Maslenitsa, Week of Pancakes

Maslenitsa, otherwise known as Pancakes Week or Butter Week, is a weeklong period of celebration where Eastern Slavic countries spend a week saying goodbye to winter and welcoming in the spring. In Pre-Christian times, Maslenitsa was originally known as the Sun festival and post the introduction of Christianity Maslenitsa has become the last opportunity to indulge in rich foods like butter, eggs and milk before the beginning of Lent. Considering that Maslenitsa derives from the word “Maslo” for “Butter” and that pancakes (crepes/blini) represent the sun in the pagan tradition, it makes perfect sense why this period is nicknamed Pancake Week.

You can enjoy this delicious pancake on its own, but where’s the fun in that? Whether you have a sweet tooth or a savory one, the pairing options are endless. You can pair your blini with fruits, meats, cheeses, caviar and so much more.

Here is a delicious recipe to help you get into the spirit of Maslenitsa:

Russian Blini

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

-2 cups flour

-2.5 cups buttermilk or kefir

-0.5 tablespoons baking soda

-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

-2 eggs

-1 tablespoon sugar

-1 teaspoon salt

• In a large bowl, mix in all the ingredients together (add in the buttermilk/kefir gradually to avoid lumps) until the mixture reach a smooth consistency.

• Let the batter stand for twenty minutes.

• Preheat your non-stick frying pan with some oil to coat the pan.

• Pour in ½ cup of batter into the pan and tilt it slightly so batter runs to the edges, forming a thin and round crepe. Cook it until the top of the crepe begins to look dry, then flip with a spatula and cook for 1 minutes longer.

• Remove to a platter and repeat steps until all the batter is used.

Whether you’re buying crepes ready-made or the ingredients to make your own, NetCost Market’s got you covered. For over 20 years, we’ve helped our customers save time and money while offering them the world of food, and now we’re even offering grocery delivery. We’re a local supermarket with a global reach, providing a selection of everyday food products as well as culinary delights from around the world. It’s our goal to provide authentic, high-quality food products from local farmers as well as global suppliers. When you shop with NetCost Market, you’ll always find a gratifying shopping experience, whether you visit our stores or order online for contactless grocery delivery at your home.