Pelmeni

A plate of pelmeni

Pelmeni (Russian: пельмени — plural, пельмень pel’men’ — singular) is a dish originating from Tatarstan, Siberia, now considered part of Russian, Ukrainian national cuisine. Pelmeni is a type of dumpling consisting of a filling that is wrapped in thin unleavened dough. In other languages they are called by similar names: Belarusian: пяльмені, pyal’meni; Tatar: пилмән(нәр) pilmän(när); Ukrainian: пельмені, pel’meni; Latvian: pelmeņi; Estonian: pelmeenid.

Ingredients

The dough is made from flour and water, sometimes adding a small portion of eggs.

Preparation of pelmeni

The filling can be minced meat (pork, lamb, beef, or any other kinds of meat), fish, and mushrooms. The mixing together of different kinds of meat is also popular. The traditional Ural recipe requires a mixture of 45% beef, 35% mutton and 20% pork. Pelmeni in Perm (west of the Ural Mountains) are often filled with mushrooms, onions, turnips, or sauerkraut instead of meat. Various spices, such as black pepper and onions, are mixed into the filling.

Origin and history

A 1952 Soviet poster advertising factory-made pelmeni

The word pelmeni is derived from pel'nyan' (пельнянь) – literally "ear bread" in the native Finno-Ugric Komi and Mansi languages. It is unclear when pelmeni entered the cuisines of indigenous Siberian people and when they first appeared in Russian cuisine. One theory suggests that pelmeni, or stuffed boiled dumplings in general, originated in China (thus explaining the use of spices such as black pepper, which are not native to Russia and had to be imported) and were carried by the Mongols to Siberia and the Urals, from where they gradually spread as far as Eastern Europe. Pelmeni were particularly favored by hunters, who were looking for light, easy-to-prepare, nourishing food to take with them frozen on long hunting trips in the winter.

Pilmän (the Tatar equivalent of pelmeni) are a traditional dish in Tatar cuisine, where they have always been served with clear soup.

Differences

Pelmeni belong to the family of dumplings, and are related to Ukrainian vareniki and Polish pierogi – a variety of dumpling filled with mashed potatoes or cottage cheese. In the United States and Canada, the term pierogi or perogis is often used to describe all kinds of Eastern European dumplings, regardless of the shape, size or filling. Pelmeni are also similar to Chinese jiaozi. They are cousins to the Turkish and Kazakh manti, the Nepalese and Tibetan momo, and the Uzbek chuchvara. The main difference between pelmeni and other kinds of dumplings is in their shape and size – a typical pelmen' is roughly spherical and is about 2 to 3 cm in diameter, whereas most other types of dumplings are usually elongated and much larger.

The most important difference between pelmeni and vareniki and pierogi, is the thickness of the dough shell — in pelmeni this is as thin as possible, and the proportion of filling to dough is usually higher. Also, the feature of pelmeni is that they do not have a sweet filling, thus differing from Ukrainian vareniki and Polish pierogi, which do sometimes have sweet filling. Another distinctive feature is that the filling of pelmeni is usually raw or uncooked, while the filling of vareniki and pirogie is pre-cooked.

Pelmeni can be kept frozen for long periods of time with little loss of quality or flavor, and the water they are boiled in is useful for making soup.

Regional differences

Fried pelmeni with sour cream, as served in Latvia.

In Siberia, pelmeni are traditionally frozen outdoors in the winter and treated as preserved food. Hunters or explorers heading into the taiga would carry sacs of frozen pelmeni with their provisions as easily cooked non-perishable food. Pelmeni can be stored frozen for a long time and they are prepared immediately before eating by boiling in water until they float, and then 2–5 minutes more. Regional differences exist in the boiling of pelmeni. In the Urals, they are always boiled in water, while in Siberia they are boiled in meat or chicken broth. The cooked pelmeni are served on their own or topped with melted butter or sour cream. Mustard, horseradish, tomato sauce, and vinegar are popular as well. Some recipes suggest frying pelmeni after boiling until they turn golden brown. Pelmeni can also be served in a clear soup, although in Siberia this is considered in poor taste and pelmeni are carefully strained before serving.

Packed frozen, pelmeni can be found in Russian and Ukrainian food stores as well as everywhere Russian communities exist. Packets of frozen pelmeni are usually labeled "Siberian pelmeni" because of the Siberian practice of storing and transporting pelmeni in frozen form. Store-bought pelmeni are made on industrial machinery, much of which is made by Italian companies such as Arienti & Cattaneo, Ima, Ostoni, Zamboni, etc. These pelmeni usually weigh around 15 grams each and look like a larger version of tortellini, which is why for, industrial production, Italian pasta machines are commonly used.

In modern Russian and Ukrainian culture store-bought pelmeni are considered a kind of a fast-food and are associated with students' or bachelors' lifestyle, much like instant ramen etc.

New food standard in Ukraine

Since November 1, 2008 a new Ukrainian government standard exists for commercial production of meat-in-pastry foodstuffs, including pelmeni sold in Ukraine. The standard imposes a mandatory content for meat stuffing within pelmeni to be at least 50% (currently most commercially prepared pelmeni contain 40% meat filling to 60% dough). After November 1, 2008 the name "pelmeni" can only be used for products containing more than 50% meat filling. Products with less than 50% meat filling can only be called "ravioli".

Links

• Recipe for Pelmeni
• Recipe for Pelmeni with Potato Filling
• Example of commercially produced varieties of pelmeni in Ukraine

See also

• Ravioli
• Kreplach
• Tortellini
• Wonton
• Pierogi

• Vareniki
• Kalduny
• Mandu
• Manti
• Chuchvara

• Khinkali
• Jiaozi
• Gyoza
• Maultasche