Russian dumplings – a Galician specialty

The culinary tradition of Poland does not lack dishes suggesting foreign origin, after all, we have baked beans, Greek-style fish or Ukrainian borscht. However, when we become interested in the etymology of these dishes, it turns out that many of them are Polish. The situation is similar in the case of Russian dumplings, which are part of the culinary tradition of Galicia. No wonder that more than one restaurant in Krakow has them on offer!

Deceptive name

Contrary to its name, this extremely tasty dish, which is also available on the menu of CK Browar, has nothing to do with the Russian state. The eastern neighbors of Poland also appreciate dumplings, but there is no point in looking for a version resembling the native Russian. In fact, however, Ruthenian dumplings were born in eastern Galicia, which was formerly known as Red Ruthenia. Originally, Russian dumplings could be found with several types of filling, not only cheese and potatoes, but also cabbage and mushrooms. At that time, these were oven-baked dumplings. When this dish reached the west, it became a very popular item on the menu of almost every restaurant in Krakow.
The way to prepare the modern version of dumplings with cheese and potatoes is very simple. The two basic ingredients of the dish are added to the onion, still glazed in butter, and seasoned with salt and pepper, sometimes also with cumin. Ruthenian dumplings taste best when cooked, accompanied by fried onions. We serve this version of dumplings to customers at CK Browar.