Can't choose between pancakes or crepes? Try these Estonian blini

Why Estonia's sweet and savoury dishes are best enjoyed morning, noon and night.

Bring a taste of Estonia to the breakfast table with these pancakes. Source: Supplied

A flip of a pancake would end up changing the lives of Estonian couple, Tanel Akolov and Anett Kamara. 

The couple migrated to Perth in 2014 after falling in love with the Western Australian city while they were backpacking around the country. After leaving their hometown of Jüri in northern Estonia, it became the couple's dream to bring a taste of the Baltic region to their new home by opening Blini Pancake Cafe in the inner suburb of Victoria Park in 2020.

Akolov tells SBS Food, "We wanted to represent Estonian food as not many people know about it."

Kamara adds, "Traditional Estonian food is similar to German, Polish, Russian, but pancakes are totally different."

Anett Kamara and Tanel Akolov run pancake cafe Blini in Perth, Western Australia. Source: Supplied

So, what is the difference between Western-style and Estonian pancakes?

Akolov explains, "Estonian pancakes are not too fluffy and not too thin, but are perfect for filling them with either sweet or savoury mixtures and then folded.

"They are like something between crepes and pancakes."

Blini is inspired by a no-frills, homely pancake café in Estonia's capital, Tallinn, called Kompressor. The old town café is considered by locals as an institution. It's popular for its simple and traditional sweet and savoury pancakes and generous serves. It's also typical of Estonia's cafe culture: casual and modest at any time of the day.

Bring a taste of Estonia to the breakfast table with these pancakes. Source: Supplied

"I love Kompressor, but we didn't want to copy it. We just wanted to create our own ideas and have different fillings," Akolov says.

Blini's pancake recipe is an adaption of a family one that's been passed down over generations. Kamara says, "We are using my grandma's recipe for the pancakes but have upgraded it a bit."

We wanted to represent Estonian food as not many people know about it.

To help create sweet and savoury pancake fillings, Akolov and Kamara work with a Perth-based Estonian chef. The cafe's menu is a testament to the traditional tastes of Estonia, with Blini's signature pancake deemed the most authentic. Its filling includes a beef and pork mince mixture. It's seasoned with Estonian spices, diced capsicum, onion, mixed leaf salad and cheese sauce. The pancakes are complemented with dill-sour dipping sauce on the side.

The couple also wanted to bring a taste of the Baltic Sea, which they've done with their smoked salmon, spinach, spring onion and sour cream pancakes, a popular combination.

On the flip side, their pancake with homemade mixed-berries jam and vanilla and cherry sauce embodies Estonia's sweet tooth.

Another aspect the couple prides themselves on is their use of traditional ingredients. The couple imports Estonian spices and makes sauces in-store; flavours include vanilla cream, dill sour cream, cherry and cheese.

Perth's Estonian community values Blini for connecting it to their homeland, given its one of the few outlets in the city where they can enjoy traditional cuisine.

Akovov says, "Since there is a little Estonian community in Perth, I knew we had enough people to support our vision and make our dreams come true."

Kamara adds, "A lot of customers say, 'Oh my God, it reminds me of my grandparents' because it's really common when you're staying at your parents' place that they will make you pancakes."

And just like you would expect after visiting your grandparents' house, Kamara laughs, "You won't be leaving on an empty stomach."

 

Love this story? You can follow the author Instagram @theroamingflamingo. Photographs by Julia D'Orazio.

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Simple Estonian Pancakes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk or water
• 1 cup flour (or gluten-free flour)
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt 
• 1 tsp butter for cooking

Method

1. Put all the eggs in a bowl and whisk them.
2. Add milk or water to the egg mixture. Mix all together.
3. Add flour or gluten-free flour and sugar and stir together until smooth.
4. Heat frying pan over medium heat and add butter to the pan.
5. Add pancake mixture to cover pan.
6. Cook pancake on both sides until nice and golden. 
7. Serve with your favourite filling and enjoy.