Pelmeni
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Pelmeni (пельмени in Russian, singular pel’men’, пельмень; пяльмені pyal’meni in Belarusian; пилмән(нәр) pilmän(när) in Tatar) are a national Eastern European (mainly Russian) dish - consisting of a filling that is wrapped in thin dough. The dough is usually made from flour and eggs, sometimes with milk or water added. The filling can be minced meat: pork, lamb, beef, or any other kind of meat can be used, and mixing several kinds of meat is popular. Fish, cabbage, potato, and cheese are also popular fillings. The traditional Ural recipe requires a mixture of 45% beef, 35% mutton, and 20% pork.[citation needed] Often various spices, such as pepper and onions, are mixed into the filling.
Pelmeni are usually stored frozen and prepared immediately before eating by boiling in water until they float, and then 2-5 minutes more. The resulting dish is served on its own or with butter and/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.
Regional differences exist in the making of pelmeni. In the Urals, they are always boiled in water, while in Siberia they are boiled in meat broth.[citation needed]
Pelmeni belong to the family of dumplings. They are closely related to Polish pierogi and vareniki - a variety of dumpling with a filling made of mashed potatoes or cottage cheese. They are also similar to Chinese jiaozi and potstickers. 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.
Packed frozen, pelmeni can be found everywhere Russian communities exist. 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 tortelloni, which is why for, industrial production, Italian pasta machines are commonly used.
In the United States, the term 'Pierogi' or 'Perogi' is often used to describe all kinds of Eastern European dumplings, regardless of the shape, size or filling.
[edit] History
The origin of pelmeni is not clear, and many hypotheses exist. The most widely accepted one[citation needed] is that they were discovered in the Urals by Russian explorers and pioneers, who found that a similar dish (called pelnyan - literally "bread ear" in the native Komi[1] language), which consisted of pieces of meat wrapped in very thin bread, was being eaten by the native people of the region.[citation needed] This is why[citation needed] pelmeni are called uszka ("ears") in Poland. Another theory is that pelmeni were invented by hunters, who were looking for light, easy-to-prepare, nourishing food to take with them on long hunting trips[citation needed] In fact, pelmeni can be kept frozen for very long periods of time without any loss of quality or flavor, and the water they are boiled in makes a pretty good soup. Yet another theory suggests that pelmeni originated in northwestern China (thus explaining the use of spices such as pepper, which are non-native to Russia and had to be imported).[citation needed] In any case, pelmeni are documented to have existed in central Russia by the 16th century[citation needed].
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