Karelian patties ( Fin. Karjalanpiirakat ) - traditional Karelian pastries, which is an open rye pie filled with rice porridge, barley porridge or pounded potatoes. The dish is akin to the North Russian gate common in Karelia and partly in Vologda, Leningrad and Arkhangelsk regions.
| Karelian pies ( fin. Karjalanpiirakat ) | |
|---|---|
 Karelian pie | |
| Place of origin |  Finland |
| Components | |
| Main | rye flour , rice , potatoes , barley , salt |
| Possible | carrot |
History
This dish was originally prepared in the border areas of North Karelia , from where in the post-war years, in connection with the resettlement of evacuated residents of the eastern regions, spread throughout Finland and today is considered a national Finnish dish. In the Karelian dialects this dish is also denoted by the words piirakka, piiras, piiroa, kalitta . In 2003, Karelian pies were included in the list of European Union goods protected by appellation of origin (TSG, traditional specialties guaranteed), their recipe is protected by law and even minor departures from it result in depriving manufacturers of the right to produce cakes called karjalanpiirakka [1] .
Formulation
According to the recipe registered in the European Union, the dough should contain at least 50% rye flour, and the filling can only be rice, barley or potatoes, but there are traditional recipes that use carrots [2] , berries or millet as a filling, although usually these products get other names. For example, rye berry patties are known as “ Kainuu round cakes” ( Fin. Kainuulaisten rönttöset ). The most standard filling is rice porridge, and often potato and barley Karelian patties are sold not just as “Karelian”, but with the indication of the filler - “potato patties” ( fin. Perunapiirakat ) and “barley patties” ( fin. Ohrapiirakat ). Traditionally Karelian pies are served with “egg oil” ( fin. Munavoi ) - a mixture of boiled eggs and butter.
Interesting Facts
Annual competitions for the manufacture of Karelian pies are held in Rääkkylä (Finland).