Mlyntsi

Mlyntsi are a traditional and very widespread dish of Ukrainian cuisine, thin ruddy pancakes baked in a pan from a liquid batter. Simple yet exceptionally versatile, they are the base for countless dishes — from hearty lunches to sweet desserts.

The batter for mlyntsi is made liquid, of flour, milk (or kefir), eggs, sugar, salt, and a pinch of soda or yeast. It is poured in a thin layer onto a heated greased pan and quickly fried on both sides. The finished mlyntsi are thin, elastic, with lacy edges. They are served both on their own (drizzled with butter, sour cream, honey, or jam) and, most often, with fillings wrapped inside. The fillings are most varied: savoury — with meat, liver, mushrooms, curd cheese, braised cabbage; sweet — with curd and raisins, poppy seed, apples, berries, condensed milk. Thin mlyntsi should not be confused with the thicker yeast oladky. This dish has long been linked with folk traditions and holidays. Mlyntsi are a versatile, hospitable dish combining ease of preparation with a boundlessness of flavour variations.