LYNN (CBS) – Two local sisters are honoring their grandfather through food. Vanessa and Casey White grew up with their grandfather’s pierogies in western Massachusetts but as they got older and went to school in Boston, they couldn’t find that same pierogi comfort zone anywhere else, so they did something about it.
They started their own business, Jaju Pierogi.
“So Jaju is the phonetic spelling of grandfather. So in polish it is Dziadziu,” Vanessa told WBZ-TV.
“He had a store since the 50’s. So, when we were young we always had his pierogies. We would go to my grandparents’ house and we would see him behind the table making these pierogies, golumpki and all the Polish foods,” Casey said
So they set out to start a pierogi business and after getting the recipes down.
“Part of the recipes was handfuls of salt, exactly, it was like who’s handfuls? But we always knew it was a feel thing and that’s what a family recipe is, making sure that it feels right,” Vanessa said.
Jaju Pierogi is an unbelievable hit and for the two sisters, they can share their comfort food they got from their grandfather with the community.
“I would have never pictured my life like this. Like 10 years ago to be honest, working with my sister especially. It’s really cool. Took about 3 years for our family to actually believe that our business was real,” Casey told WBZ.
“He has not been alive now since 2011 and he was not around to see this come together but we always think what would he think and he probably would not be able to wrap his head around it,” Vanessa said.
Jaju Pierogies are sold in 550 stores from Maine to Maryland and they ship everywhere.
For more information, visit their website.
