PEROGIES OF A DIFFERENT STRIPE
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TISTO FACTORY
When Anna and Vladimir Posikera received three awards for their multicoloured perogy products at the 2024 Made in Alberta Awards ceremony, Anna found it hard to speak as she took the stage to accept. Just two years earlier in February 2022, the couple, their two young children and Anna’s mother fled Kostiantynivka, a city near the frontline of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Though thrilled to be honoured as grand winner, their difficult escape and the ongoing war occupied their thoughts. “It was very emotional for us,” said Anna.
Under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel Measures, the family settled in Calgary, where their home life, including meal prep, returned to normal. To encourage her kids to eat wholesome food, Anna developed perogies vibrantly coloured with vegetable pastes derived from beet, cabbage, carrot and spinach. While the children liked them, they were also a hit with the couple’s new Canadian friends who encouraged them to market these colourful
creations.
In 2023, while Anna worked an office job and Vladimir worked in construction, the Posikeras launched The Tisto Factory, tisto being the Ukrainian word for dough. An enthusiastic home cook, Anna also had experience in food marketing. Selling their car to rent a small commercial kitchen, each evening they experimented with recipes and taste combinations. “Europeans have a little different taste preferences, and we looked for combinations people like here in Canada.”
Carefully handcrafted with Alberta flour and additional local ingredients where possible, their striped perogies include the yellow-and-black Bumble Bee stuffed with four-cheeses, the green-and-purple Captain Pickle with smoked brisket, potato and pickle and the blue-and-yellow Pear-fect with caramelized pear and Mascarpone cheese. The business produces up to 1,000 kilograms of perogies per month.
The Posikeras now market Tisto products at Co-op, Safeway and Sobeys stores and online, with free delivery in the Calgary area. In a bigger, shared food production facility, they now have five employees and have expanded their product line to include soups, pasta dishes and more.
For more information, visit the-tisto-factory.com.
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