[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Borsht? Pierógi und Pączki. . . und Zweibak

[Otto]

Evening Listers,

"Everything I do, I do on the principle of Russian borscht. You can throw everything into it, beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, everything you want. What's important is the result, the taste of the borscht." Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian poet

"Borshch" with the 'ch' sounded like the beginning 'ch' in chess.  Undoubtedly why 't' is substituted in Yiddish. Borsht.

The ancient hogweed soup.  Slim pickins'!
In the same group as fennel, cow parsley, ground elder and giant hogweed. (*caution-not to be confused with deadly water hemlock)

Then along came Mr. Beet! 
Sugar beets were a good cash crop for eastern Europe farmers so food beets were an easy addition.
It is called in various languages: Czech: boršč, Estonian: borš, Lithuanian: barščiai, Polish: barszcz, Romanian: borș, Russian and Ukrainian: борщ, borshch, Yiddish: בארשט, borscht. (notice the German consonant group 'sch' in borscht. -The name was earlier applied to hogweed soup, and originally to the plant hogweed.
Certainly popular in the Ukraine. As already discussed, many later variations to the making of it.  I've eaten it. . . Where's the beef?

Beth,
My taste preferences are from Russian Poland.
Ach, Himmel! es gibt Grützwurst! (gritzwurst) a.k.a. grits sausage.
On the farm everything had a use and waste was not tolerated.
Made with boiled pig's head parts and other 'stuff'. . . C'mon, "parts is parts!" and barley or buckwheat (pop preferred buchweitzen) plus seasoning.

Beth, you referred to "kiszka', (keesh'ka) the Polish name for grütswurst.  Poles would add the pig's blood to it-dark fat kiszkas. Nyit!
Lets not forget the music of Slovenian Frankie Yankovich, a Cleveland boy who grew up in Euclid, Ohio. "Who Stole the Kiszka?" I'd attach an MP3 but not on the ListServ.

The American term for the uncased gritzwürst is 'scrapple'.
Slavic—Polish kiszka, Russian кишка ( kíška ), or Ukrainian кишка ( kýška ). Ultimately from Proto-Slavic *kyša, *kyšьka ( “intestine, stomach” ). Related to Sanskrit कोष्ठ ( koṣṭha, “intestine” ) and possibly Ancient Greek κύστις ( kustis, “bladder” ) .
*(Lets not forget the Scot's "Haggis.") Washing it down with the water of life!
Grützwurst (Germany and sometimes Silesia)
Knipp (Lower Saxony, Germany)
Krupniok (More of a slight name difference than variation, Silesia)
Pinkel (Northwest Germany)
Stippgrütze (Westphalia, Germany)
Westfälische Rinderwurst (Westphalia, Germany)
Maischel (Carinthia, Austria): Grützwurst without blood and not cased in intestine, but worked into balls in caul fat. The name comes from the Slovenian majželj in turn derived from the Bavarian Maisen ("slices").[1] Another etymology points out to the Hungarian májas.
Jelito (Czech Republic)

My friend, Michael Derke, his forefathers from the Lipno Parish vicinity in present day Poland, sent me a site that I now pass on to you. 
Its theme is, "Dumplings Taste better When Filled With Memories."  
How true. Everything tastes better filled with memories!  They certainly are being served today.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/08/30/216899819/dumplings-taste-better-when-filled-with-memories

Pierógi/Pieróg
Pierogen:
Pierogi were a favorite of ours. On the farm we always had ample cottage cheese which, when sweetened, made a grand stuffing. My Mom would deep-fry them. Swallowing a half dozen was a good start.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi
We Clevelanders have a leg up on pierógi.   http://piepal.com/

And Punchki. Pączki  By all means Punchki!
You probably remember 'punchki', 'pączki', dough lumps with raisins, deep-fried and powdered-sugar sprinkled. In Berlin they are called Berliner ballen.  a.k.a. 'jelly donuts.'  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pączki   Perfect for a reversed diet!

Zweiback 
Ostpreussen lebt noch!   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zweibak
(remember, we are looking at plattdeutsch)
-Zweibak needs little interpretation. A well-known German compound word, Zwei/Two and Bak/Bake, a name of a double-baked biscuit. Italian 'Biscotti' are similar, so are sea biscuits, the mainstay of sailing ships. They were double-baked to remove the moisture and increase their shelf-life.

. . .   Otto
         " The Zen moment..." wk. of January 01, 2013-
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                  "Answers out there . . .  Seeking us."