+48 602 388 200 info@krakowtourguide.info

Dumplings workshops Polish wine and regional products

We may organize your dumplings workshops

Dear ones – “Pierogies” =  Dumplings

“Pierogies” are already a real legend in Poland. We treat pierogies as ‘rescue in the kitchen’. Our mothers and grandmothers used to hand make pierogies. Now, when we don’t want to cook or don’t have time to cook. We go to reliable stores and buy pierogies, because there are many pierogies factories in Poland. We are saved! Ofcourse, we make pierogies our own but more for entertainment. We like to meet during weekends with our friends and we all hand make pierogies. We treat this like “slow down” life and relaxing. This is celebrationg our time and we have a lot of fun with making pierogies. More about pierogies during our “Pierogies classes” in Krakow. Feel free to contact with me. info@krakowtourguide.info

Encourage your group to have fun. A fun and productive day of kneading dumpling dough awaits you! You will prepare the stuffing for potato and cheese dumplings and cabbage and mushroom dumplings. You will prepare everything from start to finish, until the very end – that is, until the dumplings are consumed. Below is a recipe for dumplings with cheese and potatoes and a recipe for dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms. We invite you!

  • Dumplings workshops includes: 
  • Prepared workplaces
  • Prepared ingredients
  • The history of dumplings
  • The work instructor
  • The cake making training
  • Making dumplings
  • Dumplings tasting
  • A fruit juice or a water (other food and beverages available but not included)
  • Gifts for participants
  • The training completion diploma
  • Tram transportation from city center
  • duration approx. 1.5 hours
  • The price for … persons = ask for an offer

Here is a recipe for making pierogi:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup mashed potatoes, warm
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • 2 large shallots, diced; or one medium onion, sliced

Instructions:

Mix together the flour and salt. Add the egg to the flour and combine. The dough will be quite clumpy at this stage. Work in the sour cream and soft butter until the dough comes together in a slightly rough, slightly sticky ball. Using just your fingertips, knead and fold the dough without adding additional flour until the dough becomes less sticky but still quite moist. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes, or up to 48 hours.
Combine the warm mashed potato and cheese. Stir and mash until the cheese is melted and the filling is cool to the touch. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
Roll half the dough 1/8″ thick. Use a 2″ round cutter to cut circles of dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Save the scraps; these can be snipped into small pieces and added to simmering soups.
Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pie…

Dumplings recipe dough (aprox. 40 pcs.):

  • 300 g of wheat flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 125 ml of hot water
  • 1 egg
  • 20 g butter

Dumplings stuffed with potatoes & cottage cheese: 

  • 250 g of fat or semi-fat cheese
  • 250 g potatoes
  • 50 g chanterelles
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground herb or black pepper

Dumplings stuffed with cabbage and mushrooms:

  • 250 g of dried mushrooms
  • 500 g of sauerkraut
  • salt & pepper
  • 3 tablespoons of oil
  • 3 onions

We invite you for a trip and relaxation combined with tasting of Polish wines and regional products.

It is only 10 km from Krakow and 3.5 km from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.
There is such a magical place right next to Krakow, where landowners devoted their lives to wine growing. Yes!

The tasting takes place in a tent at the top of the vineyard (in the winery in case of bad weather) and includes:

– a lecture on our history, cultivation and production of organic wines, etc.
– tasting of 4 wines
– seasonal regional snacks (cheese, cold meats, bread and water)
– duration approx. 1.5 hours
The cost per person depends on the number of participants (minimum number of people in a group: 10) 

In wine industry since over 20 years.

A qualified winemaker ( with a Diplôme National d’Oenologue from Montpellier University, France). She’s got considerable experience in wine and spirits production ( Used to work for years on both hemispheres as a winemaking consultant ( which she still does, just limited herself to Europe), run a large winery and two chateaux in South Western France, “civilise” sovkhozes and be involved in armagnac and grappa production, not to mention home made vodkas 🙂 (nalewki) which is a national tradition in Poland ) as well as in wine education. So far her wines gained over 200 medals on most prestigious international wine competitions and were served on tables of the White house, Kremlin, Royal Couple of Japan and Prince of Monaco.

