Behold the humble spinach pancake. It’s cheap, it’s simple, it has a good nutritional value and is a childhood favourite of many. Very easy to make as vegan as well and there is a vegan option.
These are probably the all time favourite school lunch in Finland. They are also a very popular ready meal that keeps on being loved by everyone. In school you are allowed to take a stack, or two. This means 10 or 15 if memory serves me right. This depends on the school. Kids like these so much that there has to be a set limit of how many you can take or they run out before everyone gets a share.
Had these for my work lunch today. With lingonberry jam, as is tradition. Back in the day the lingonberries for the school lingonberry jam were collectively picked in autumn, I’m old enough to have done this.
They are made from flour, spinach, egg, water (sometimes milk or partially milk) and salt. You can buy these from any store and everyone eats them, not the worst ready meal imo.
Their cousin is the blood pancake that kids these days don’t much like and they aren’t offered in school as often, but those are popular still as well. I personally like them very much. They are also eaten with lingonberry jam.
Oh fuck these rule so hard. Lingonberry jam is not optional. 10/10, perustettu ja punapilleröity.
perustettu ja punapilleröity
voi ei
perustettu ja punapilleröity.
Breakfast: salmiakki
Lunch: salmiakki
Dinner: salmiakki koskenkorva
How is the spinach prepped for the pancakes? Do they have a savory profile?
Yes very much a savory profile and only eaten as a savory meal typically.
The spinach is frozen spinach and it already comes in those cubes, very shredded. I assume the store bought ones are also made with that. I’ve made these myself from frozen spinach often just by adding a bag of spinach to a crepe or a pancake type batter and they are amazing. I often add some nutmeg, onion powder, garlic, and black pepper as well and it’s so good.
I assume I’d get similar results if I finely chopped, or ran through a food processor, fresh spinach? Not a fan of frozen spinach.
Yup would probably work, it wilts so much from heat. Maybe use a bit more flour to correct for the water they would release during cooking.
Edit. Or you could blend the whole batter: Found an ok recipe in English, link.
is this the only thing served that day or is it like a side dish that comes with regular food? because just some pancakes and jam doesn’t really seem filling or healthy.
Their cousin is the blood pancake that kids these days don’t much like and they aren’t offered in school as often, but those are popular still as well. I personally like them very much.
we had black pudding and hashbrowns which was the worst meal. the hashbrowns were fine (the mcdongles style but warmed in ovens instead of deep fried i guess) but left you feeling kinda gross after
It can be the only thing. These have almost 6g of protein/100g so it is surprisingly filling. There is typically a salad on the side though, maybe something else depending on the school, like cottage cheese.
We also have porridge days in school. It’s just oatmeal with a berry soup, a side of bread with some toppings and nothing else.
I had no idea these were traditionally eaten with lingonberry jam, I was just buying them from Prisma and eating them straight. Gotta try this.
For added delicious I always fry the store bought pancakes in a pan. They get nice and crispy on the outside and remain soft inside. Add the jam and it’s so good.
What else can be eaten with lingonberry jam? Or rather, what can’t?
What else can be eaten with lingonberry jam?
Meatballs and potatoes is the traditional thing. There is literally nothing those on the Scandinavian peninsula won’t eat with it. You can also do the eastern european thing where you put jam in tea with lingonberry jam.
Now that I think of it, not much can’t. In my grandparents house lingonberry jam was on the table with most things. It’s so good with savory food, just had it with meat and taters this week.
But it’s also so good in sweet treats. Lingonberry cheesecake is my go-to Christmas treat.
It’s always lingonberry jam and pickled beetroots. It’s the local ketchup and salad combo, lol.
speaking of spinach and school there’s the other food that you either hate or love unlike the near universal love for the spinach pancake
spoiler
we had this at the kindergarten i work at today and i got to take like 5 liters back home and still had to pour some down the drain
I am here to defend the humble spinach soup so I am one of those who love it. It has to be well made though and in school it often is not. I would assume especially now as we no longer have cooks in schools and daycares and the food is basically factory made.
But the good old spinach soup is basically a bechamel based soup where you add the spinach, nutmeg, onion, garlic and salt & pepper. It’s really good made with stinging nettle too, just like the pancakes.
I always make this when it gets really cold and it was always one of those cheap filling things to make when I was low on money. Frozen spinach and eggs are cheap, some homemade bread buns on the side and you’re fed. You could make almost the whole meal from one of those EU food aid bags, had to only have money for the spinach.
I personally hated it as a child, but grew to love it later. From what I’ve heard it’s actually pretty good where I work but they don’t make it vegan so I cant actually try it.
Ah that’s a shame, it’s so easy to make vegan.
