Celebrate National Pierogy Day On October 8th

Serving Up Smiles Stateside for Over a Century

SHENANDOAH, Pa., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- A day to recognize those tasty pockets
of pasta and potatoes has finally come to the table. Today we celebrate
pierogies for adding flavor, versatility, and a smile to the melting pot of
American cuisine.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091008/NY89243 )

The pierogy, a descendent of Eastern Europe culinary traditions, arrived in
the U.S. in the early 1900's. During the 1940's, these crescent-shaped pockets
-- stuffed with sauerkraut, cheese, mashed potatoes, cabbage, onion, meat and
any combination thereof -- became a staple of fundraisers held by churches in
ethnic neighborhoods in the northeast and throughout the upper-Midwest.

By the early 1950's, pierogy-appeal began broadening among Americans of all
ethnicities. Ted Twardzik Sr., founder of Mrs. T's®, realized an opportunity
in the marketplace. For years, his mother, Mary (the actual Mrs. T.) and her
friends, would gather around the kitchen table and make pierogies for church
fundraisers. If these comfort food favorites did well at church dinners, why
not try selling them in the grocery store? On October 8, 1952, Ted produced
the company's very first samples for a local grocery store. Today, Mrs. T's is
still a family-owned company and is the largest producer of pierogies in the
U.S.

According to Mrs. T's, pierogies are here to stay. Each year, the family
company produces enough pierogies to:
-- Stretch over 23,000 miles, laid end to end
-- Cross the U.S., at its widest point, almost 7 times

-- Blanket 712 football fields (including end zones)

What travelled to America as family tradition among immigrants has since
become a mainstream weeknight meal option for families all across the U.S. In
2008, Americans consumed a whopping 31,000,000 pierogies! Looks like this
Eastern European descendent has found a permanent home stateside. So on
October 8th, give thanks for pierogies and their place in American culinary
history.

SOURCE Mrs. T's Pierogies

Jennifer Moore, jmoore@hunter.com, or Daniel Mazier, dmazier@hunterpr.com,
both of Hunter PR, +1-212-279-6600; Wayne Holben, of Mrs. T's Pierogies,
+1-570-462-2745