Fact Check: Is Annual Pierogi Harvest real? Viral Poland image debunked

Around August 27, 2023, several images portraying an “annual pierogi harvest” went viral on social media, leading netizens to wonder if this particular food item is produced on farms. Originating in Poland, pierogi have sweet or savory fillings and are wrapped in unleavened dough that are either steamed or fried.

The viral images demonstrated these dumplings kept in heaps throughout the stretch of land visible while farmers and people alike are picking them up in baskets in a similar manner in which fruits or vegetables are picked.

People unfamiliar with this Polish food began to ponder what this claimed harvest could be about. Several Facebook accounts shared these images and described them as the "annual pierogi harvest" in Poland in the caption. However, these pictures are not real and are rather generated using artificial intelligence (AI).

Facebook user Chris Kenobii most likely was the first person to post these AI-generated images on a public group that goes by the name Cursed AI. Moreover, the misleading caption raised questions about the credibility of these images.

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Pierogi is a Polish dish that cannot be harvested

These Polish dumplings are usually stuffed with ingredients such as spinach, mushrooms, ground meat, cabbage, farmer or quark cheese, sauerkraut, fried onions, and mashed potatoes.

The sweet or dessert version of the dish is usually stuffed with fresh fruit filling using raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, cherry, apple, plum, or bilberry or with sweetened quark. Sometimes, even jam or stoned prunes are used.

The dough is made by mixing warm water and flour. Occasionally, an egg or sour cream is added for more flavor. Once the dough mixture is kneaded, it’s rolled flat and cut into circular pieces using a drinking glass or a cup. It is also sometimes cut into square pieces with a knife. One can also make the dough with mashed potatoes for a smoother texture.

Once the fillings are placed in the middle of these pieces and the dough is folded over in triangle, rectangle, or half-circle shapes, the seams are gently pressed together to seal the dumplings.

The pierogi are then simmered until they float. Sometimes, they are also baked or fired in butter. This dish can be garnished with onions, mushrooms, or crumbs of fried bacon. Its dessert version can be topped with jam, apple, sauce, or varenye.

Thus, pierogi are not a food item that is planted in the soil and grown from roots - they are not something that can be harvested. These dumplings are a type of dish that is prepared in a kitchen setting with the use of other edible ingredients. They cannot be strewn around in large numbers in an open space for people to collect them in baskets.

The viral images that claim to depict a yearly harvest of pierogi are a false scenario that has been created and visualized with the help of AI.

Apart from that, the group these images were posted in, i.e., Cursed AI, is a known for posting AI-generated images only. None of the pictures in this group have any real existence.