Russian pancakes (bliny) is a traditional dish of the Eastern Slavs. Blin is a spoiled word from "mlin" (to grind). So blin is a dish made from a grind substance - flour. In the Russian cuisine this dish is cooked from yeast dough, what makes pancakes a quickly cooked dish. Different kinds of pancakes made from different flour are known almost everywhere frm England to Uzbekistan. No other dish of Russian cuisine can be compared to pancakes. They are very popular in every family.

It is difficult to say now when the first pancake appeared on our table, but it is defined that pancakes were a ritual dish of the Slavs pagans.

There are a lot of legends and traditions connected with pancakes. But first of all it is an obligatory dish for Maslenitsa - a holiday of spring. In old time pancakes were cooked in a traditional Russian stove.  Contemporary housekeepers cook pancakes in gas or electrical ovens.

There are plenty of cooking variants for pancakes. Every nation has its own secrets and cooking peculiarities.

People usually cook bliny according to several recipes which usually differ by the ingredients, although the technology is almost the same for all types.

Cooked pancakes are laid in a heap, every pancake is covered by butter. Then they are put in a warm place. There is a special ceramic dish with a sphere like cover for pancakes. No need to say that the best of all is to eat pancakes when they are hot, right after they were cooked.

As a tradition, Russian pancakes are served with fresh sour cream, butter, red or black caviar. As for stuffing, every housewife has her own recipe.