And what do you think?

Organic certified vineyard and winery. The main principle is respect for nature. They do not use chemistry commonly used in conventional agriculture. Their work is mainly based on prevention. The farm is ecologically (biodynamically) and as such cannot be a monoculture. So you will find there, apart from noble shrubs, an orchard with old varieties of fruit trees and other plants traditionally grown in Poland, as well as bees using their nectar.

TOURIST OFFER: We offer several ways to spend your free time in a vineyard. All animations can be conducted in English or French and other languages ​​selected by you. The offer for organized groups. Reservation required at least one week in advance. The sightseeing combined with a discussion of the history of Polish wine making, varieties grown in Poland, climate specifics and tasting of wines and other regional products.

Logistic: We take your / our guests from accommodation place in Krakow or marked point. We provide transportation with comfortable mini vans or buses depending on the size of the group. A guide / tour leader / assistant speaks English or / and the language you ordered. On site we have guaranteed attractions according to a previously set detailed trip plan. We do not combine groups. The wine tour is dedicated to organized [small / bigger] groups. A wine tour lasts ~~ 4h [including journey to the vineyard].


The Painting with Wine 

The event can start at a maximum of 6:00 p.m. – the event lasts 3 hours, so it would end at 9:00 p.m. When it comes to conducting the event in English, of course there will be no problem 🙂

Below is a cost calculation and information on what is included in the offer:
Depends on the number of participants. (PLN … gross/person  – total cost PLN … gross)

The Painting with Wine offer includes:

  • unlimited white and red wine
  • non-alcoholic wine
  • water with lemon
  • cheese boards with additions such as jam, olives, etc
  • boards of vegetarian snacks with additions, such as hummus
  • crispy snacks: bake rolls, nachos + cheese dip, crackers, etc.
  • cookies, wafers
  • all necessary tools: aprons, paints, brushes, spatulas, etc.
  • picture packaging

We are accompanied by music throughout the entire meeting. The Painting with Wine party is a “Surprise Party” – we surprise participants while painting, e.g. we draw the main theme of the event, we use non-standard painting tools that participants draw during the meeting, sometimes we exchange pictures while painting!


Some Wine Bars in Krakow, I recommend the trail of naturalistic and eco wine bars: 1) Naturalists on ul. Nowa 2) Wine bar Lustra on ul. Bocheńska 3) Charry from the training ground on ul. Dajwór. These are places that serve really good wines from proven winemakers.


Dumplings Workshops. Dumpling making contest. Dumpling making course.

I recommend pierogi making workshops to everyone – it’s a hit! The competition brings a lot of fun, integration, and you can try this popular dish.

Dumplings in Poland have different fillings. Depending on the season. The filling in dumplings popular in Poland is: cottage cheese, boiled potatoes, fried onion, pepper and salt. This simple recipe makes great taste. Especially if the dumplings are a bit fried. We also have a popular filling with meat, spinach, sour cabbage but my favorite is the filling with cabbage and forest mushrooms! So when autumn is approaching – I am very happy. 🙂 We have forests full of mushrooms in Poland and we are happy to pick them up.
Sweet dumplings, such as strawberries, plums and blueberries, and even cherries and sour cherries, are also very popular. We must add sweet cream to the sweet dumplings obligatory 😉

Each of the participants has their own workplace and products from which they will make their own dumplings. Everyone will get a rolling pin, so watch out for your head;) and an obligatory apron. enjoy and have fun. Other details when ordering. info@krakowtourguide.info

A history of “Pierogies ” Dumplings in Poland.

Of course, It is know that dumplings came to Europe from China. Apparently, Marco Polo brought them in the 13th century. The similar was in Poland. The Mongols invaded Europe in 1236. In 1240 they gained Kiev and in 1241 they were already in Poland. That was grand son of legendary Czyngis-Chan with his “Golden Hordes. They devastated Poland but they left us dumplings. However, we don’t want to remember this and that’s why, we have a legend about Saint Jack, Who stayed at the monastery in Kiev and discovered dumplings there. He brought the recipe to Krakow and now we have them in Poland.

