Žemaičių blynai are Samogitian potato pancakes: thicker and made from mashed potato (rather than grated) wrapped around meat or curd-cheese filling, then pan-fried.

Žemaičių blynai come from Samogitia (Žemaitija), the northern Lithuanian region. Where bulvių blynai are crisp grated-potato pancakes, žemaičių blynai are mashed-potato dumplings filled with meat or curd cheese and fried in a pan. Senoji Trobelė and Etno Dvaras both run them on the heritage menus. A Hill of Crosses (Šiauliai) day-trip pairs well with Samogitian-cuisine cafes for this dish.

Where to eat Žemaičių blynai in Vilnius

3 editor picks for Žemaičių blynai in Vilnius, ranked by editorial score. All Vilnius signature dishes · Žemaičių blynai across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 41 hr 15 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 kg starchy potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 300 g minced pork
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • Sour cream and bacon cracklings to serve

Method

  1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes until tender. Drain well and mash to a smooth purée.
  2. Cool the mashed potato. Mix in eggs, flour, salt and pepper to form a sticky dough.
  3. Brown the minced pork with chopped onion, salt and pepper in a pan. Set aside.
  4. Take a portion of potato dough; flatten in your hand. Place a spoon of pork filling in the centre; fold the dough around to form a sealed oval.
  5. Heat 5 mm of oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Fry blynai for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden.
  6. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot with sour cream and bacon cracklings.

Editor tip. Cool the mashed potato before mixing in eggs; warm potato will set the egg before you can shape the blynai.

Common allergens: Eggs, Dairy.