These traditional Russian pancakes are prepared with flour, eggs, milk, yeast, and a pinch of salt. What distinguishes them from other pancakes is the addition of yeast, since similar equivalents mostly do not add any leavening agents. The batter is poured over a hot pan, shaped into a circle, and fried for a couple of minutes on both sides.
The tradition of preparing this traditional Russian dish originates from ancient times: it was a ceremonial dish, served during the pagan holiday called Maslenitsa – a week-long festivity praising the end of winter and the celebration of spring.
MOST ICONIC Blini
View moreSyrniki is a dessert consisting of fried cottage cheese pancakes that are usually garnished with honey, fruit jam, sour cream, or applesauce. It is part of the Russian (where it's sometimes also called tvorozhniki), Belarusian, Ukrainian, Latvian and Lithuanian cuisine.
Cottage cheese is traditionally first swetened with sugar, then combined with flour into a dough which is fried in hot oil until it develops a golden-brown color. Syrniki can be served for breakfast or consumed as a tasty dessert after a large meal.
MOST ICONIC Syrniki
View moreSmall, but packed with flavor, the batter for these famous Russian pancakes differs from those for traditional pancakes as it is prepared with kefir, a fermented milk product with a slightly sour taste. Aside from kefir, the remaining ingredients for oladyi are typical for any run-of-the-mill pancake – flour, sugar, salt, and eggs.
They are pan-fried into small rounds, similar to American-style pancakes. The pancakes turn golden brown when finished, and they are chewy with crunchy edges. They are slightly sweet and neutral in flavor, while the kefir lends them a mild sour note.
MOST ICONIC Oladyi
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