Udmurt Perepechi (Rustic Meat and Mushroom Tartlets)
I tasted my very first perepechi not in Russia, but in the Georgian mountains—where the air smells like pine and firewood, and dinner always feels a little earned. We were visiting our friends Sergey and Natalia, who moved to the countryside around the same time we did. Their cozy mountain house (where they host Airbnb guests now!) is the kind of place where you’re handed a hot mug of tea the second you walk in, and before you know it, there’s something amazing coming out of the oven.
That night, it was perepechi: little open-faced tartlets with crimped dough and a savory filling of meat and mushrooms. I’d never tasted anything quite like them—earthy, tender, deeply satisfying—and of course, I had to get the recipe. Sergey told me this dish is traditional in his native Udmurtia, and while the fillings can vary, the concept is the same: simple dough, seasonal ingredients, and a soft, custardy finish from eggs and milk.
What is Udmurt cuisine?
Udmurtia is nestled in the western foothills of the Ural Mountains, bordered by Kirov, Bashkortostan, and Tatarstan. Before the 20th century, it was part of the Vyatka province, and the Udmurt people were known as votyaks until 1932. Their way of life was agricultural—growing grains like rye, wheat, millet, and buckwheat, and raising cows, pigs, sheep, and poultry.
Naturally, Udmurt cooking relies heavily on flours and grains, with techniques like boiling, stewing, and baking. Frying wasn’t traditionally part of the repertoire. Baking, though? That was a big deal. Whether it was for everyday meals or special occasions, Udmurt kitchens were always turning out some kind of dough-based comfort: sourdough pancakes called tabani, unleavened pies (syartchynyan’), shangi, dumplings, and of course, perepechi.
What are Perepechi?
Perepechi (pronounced peh-reh-PEH-chee) are open-faced rye pastries filled with savory mixtures—mushrooms, meat, vegetables—topped with a custard of eggs and milk. The name may come from the Udmurt word peres’mon, meaning “old age,” because the pinched edges resemble wrinkles. Originally, they were funeral food (seriously), but over time they became a staple for weddings and holidays.
Even in 1526, when Tsar Vasily III married Elena Glinskaya, the royal scribe noted that “the tsar’s friend, with a blessing, sliced the perepecha and cheese for the whole party.” Legendary.
In the northern parts of Udmurtia, the old name peres’mon is still used, but elsewhere the dish appears under variations: peremyachi (Tatar and Bashkir), premech (Mari), or perepecha in Russian. The name may also be tied to the method of cooking—perepechi were baked in the front of the oven (or pech), where the heat was fiercest.
This dish is rooted in peasant simplicity. In spring, people filled them with fresh foraged greens called pestiki. In winter, they used offal or even blood from slaughter in place of milk and eggs. I personally like using more eggs in the custard – especially if the meat is on the lean side. The fattier the pork, the less milk you’ll need.
Now that we’ve covered history, culture, and personal dinner parties, let’s bake.
Udmurt Perepechi
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 500 ml warm milk
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Salt to taste
For the filling:
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 500 g about 1 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
- 250 g about ½ lb ground pork
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour and a generous pinch of salt. Add the eggs and warm milk, then stir and knead until you get a stiff but pliable dough. If it’s sticky, add a little more flour. If it’s dry, splash in a bit more milk.
Chill out:
- Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while you prep the filling.
Shape the tartlets:
- Divide the dough into six pieces and roll each into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a thin oval, about 3–4 mm thick. Pinch and fold the edges up and around to create a shallow basket—don’t worry if they look a little rustic. That’s exactly what we want.
Mix the filling:
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped onion, mushrooms, and ground pork. Crack in the eggs, pour in the milk, and season with salt. Mix everything until it’s evenly combined.
Fill and bake:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange your dough baskets on top and spoon the filling right up to the edges. Bake in a preheated 180°C (356°F) oven for 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the filling is set.
Serve:
- Perepechi are best served hot, straight from the oven. They’re wonderful with a bowl of meat broth, a cup of baked milk (if you can get it), or just good strong tea.
