sunnuntai 3. heinäkuuta 2016

Pelmeni & pirogi or varenyky & pyrih - in search of a Ukrainian meal

Our friends invite us to eat pelmenis and pirogi in a Ukrainian & Russian restaurant. We decide to score Ukraine on this visit. But how do we stay true to the plan when the menu items sound Russian: Pelmenis, borshch, pirogi, beef stew?
Jukka ate dumpling looking food called pierogi in a Polish restaurant just a while ago. At this Ukrainian & Russian restaurant similar looking food items are called pelmeni.  And here they serve a selection of pirogi that looks like bread rolls. Confused? Me too.
Pelmeni are a Russian version of dumpling, often served with special sour cream (smetana). Ukrainians call them  varenyky and Polish pierogi. There are other national versions of the dumplings in China, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Tibet, Uzbekistan, Korea and Japan. Not to forget Italian ravioli. The difference is the thickness of the shell. Russian and Ukrainians like the shell very thin so that there is a lot of filling.
So, we choose pelmenis with Smetana to share. They have vegetable and meat stuffing. They need to be eaten on one bite to make sure that the juices inside the pelmeni do not fall out.
Jukka eats a delicious borshch soup for main course. I do not share as I am not a fan of beetroot.
I take a selection of pirogi. They are baked rolls with stuffing, especially known as Russian national food. And not to be confused with Polish pierogi which are dumplings (which Russians call pelmeni). I am starting to get it.  Pirogi in Ukrainian are pyrih and also stable food there.  I savor pirogi with mushroom stuffing and pirogi with cabbage. Freshly baked from the oven they are really heavenly.
And now the conclusion: what country meal was this? The menu would have said varenyky and pyrih instead of pelmeni and pirogi if they had intended us to eat Ukrainian versions. Or is it just a marketing thing since there are more Russians than Ukrainians in Helsinki?  The chef/owner and his staff are Ukrainian. We came to eat Ukrainian and the food items are typical to Ukraine. I decide on Ukraine. Tick in the box.
 
Restaurant Pelmenit
Kustaankatu 7
00500 Helsinki, Finland
http://eat.fi/helsinki/pelmenit

1 kommentti:

  1. When will the next post be up? Looking forwayd to reading about your next European meal.

    VastaaPoista