Krautkoche or Kraut Kuchen or Bierrocks or Runzas or....

The name krautkoche (the K's are pronounced like a hard G) for this item seems to be somewhat unique to Portland.  In other parts of the United States and Canada they are known as runzas and bierocks. The word bierock was not brought into Russia by the Volga Germans from Germany and cannot be traced back to Germany (it does not exist in the German language) because it is a derivative of Russian "Pirog" which means "Pie". The Volga German dialect often has a very similar sound for the explosive letters P and B; and use the soft G, which sounds like K. Thus, pirog becomes bierock.  It is probably not a coincidence that bierocks are close in both name and preparation to the Eastern European pierogi, Turkish börek, Albanian Byrek, and Yugoslavian Burek.

History

A krautkoche, bierock or runza is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings. They are baked in various shapes such as a half-moon, rectangle, round (bun), square, or triangle. In Nebraska, the runza is usually baked in a rectangular shape. The bierocks of Kansas, on the other hand, are generally baked in the shape of a bun.

Both the bierock and the runza sandwich have German-Russian roots going back to the 18th century. The term ''bierock'' comes from the Russian word ''pirogi'' or ''pirozhki'' and is the name for any food consisting of a filling stuffed into dough. The recipe was passed down from one generation to the next, and was brought to the Midwest of America, and particularly to the states of Kansas and Nebraska, by the Volga Germans. Originally bierocks were served to ranch and field workers for lunch. Today bierocks and runzas are enjoyed at any time and can often be found at church fund-raisers and socials in the Kansas and Nebraska area. In 1949, Sarah "Sally" Everett and her brother, Alex Brening, opened the first "Runza Drive-Inn" in Lincoln, Nebraska. The trade name and trademark of Runza Restaurants now belong to Donald R. Everett, Sarah's son.