Dishes · A classic of Nordic and Baltic rye · Karelia, Finland
Karjalanpiirakka
Small open pies of thin, crimped rye crust filled with rice porridge, baked hot and eaten warm with egg butter.
What makes it karjalanpiirakka
- An unleavened rye crust, rolled very thin.
- Pleated edges around an open filling — rice porridge, or potato or barley.
- Brushed with butter and milk, topped with munavoi, egg butter.
Where it comes from
A food of Karelia, the region now divided between Finland and Russia. When Karelians were resettled across Finland after the Second World War, the pies travelled with them and became a national everyday food, sold in every bakery and supermarket.
The crust is only rye flour, water and salt, rolled paper-thin and pleated around the filling by hand. They're protected in the EU as a traditional speciality.
How it varies
- Riisipiirakka
- Rice porridge — the usual filling.
- Perunapiirakka
- Mashed potato.
Be the first here
Start your own karjalanpiirakkaNo one here has made karjalanpiirakka yet. Start it as v1, and every version after is an experiment the next cook can learn from.
