Tools for Food: Pelmeni Maker

Like the Italian orecchiette nomenclature, Russian pelmeni get their name from their ear-like shape; when boiled, they shrivel slightly to resemble our acoustic organs.¹ However, pelmeni are a type of dumpling (not pasta) filled with different meats, fish or mushrooms, and are a staple of Russian and Siberian cuisine. Originally, they would have been made by hand, but eventually this tool allowed many to be constructed at once. Like the honeycomb of a beehive, the pelmeni maker is comprised of multiple hexagons in a cast metal frame. To make pelmeni, a thin sheet of dumpling dough is placed over the cast aluminium mold, filling is placed in each depression, covered with another sheet of dough, then flipped and pressed on the countertop to form multiple dumplings.

Pelmeni are notably smaller than some types of dumpling, being more akin to Italian tortellini than larger Tibetan momo. Pelmeni can be purchased readymade in the freezer section of Eastern European supermarkets; amazingly, this is not far from their origin – Siberian hunters used to carry frozen dumplings with them as they travelled as a preserved food, which they cooked as and when needed.