History of Dumplings

According to the legend.

Dumplings were first made in the 3rd century AD by a sage of Chinese medicine, Zhang Zhongjing, who decided that the best cure for his neighbors earache would be lamb wrapped in dough with chili and medicinal herbs. To this day, it is customary in China to greet the New Year with a plate of dumplings (Jiao ze). Those who find a coin hidden in the filling are believed to be lucky and prosperous for the next year. The Chinese idea came to Europe in the 13th century, to be precise, to Italy through Marco Polo. The first dumplings came to Poland thanks to the culinary fascination of Bishop Jacek Odrowąż, who tasted them during his visit to a monastery in Kiev. Hence, among other things, appeared the cry  “Holy Jack with pierogi!”. Until recently, we served different pierogi on the occasion of weddings (kurniki), others at funerals (knysze), and others during the winter time of caroling (koladki).

Pierogi ruskie or polish dumplings?

Pierogi ruskie by their name are associated with Russia. However, they are not a well-known delicacy across the eastern border. Their current name is a result of historical turmoil and border changes. Russian dumplings come from Ukraine, once called Red Ruthenia, which was a part of the historical Kievan Rus. The first association of the name began to blur after the war, but our grandparents and great-grandparents still referred to Ukraine as Kievan Rus. Russian dumplings are usually stuffed with cheese or potatoes with onions and spices. In many Polish homes they are also lightly fried after being boiled. On the other hand, popular with us “uszka”, which is one of the basic ingredients of the Christmas Eve soup, we took it from Lithuania, where it is called “kolduny”. Apart from that, there are many regional varieties of stuffing and new kinds of flavors are still being created.

Every country has its own customs.

Pierogi can be found in many countries around the world, but they are differentiated by their filling, method of cooking or preparation of dough. Depending on the country, they also have their specific names and are considered a traditional element of national cuisine.

In China, they are won tons, traditionally stuffed with ground pork, shrimp and mushrooms and seasoned with soy sauce.

Japanese gyoza, often steamed, are also stuffed with meat but seasoned with ginger and garlic, and their secret is a very thin dough.

Italians, on the other hand, adapted the recipe for dumplings in their own characteristic way – they made them smaller and began to serve instead of pasta. The filling of tortellini or ravioli is ricotta, mushrooms, meat, spinach, or seasonal vegetables.

Spanish calzones are similar to pizzas in their dough, large pancakes are filled and folded in half to resemble a dumpling, then baked and served with sauce.

Mexican empanadas are usually stuffed with meat, vegetables or cheese and fried in oil or baked on a sheet pan.

Brazilian coxinas resemble chicken legs in name and shape. The dough for coxinas is made from flour, eggs and the broth in which the chicken was cooked. Thus, the stuffing consists of chicken and natural cream cheese, and the dumplings are breaded and deep-fried.

Jewish kreplach dumplings, are classic dumplings made of familiar dumpling dough, triangular in shape, stuffed most often with well-seasoned beef or cheese, and deep-fried.

In Greece, they are tiropitakia, dumplings made of filo dough, stuffed most often with feta or other cheeses, seasoned with local herbs and baked in the oven.

In Ukraine, there are pielmieni or vareniki. Pielmieni is a type of dumpling stuffed with raw meat.

Where six housewives…

Popular in Poland, cabbage and mushroom dumplings can be prepared in many ways. There are two schools of pierogi making. One of them says that no egg should be added to the dough. Then, the dough will be more elastic and the dumplings will be thin. The other one says that if you add an egg, the dumplings will taste better and the dough will have a nicer color. Another important issue is preparing the right stuffing. Some people prefer soaked mushrooms, which are already soft enough to be chopped and fried with onion. Others prefer to cook mushrooms beforehand, so that the filling is more digestible. It is worth trying different ways of preparing pierogi and choose the one that suits you best. Unfortunately, before the dumplings end up on your plate, you need to work hard. Making dough, stuffing and kneading is quite a time-consuming process.

What are you looking for?