Blini weeks are a fixture in the Helsinki restaurant culture. Between January and March each year restaurants serve a blini menu, celebrating the traditional Russian dish. Blini are small, thick pancakes typically made from buckwheat flour and served with a variety of toppings such as sour cream, caviar, smoked salmon, onions, and gherkins. The event usually takes place in the weeks leading up to the Russian Orthodox holiday of Maslenitsa (also known as Blini Week), which is a celebration of the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
Our blinis are an adaptation of an Escoffier recipe, using both wheat and buckwheat flour and a combination of yeast and egg whites to get the light, fluffy texture. Each blini is 10cm in diameter so has plenty of room for you to pile on the delicious toppings. A portion has four blinis and a selection of four toppings (pescetarian or vegetarian,- just make your selection in the drop down menu)
Pescetarian selection
- sour cream, lumpfish caviar, red onion, dill
- hot smoked salmon pate topped with shaved fennel
- sour cream, home pickled cucumber and honey
- forest mushroom salad topped with crispy onions
Vegetarian selection
- sour cream, seaweed 'caviar', red onion, dill
- smoky roasted carrot pate topped with shaved fennel
- sour cream, home pickled cucumber and honey
- forest mushroom salad topped with crispy onions
As 15th February is also Valentine's weekend it felt like the perfect time to put this celebratory dish on the Koivu weekly menu. Another fun Finnish fact is that Valentine's Day in Finnish is ystävänpäivä, or friendship day, so it is a celebration of love in it's many forms; friends, family and chosen family.
Heating instructions
Gently warm through the blini in the dish they arrive in, in a preheated 180 celsius oven for 5 minutes. All toppings can then be smothered on to the blini and enjoyed.
15th February - blinis with a selection of toppings
Blini - wheat flour, buckwheat flour, yeast, salt, milk, eggs, butter
Contains: gluten, milk, egg
Sour cream, lumpfish caviar, red onion, dill topping - sour cream, Lumpfish Roe (Cyclopterus lumpus) (Fish) (90%), Salt, Water, Colours (E151, E110*), Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), red onion, dill
Contains: fish, milk
Sour cream, Cavi-art seaweed caviar, red onion, dill topping- sour cream, Seaweed extract (83%), water, salt, spices (extracts of cayenne pepper, turmeric, laurel, and leek), acidifier (citric acid), stabiliser (xanthan gum), preservatives (potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate), colour (vegetable carbon), red onion, dill
Contains: milk
Hot smoked salmon pate topped with shaved fennel- hot smoked salmon, creme fraiche, capers, shallots, lemon juice and zest, dill, basil, fennel, orange juice and zest, honey
Contains: fish, milk
Smoky roasted carrot pate topped with shaved fennel- carrots, rapeseed oil, black garlic, cardamom, smoked paprika, yoghurt, capers, lemon zest, shallots, dill, fennel, orange juice and zest, honey, smoked salt
Contains: milk
Forest mushroom salad topped with crispy onions- forest mushrooms, rapeseed oil, garlic, yoghurt, dill, chives, smoked salt, white pepper, onions
Contains: milk
Sour cream, home pickled cucumbers and honey- sour cream, cucumber, dill, white wine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay leaf, juniper berries, yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorns, honey
Contains: milk, sulphur dioxide, mustard
Via our home to home delivery service. All deliveries are on Saturday between 14.00-18.30. Please note a specific time cannot be guaranteed.
All food will be delivered chilled and will need to be reheated according to the instructions on this website beneath the product description.