5 ways to fold pancakes like a Russian!
Right now, Russia is celebrating Maslenitsa, which is essentially a whole week of baking ‘bliny’ (pancakes, crepes) with the most incredible fillings and toppings, from red caviar to condensed milk and cottage cheese. And they become no less creative when serving them!
1. Stack
The easiest and most win-win option is to simply stack the crepes and smear butter on top. This is usually how they are stacked when fried and served hot right on the table.
In Russia, each crepe is typically eaten separately (not a whole stack as with American pancakes, for example) and filled or covered with a variety of foods and sauces.
2. Triangle
The most popular option is to fold fresh pancakes into triangles. It makes them more convenient to eat, allowing you to dip them in, for example, sour cream, jam or boiled condensed milk. Or you can put red or pike caviar on top.
3. Rolls
If you want to serve the pancakes in a fancy way, you can spread a filling across the pancake and roll it into a tube. Such rolls are usually served with sweet toppings, but cottage cheese and salted salmon are also popular.
4. Rectangles
This is, probably, the most memorable version of pancakes from Soviet childhood. The filling is most often minced meat, stewed cabbage with eggs or cottage cheese. They are also convenient to eat and you can take them with you for lunch or a snack.
5. Pouches
This is considered the most extravagant way. Those who want to impress their guests can spend time doing this culinary art. And the filling of choice for such pouches is usually julienne-style mushrooms. But, of course, you can put anything inside!
