September 02, 2007

Blini


Blini (BLEE-nee) are small, leavened buckwheat pancakes which are traditionally served with sour cream, caviar or smoked salmon. The singular for blini is blin.

Blini is, traditionally, eaten during Shrovetide, an ancient Russian festival, which originated to celebrate the beginning of spring and the god Volos (Veles). Volos was the god of animals, pets and especially cattle. With the introduction of Christianity, Shrovetide marked the onset of Lent and was closely watched by the Church. The pagan god, Volos, was replaced with St. Blasius, patron saint of domesticated animals. While its original roots are in the Roman Isis Feast, most of us, in the West, know the feast of Shrovetide as Mardi Gras.

Slavic tradition, blini was a ritual food served as an offering to the deceased. Today, restaurants often serve blini as an appetizer. While it is appropriate to eat blini anytime of the year, it is still seen as a holiday tradition. Russian-Americans enjoy this treat when celebrating Thanksgiving in their new country and it is a must at any Christmas celebration.

Variations

BLINI is a flour crepe, but with yeast. The batter has to rise, and the size is roughly 7 inches (17 cm) in diameter. They are just under a 1/2 inch thick (1 cm) and toppings or fillings are served on the table. These might include clarified butter, sour cream, hard boiled eggs, pickled herring, smoked salmon, green onions, red or black caviar, all are basic staples for the meal.

BLINCHIKI is also a flour crepe, but no yeast is used. They are slightly larger in diameter and thinner. These are typically eaten with cabbage fillings, meat, mushrooms, rice or cheese. You can also stack them up high, and put jam in between. Slice them up as a piece of cake.

OLADI: is like a flour crepe, but thicker (almost like a U.S. pancake) and baking soda is used. The crepes are thick, and fruit, such as apples, is often added to the batter.

Basic Blini Recipe

Ingredients
about 1.5 lbs. flour
4-5 cups milk
3 tblsp. butter
2 eggs
2 tblsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. dry yeast

Preparation
1. Dissolve yeast in 2 cups of warm water. Add half of the flour and mix until smooth. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place for about an hour, or until the batter becomes bubbly.
2. Add salt, sugar, egg yolks, melted butter and mix thoroughly.
3. Add remaining flour, a little at a time and beat until smooth. Gradually add milk, mixing batter completely.
4. Cover batter with a cloth, set aside in warm place and allow to rise. Beat batter back down, add whipped egg whites, let rise. Pour small portions on hot griddle and fry, turning once to cook on both sides.

Another Blini Recipe:
Buckwheat Blini with Caviar and Smoked Salmon

 

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955