saskatoon cooks make in batches, so the choice depends on the day, and the best plates are often at lunchtime, when the first batch is still hot. Frozen packs are a good way to take the taste home, and they keep for months. Phone ahead or check a place's current page before a special trip, because hours change, and ask which fillings are ready.

What goes with them: Saskatoon cabbage rolls?

Cabbage rolls are the usual partner. Saskatoon cabbage rolls are leaves of cabbage rolled around rice and meat or vegetables and baked in a tomato sauce. They are heavier than perogies and better shared. Order one perogy plate and one cabbage roll plate between two people and you will have tasted both without needing a nap. If you are feeding a vegetarian, ask which versions have meat. Many kitchens also make a meatless version for fasting days, which is a good choice for a vegetarian table.

Is Saskatoon borscht a main course or a starter?

Either, depending on the bowl. Borscht is a beet soup, often sweet and sour. A small bowl can open a meal, and a large bowl with bread can be the meal. Saskatoon borscht varies by family; some versions are clear and some are thick with cabbage and potatoes. Ask what is in it if you avoid beef stock. Serve it hot, with a spoonful of sour cream if you like.

How do you order well at a handmade perogy shop?

Start with the classic potato and cheese, then add one different filling, such as cabbage or a seasonal berry version. Ask whether the perogies are boiled or pan-fried, and say yes to the fried onions. A dozen is a generous serving for one person, and half a dozen each is plenty if you add a cabbage roll. Counter service is quick, so decide while you queue, and take sour cream on the side so you can judge the dumpling itself. The dough should be tender but not gummy, the filling seasoned, and the onions golden rather than burnt.

What else counts as Ukrainian food in Saskatoon?

The Prairies share a Ukrainian food culture, and Saskatoon has more of it than a single shop. The kitchen traditions include holubtsi, which is the cabbage roll, varenyky, another word for perogies, and desserts such as poppy seed rolls. For other Prairie comparison, the Winnipeg perogy guide covers the next big perogy city, and the prairie regional foods guide covers bannock, pickerel and the berry itself.

When is the best time to go for Saskatoon perogies?

Whenever you are hungry, but a cold day helps. Perogies are a winter dish on the Prairies, eaten hot at a table where the windows have fogged, and a cold January afternoon is when the soup and the dumplings make the most sense. In summer the same plate suits a picnic. Handmade shops cook to demand, so a late-afternoon visit can mean fewer choices than a lunchtime one, and a quieter weekday gives you time to ask the person at the counter what is freshest, which fillings they would choose and how many a person usually eats. Go with a friend so you can share a plate and try more than one filling. The Canadian food guides show how other cities compare.

How do you remember which perogy you liked?

Rate the plate, not just the shop. In the Mosey app you can name the dish, such as potato and cheese or the cabbage roll, give it stars and add a note about the filling. Tag the place with the tags that fit, such as Great Value or Good Portions, and put it on a list called Saskatoon perogies so a friend can add theirs. Rate each dish too, because the perogies and the borscht are different decisions.

After your plate, open the Mosey app, rate your favourite perogy and start a list for the next friend who visits Saskatoon.