A runza (also called a krautburger, or kraut pirok) is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of ground beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings. Runzas can be baked into various shapes such as a half-moon, a rectangle, a round (bun), a square, or a triangle. The runzas sold by the Runza restaurant chain are rectangular while many of the bierocks sold in Kansas are round buns.

The runza is a regional cuisine of Nebraska, with some commentators calling it "as Nebraskan as Cornhusker football." It is served by the Nebraska Society of Washington, D.C., and the Nebraska Society of New York at their Taste of Nebraska events and was chosen to represent the state at Flavored Nation, an event serving iconic dishes from all fifty states.

History

The runza sandwich originated from the pirog, an Eastern European baked good or more specifically from its small version, known as pirozhok (literally "little pirog"). In the 18th century, Volga Germans (ethnic Germans who settled in the Volga River valley in the Russian Empire at the invitation of Catherine the Great because of their skill in farming), adapted the pirog /pirozhok to create the bierock, a yeast pastry sandwich with similar savory ingredients. including the threat of conscription into the Russian army beginning in 1871, These immigrants, including the Brening family that settled near Sutton, Nebraska, brought their bierock recipes with them. In 1949, Everett went into business selling runzas with her brother Alex in Lincoln, founding the Runza restaurant chain.

See also

  • Fleischkuekle
  • List of American sandwiches
  • List of regional dishes of the United States
  • List of sandwiches
  • List of stuffed dishes

References

  • A runza recipe
  • Original Runza Recipe
  • Runza recipe with picture